Stop Erasing Fat Bodies

Ever since the United Kingdom colonized the masses, white Europeans declared their customs and cultural traditions as the default setting. By doing so, they established other ways of life as savage and barbaric. This included what society determined to be attractive. After the kidnapping of Africans, the forced assimilation of the Natives, and immigration from around the world, the hierarchy of whiteness was challenged. There were women and femmes from nonwhite backgrounds that established beauty in their culture who threatened the social rank of European features. In an act of defense of white supremacy, conventional beauty standards were created. Thin nose, thin lips, thin frame, and thin, fine textured hair was publicly admired. Decades later, the rise of racially mixed and ambiguous people, coupled with the rise of social media and the body positivity movement, has encouraged ethnic features to be recognized as beautiful. This inclusion has created the opportunity for different body types to be celebrated, but are all body types welcome or just the bodies outside the window of thin?

Similar to society at large, gender and race dictate which fat bodies are tolerated. Cishet men, free from the pressures of maintaining their appearance to satisfactory standards, are free to be in whatever shape they come in. The most glaring evidence of this is how comfortable fat men are in criticizing and nitpicking the bodies of women. Thin, non-thin and fat women are all subjected to the opinions of men yet, nonthin and fat women receive it more. Cishet men weaponize fatness to attack womanhood and the desirability of feminine people, despite the fact that bodies like the Venus of Willendorf represent fertility. Race comes into play by increasing the desirability of the individual. White fat people are still white at the end of the day. Fatness without the protection of white supremacy decreases the social value of the individual. Black women the size of Tess Holiday are scoffed at since racism justifies fatphobia. Non-white fat women and femmes are consistently encouraged to lose weight to achieve thin or non-thin bodies. There are also privileges in being non-thin that fat people are denied, regardless of race and gender.

Outside of the group who's considered thin, non-thin people have more privilege than fat people. Non-thin people can enjoy the same fashion choices as thin people, now more than ever with the expansion of sizes available. Fat people have to go to specialty stores where plus size/big and tall sizes are sold. It's akin to segregation; it psychologically sends the message that fat people are not as valuable as customers. It suggests that fat people are not worthy of the sexy, slim fits that are afforded to everyone else. It's systematic policing by the clothing industry to designate what's acceptable for fat bodies to wear. The sentiment of "dress for your body type" stems from the disgust non-fat people feel at the sight of fatness. There are plenty of trends and styles that I find revolting yet I do not make people feel excluded for liking it. There are many conventionally beautiful bodies that I find to be ugly, angular and skeleton-like however, I would never find it to be moral for my opinions to limit their self-expression. Biologically, we cannot all be slim and slender. There are 13 different body types and with genetics, two bodies aren't meant to look the same. Why is there a social consensus that fat bodies shouldn't exist? Fatness doesn't correlate to an unhealthy lifestyle. Even muscles are not visibly distinguishable from fatness in certain areas of the body. Serena Williams, a fit, muscular woman, consistently gets body shamed for not being thin. People shouldn't be punished for genetic and often times, racial and cultural differences, especially in the realm of fashion.

Another sign of the privilege that non-thin people enjoy is reinforcing the difference between them and actual fat people. Since big asses became trendy, the term thicc is now a beauty standard that continues to demonize fatness. 'Slim thicc' describes the Instagram model type, who has a small waist, flat stomach, and thin frame overall but a big butt that's typically surgectically enhanced. 'Thicc' is usually a non-thin person with fat like features such as a naturally big butt and thighs, a natural waist and stomach. 'Thicc thicc' is just plus size, big beautiful women (BBW) or attractive fat people that are proportioned in an acceptable way: naturally big bust, thighs, and butt with a noticeable stomach but not disruptive to the hourglass shape. The fact that fat people can't exist without appeasing the eyes of the thin is evidence of fatphobia. The lengths that non-thin people have gone to make sure they are not treated as fat is fatphobic. Fat people do not see bodies that realistically represent them; the vast majority of plus-sized models are thicc. The 'Fashion Nova Curve' girls and other thicc models benefit by taking up space meant for fat people, which further contributes to body negativity. The media, mainstream and social, constantly reminds people like me how I am unacceptable and shouldn't be visible while my features on thinner bodies are praised. Double chins, side rolls, cankles, and arm flaps are still not permitted despite the body positivity movement.

One of the most classic signs of non-thin privilege is the upholding of casual fatphobia. In efforts to reinforce the difference between them and fat people, non-thin people ironically call themselves fat. They verbally equate being fat to overeating, eating unhealthy foods and being sedentary, the common stereotypes placed on fat people. Fat people do eat salads, portion snacks/desserts and incorporate exercise into their lifestyles. Fatness isn't a lifestyle choice, but fatphobia is. Non-thin people also perpetuate diet culture, the incorrect idea that diets are an effective method for achieving a healthier lifestyle. Starving your body of nutrients, jumping from losing 40 pounds to gaining 50 is much more unhealthy than sustaining a steady weight or slowly losing it. There's an industry just to profit from this toxicity. Fake supplements, non-effective work out gear and routines, and plastic surgery exist just to save people from suffering from fatphobia. Fatphobia becomes lethal when being thin is more important than being healthy. Human life, experiencing moments on this planet, discovering your purpose and passion is worth more than a specific body type yet fatphobia convinces us otherwise.

Fatness is not a dichotomy to thinness. Non-thin people benefit from their proximity to thinness by taking up spaces meant for fat people, redefining fatness verbally and visually, and contributing to fatphobia. Non-thin people escape the policing of fashion, food, and activities that fat people experience. Body positive is beautiful and overdue in our society. All body types deserve celebration. The subtle undertones of racism, xenophobia, and sexism within anti-fat rhetoric only encourages the social hierarchy that white supremacy established. The exclusion that thin people have established against everyone else is harmful yet the solution isn't to only accept non-thin people. Fat people deserve to cherish their bodies as much as everyone else and until that happens, body diversity is a standard that still needs to be achieved.