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 In Half-Assed, Jennette Fulda talks about things that tend to be glossed over in weight-loss memoirs. Generally, you assume that the attitude of someone who is dedicated to weight loss, to the point that they've written an entire book about it and their success at the whole endeavor, is absolute delight in the fact that they're not fat any more. You assume the prevailing attitude is going to be that fat is bad, thin is good, and the fat acceptance movement is a bunch of hooey. Why would you lose weight if you accepted your fat, right? There's no happy medium: you're in or you're out of the FA movement. Fulda's got her own take on the idea. She writes: "The definition of the word acceptance was 'to recognize as true.' Acceptance was the opposite of denial. If I really accepted myself as I was, it meant I'd recognized who I was to the best of my ability, flaws and all. It didn't mean I was necessarily satisfied with all the materials that made the house of me. The kitchen tile needed to be replaced, the patio door was squeaking and what was I thinking when I chose that wallpaper? But at least I'd taken a look around and written an honest appraisal. It didn't mean I couldn't hire a contractor. The house of me had a strong foundation, but I wanted to pain the walls a different color and add a Jacuzzi.It's an argument that's been going on since the Fat Acceptance movement began to emerge--can you lose weight and still be legitimately concerned about fat acceptance, or are you a hypocrite? Is it unfair to say losing weight completely negates your right to believe in the movement? Are the two ideas hopelessly incompatible? What do you guys think? 5 CommentsLeave a comment |
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"can you lose weight and still be legitimately concerned about fat acceptance, or are you a hypocrite? Is it unfair to say losing weight completely negates your right to believe in the movement? Are the two ideas hopelessly incompatible? "
This concept really frustrates me. Would anyone argue that because I'm white there's no way I can believe that other races deserve equal rights? Or because I'm straight there's no way I can think gay marriage is ok? No, they wouldn't because that is absurd, and so is this argument.
Fat acceptance is about allowing people to live their lives without being victims of prejudice, regardless of their size. That includes everyone, even skinny people and medium sized people. It means you can be whatever size/shape/weight that makes YOU as an INDIVIDUAL happy without having to worry about dealing with bigotry and derision. It ALSO means that if you are happier when you weigh more that you currently do you should be able to gain weight without being ridiculed, but also if you are happy when you weigh less than you currently do you should be allowed the same courtesy and be able to lose weight without being harrangued for it either. Acceptance is about ACCEPTING PEOPLE FOR WHO THEY ARE not accepting them only on the condition that they behave exactly the way you want them too. That is the definition of prejudice.
I've been following and supporting FA for a while now and I've never been overwieght. Ditto everything Beth said!
I'm pro fat acceptance, but every time I've tried to get involved in the fat acceptance movement I've felt deliberately shut out because I'm not fat. I don't think that losing weight oneself automatically bars one from being a part of FA, but I know from reading comments on Big Fat Blog and elsewhere that there are plenty of people who think that you're a traitor to FA if you lost weight and can't possibly REALLY be a part of FA if you never were fat to begin with.
Shame, that.
I think the best of the FA movement would better be called "People acceptance." Isn't it just hypocracy to only accept a larger size of person? Isn't the point that we are all people, who don't deserve to be vilified for whatever our bodies look like?
The “Fat Acceptance movement” is about (unless I’ve missed something) accepting people for who they are. Or in other words fat people that are fat through no fault of their. That you shouldn’t tell fat people to lose weight because they can’t. Now if you’ve managed to lose a lot of weight then and after that think that other people can too, then yeah you’re no longer part of the Fat Acceptance movement.
I’ve had enough arguments with Fat Acceptance people to know that the idea that weight loss is possible (long term) goes against the basis of their movement.