

#4109
Mentioned in 7 episodes
Fearing the Black Body
The Racial Origins of Fat Phobia
Book • 2019
In 'Fearing the Black Body', Sabrina Strings presents a meticulously researched history of the transformation of Euro-American ideologies toward fat from the Renaissance to the present day.
She argues that fatphobia is an extension of anti-Black racism, tracing its roots through various historical factors including the Atlantic slave trade, Renaissance art, scientific racism, and Protestantism.
Strings demonstrates how the ideal of slenderness is racialized and racist, and how Western medicine has historically relied on the brutalization and dehumanization of Black people to validate these ideals.
The book highlights how assessments of body size and shape have been used to justify systems of oppression and how contemporary fatphobia is deeply connected to the historical processes of racialization and objectification of Black bodies.
She argues that fatphobia is an extension of anti-Black racism, tracing its roots through various historical factors including the Atlantic slave trade, Renaissance art, scientific racism, and Protestantism.
Strings demonstrates how the ideal of slenderness is racialized and racist, and how Western medicine has historically relied on the brutalization and dehumanization of Black people to validate these ideals.
The book highlights how assessments of body size and shape have been used to justify systems of oppression and how contemporary fatphobia is deeply connected to the historical processes of racialization and objectification of Black bodies.
Mentioned by


















Mentioned in 7 episodes
Mentioned by 

when discussing the racial roots of anti-fat bias.


Virginia Sole-Smith

31 snips
How to Stop Obsessing Over Your Body and Eat Sanely in a Toxic Culture | Virginia Sole-Smith
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for its research on the history and origins of fatphobia.

Katie Gatti-Tossan

“You Just Have to Keep Buying”: How Diet Culture Profits from Fatphobia
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to learn about the historical correlation between anti-blackness and fatphobia.

Aubrey Carter

AEE 1913: Fight Fatphobia with Jenna from Roses For Every Body
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when discussing the racial origins of fatphobia and the flawed history of the BMI.


Andy Tegel

How to divest from diet culture
Recommended by 

for those interested in the racist roots of diet culture.


Christy Harrison

How to Embrace the Anti-Diet | Christy Harrison
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for its insights on the historical roots of fatphobia and its impact on health perceptions.

Christine Byrne

Fitter Radio Episode 427 - Christine Byrne
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while discussing the historical roots of fatphobia and its connection to racism.

Gina Tonic

Society Has Never Hated Fat People As Much As We Do Right Now
Recommended by Bri as a book that aligns with ![undefined]()

's values.

Jay Salazar

68. Bariatric Surgery + Food Freedom with Jay Salazar
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as a book that explores the racial roots of fat phobia.

Evelyn Tribole

Eating and Body Positivity with Evelyn Tribole
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to explain the connection between racism and fatphobia.

Asher Larmie

Yes, I'm Fat. Yes, I'm in Pain. No, They're Not Related.
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as a book that changed her perspective on beauty standards and colonization.

Anita Bhagwandas

#129: Anita Bhagwandas - Pitching And Crafting Viral Stories, Navigating ADHD, and Breaking Beauty Myths.
Mentioned by 

as the author of the book that explores the racial origins of fat phobia.


Maddie Safai

Fat Phobia And Its Racist Past And Present
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to illustrate the ways in which misogyny and transphobia intersect, particularly concerning the treatment of transgender women.

Manal Drissi

Récap 2024
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as an important text in fat studies, clarifying how anti-fatness became a coherent ideology.

Da'Shaun Harrison

[UNLOCKED] Anti-Fatness as Anti-Blackness w/ Da'Shaun Harrison
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, referencing their work on the racial origins of fat phobia.

Da'Shaun Harrison

The racist origins of fat phobia