More Spoons Nutrition | S04E02

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.

Da'Shaun Harrison's "Belly of the Beast" delves into the intersection of anti-fatness and anti-Blackness, challenging the dominant narratives within fat studies. The book critiques the compartmentalization of identities and experiences within academic disciplines. Harrison argues that anti-fatness is inherently linked to anti-Blackness, rooted in historical systems of oppression. The work explores the violence inflicted upon Black fat bodies through policing, medical systems, and societal structures. Ultimately, "Belly of the Beast" calls for a radical reimagining of liberation that goes beyond traditional abolitionist frameworks.