Short Wave Fat Phobia And Its Racist Past And Present
Jul 21, 2020
Sabrina Strings, a sociologist at UC Irvine and author of "Fearing the Black Body," dives into the complex origins of fat phobia. She reveals how its roots trace back to slavery, intertwining racism and societal beliefs about body image. The conversation addresses the evolution of body positivity and critiques modern medical biases, particularly regarding Black women's health. Strings emphasizes the importance of rethinking weight narratives and understanding the psychological effects tied to societal expectations surrounding thinness.
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Grandma's Observation
- Sabrina Strings' grandmother questioned why white women were so focused on thinness.
- Years later, Strings encountered HIV-positive women of color refusing medication due to weight gain concerns, echoing her grandmother's observation.
Fatphobia's Deep Roots
- The origins of fatphobia trace back further than the mid-20th century.
- 19th-century magazines promoted thinness among Anglo-Saxon Protestant women as a sign of racial and moral superiority.
Slave Trade's Influence on Body Image
- The growth of the slave trade influenced perceptions of body size and race.
- 18th-century philosophers linked slenderness with European rationality and contrasted it with the perceived sensuality and larger body sizes of enslaved Africans.
