In this engaging discussion, guest Amy Farrell, a Professor of Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies and author of "Fat Shame," uncovers the dark origins of BMI and fatphobia. She delves into how Enlightenment ideas shaped body categorization, revealing the biases that persist today. Farrell highlights the unique challenges women and people of color face due to societal standards. The conversation also critiques the relevance of BMI in health assessments and advocates for a more inclusive understanding of body image and health.
The historical stigmatization of body sizes, particularly for women and people of color during the Enlightenment, created damaging perceptions that continue to influence societal norms today.
The Body Mass Index (BMI), rooted in flawed classifications, has become a problematic health measure that fails to recognize diverse body types and their implications for self-esteem.
Deep dives
The Impact of Enlightenment Ideals on Body Image
During the Enlightenment, societal norms around body types were influenced by flawed categorizations, particularly affecting women's bodies. Non-white and non-thin women were deemed uncivilized and unworthy, fostering damaging perceptions that persist today. This era not only shaped aesthetic standards but also entrenched ideas that linked body size with moral and racial hierarchies. Consequently, these historical biases continue to inform modern perspectives on body image and health.
The Origins and Critique of BMI
The Body Mass Index (BMI) emerged in the 19th century as a simplistic measure of health, calculating a person's weight relative to height. Initially developed for statistical purposes, it gained traction as a health indicator without rigorous evidence supporting its effectiveness. This reliance on the BMI has significant drawbacks, particularly its failure to account for diverse body types, leaving many marginalized under rigid classifications. It exemplifies how scientifically questionable metrics can shape societal perceptions and impact individuals' self-esteem.
Cultural Shifts and Fat Stigma
Cultural portrayals of fatness have evolved, with recent visibility highlighting systemic fat phobia alongside the rise of the dieting industry. Historical narratives show that fat women's bodies faced derision, often linked to notions of shame and undesirable traits. Furthermore, the stigmatization of larger bodies extends into medical practices, affecting access to treatments for women with high BMIs. This reinforces harmful stereotypes that frame fatness as a personal failure rather than contextualize it within broader societal dynamics.
Fatness, Gender, and Societal Expectations
The intersection of fatness and gender underscores how societal expectations dictate acceptable body types, particularly for women. Feminist movements have both supported and critiqued the portrayal of fat, recognizing it as a site of oppression but also advocating for body positivity. The historical association of fat with age further complicates women's experiences, suggesting that larger bodies are often deemed less acceptable as women grow older. Ultimately, the discourse around fatness reflects deeper societal anxieties regarding femininity, attractiveness, and agency.
Dark ideas and stigma around different body sizes really took hold in the Enlightenment.
Very unenlightened, if you ask us.
This started all sorts of awful movements, and one result was BMI - or Body Mass Index - which is still used as a measure of health by doctors today.
What even is the BMI? Why are women and people of colour particularly affected by these harmful ideas? And what's the future of fatphobia and BMI?
Joining Kate is the fantastic Amy Farrell, professor of women’s, gender and sexuality studies at Dickinson College and author of Fat Shame: Stigma and the Fat Body in American Culture, to take us back to the dark origins of BMI and fatphobia.
This episode was edited by Tom Delargy and produced by Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Charlotte Long.
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