![fitnessmisconceptions:
[Image text: “‘Fat’ is an adjective, not an insult”]
redefiningbodyimage:
morganchooses:
anatomyofaqueen:
redefiningbodyimage:
“Fat” is an adjective - not an insult.
Erm… Words used as insults generally ARE adjectives… and just about every other type of word. Like Nouns, etc o.O It’s all in how you USE the word that MAKES it an insult. I could make PUDDING an insult if I wanted to. Or Plates, or Pants, or Cookies.
I get what you’re saying, this was just a rather illogical way to put it that doesn’t make sense to me.
^yes. Also, I’m pretty sure it’s a noun that people use as an adjective. Like that phrase “I’m not fat, I HAVE fat”
A lot of people seem to be getting lost on the logistics of this message, which is in part due to the vague way in which I presented it, but I like it that way.
So okay, let’s look at the definition of the word “adjective”:
To get to the quick, an adjective is a describing word.
An insult is not a describing word.
An adjective, along with the right tone, can be spewed at someone as an insult - just as the word “fat” is most often used as an insult (ie. “stupid” “lazy” “unhealthy”) rather than a word to describe one’s body or presence.
Through this statement, I had hoped to propose that we focus on what “fat” DESCRIBES and focus less on what it may or may not IMPLY. Strip away all the negative implications of the word and what are you left with? A word that simply describes.
Yes, of course it is also a noun, bodies HAVE fat, but that’s not the point.
A person should feel free to DESCRIBE and DEFINE themselves as a FAT PERSON without inadvertently “putting themselves down”.
Two questions from a fitness student:
In college, we are constantly reminded not to use the word “fat” when conversing with clients for fear of insulting/offending them. For example, instead of saying “this will measure how much fat you have”, we’re taught to say “this will measure your body composition”. This doesn’t sit well with me, especially because some of my fellow classmates are fatter than the stereotypical personal trainer.
In a professional situation, how would you go about developing fat acceptance and the use of the word “fat” without offending clients?
What do you think is the best way to let my professors know, without getting myself on their bad side, that teaching us this way reinforces fat-shaming?
Hi! Wow, really interesting questions.
Yes, some people are not okay with identifying themselves or their bodies or any part of them as “fat” and that has to be respected, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t suggest that it isn’t a bad word and encourage its usage in a way that is inoffensive.
It’s hard to say what I would do in your situation as I am often very awkward in speaking with people and articulating my thoughts in person - most of the time I feel as though I’m just flying by the seat of my pants.
But the long and short of it is, whenever it’s appropriate - I would just open up a dialogue about it. Have some talking points ready about why you support the usage of the word “fat” within a positive context and take it from there.
How is “fat” used within a positive context? By incorporating honest words like “beautiful” and “lovely” and “resilient” when you’re talking about it, because it’s all true and needs to be said. Removing that tone of voice we all know exists when people spit it as an insult, with disgust or exasperation, is also important. Speak of it matter-of-factly, reinforce its delivery with love and a smile. I am still working on this myself, so I’m afraid I do not have all the answers.
Really just try to bring home the fact that “fat” exists on all healthy bodies. There is no reason to be frightened of using it. And through using it more often, in a positive and/or practical context, perhaps we can begin to relieve the word of its negative baggage.
Have some resources at the ready, facts and articles to back up your claims/arguments, as I’m sure you will experience some form of (hopefully respectful) push-back from your professors/peers. I have a small collection of resources on fat acceptance and fat health here, if you feel so inclined to peruse them.
Keep in mind that trying to get some people to listen to you on this subject can be extremely difficult. Just try to keep in mind that not all minds have the capacity to be swayed. If it’s not sinking in, shrug it off and move on - there are plenty of other people who are willing to learn and open their minds up to new perspectives who deserve your attention.
Good on you for making an effort in opening up the floor for this type of discussion. I hope I was able to help in some way, and best of luck. Keep me updated on what happens!
<3 Haley](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m3sfmofpNm1qesi41o1_r3_500.jpg)
In high school, I didn’t feel like I fit in. I believed in and liked different things than all of my peers. I behaved differently. Even though I wanted to support and represent individuality, it took a huge toll on my confidence. And not fitting in physically only heightened those differences. I hit puberty when I was around eleven, way earlier than the other girls; I was taller than literally every student and many teachers, men and women alike; and I was a larger size than most everyone as well. To me, not physically fitting in just gave everyone an easy way to see and judge that difference and every other difference. Needless to say, it was a horrifying struggle for me, and as I placed more and more importance on my body, my self-esteem got lower and lower.
Eventually, right before senior year, I ended up losing around ten pounds and it made me feel a lot better. I decided I wanted to lose a bit more, and be happy with my body. I tried to join a support club for plus-size women. Its focus was weight loss, rather than health, but at the time that’s what I thought I needed. I showed up to a meeting, and all of the women there were surprised to see me. Many of them were considered obese, and since I was much taller than everyone, the fact that we weighed the same amount made it so I didn’t hit the obesity mark—numbers defining weight and this notion of obesity are incredibly arbitrary and relative, by the way.
They ladies at the meeting abruptly told me I should leave because I didn’t have the same problem that they did. Perhaps I was physically ‘healthier,’ but I’m sure I was struggling in my head just the same. That’s the nature of distorted image. I was crushed, because I had finally stepped out of my comfort zone, attempted to get help, and was trying to connect with others who shared my struggle. And I was rejected, just like that. I didn’t feel like I had anywhere safe to go. In retrospect, I realize that the women at the meeting didn’t feel safe with me there because they perceived me as much smaller and capable of judging them. They deserve that safety, but I still wish the situation would have been handled more tactfully.
Next I turned to the online community and found out about fat admirers, or FAs. I was so excited to learn that there were men who weren’t repulsed by fatness, but actually sexually attracted to it! When I started getting involved, I soon realized that, yet again, I wasn’t fitting in. I don’t have a VBO (visible belly outline) which was a highly desire trait. Many of the men wanted me to gain, and I didn’t want to. I also realized that much of the admiration created activities that actually involved the size. There are fetishes that, while I respect them, simply aren’t what I’m into. I began to get really discouraged again, because now my size wasn’t negatively judged, it was only fetishized. I feel like my size doesn’t actually affect who I am or what they like, and I want to be treated as such.
It has been exceedingly difficult but also interesting to learn that the space we take up, and how we take up that space, can make it so we have no space to go; no space to feel safe and understood and not judged. However, the focus shouldn’t even be on space and size! We talk about being healthy, and seem to equate that with being thin and active; physically healthy. Now we talk about health at any size, and that’s awesome. But you know what’s more important to me than my physical health? My mental health! Trying to tackle my body image issues when I wasn’t mentally healthy was a huge mistake, one that is forced on way too many people.
Right now I stand 5’11”, weigh 223 pounds, wear a US size 16-18, and most days, I feel attractive. On some great days I feel beautiful and even sexy, and it feels amazing, even more so because I know feeling happy at my size is a huge rebellion against what the cruelty of society wants me to do. I’m still on a journey to discovering how to become healthy—healthy in terms of me, not anyone else. I need to consider the severe confidence issues I’ve dealt with, and how they lead to depression and suicide attempts. I need to consider that even though I certainly can be healthy at my size, I have things other than my weight, like bad asthma and knee issues, that affect my health and make physical activity difficult. I also need to remember that my opinion of myself is the only one that really matters, and not get discouraged if other people don’t like it. Only I can define what health means for me and how important it is.
Only I know my experience, just as each of you only knows yours. Only we can best assess our needs. If we keep trying to reach one kind of health—even at any size—that’s giving in to a system that aims to control us and take away the essence of who we are. We all mean more than what our bodies look like, and we all deserve to have our unique experiences honored and validated. I realize it’s a tall order, especially since I’ve felt the absolute turmoil of being viewed as unhealthy, and can still clearly remember and feel it. But I’m confident that working hard to individually re-asses and culturally redefine our notion of health will ultimately be the most positive and liberating—in other words, healthy—step we can all take for ourselves and others.
