“If You’re Skinny, You’re Fatphobic.”

Is it really one or the other?

Photo by Anna Shvets from Pexels

I recently heard the argument that if you’re thin (or aspire to be), you’re fatphobic.

It doesn’t matter if you have a naturally fast metabolism, or if you worked really hard to get the figure that you have.

You should be happy about being overweight. You should be happy about being obese. And if you’re not, you must re-examine your relationship with patriarchal beauty standards.

Far too often, the conversation ends here.

The origins of fatphobia

The concept of being “fatphobic” is a relatively new one. It can be defined as “the fear and hatred of fat bodies.”

Fatphobia also refers to our ingrained preferences for smaller bodies over larger ones. What makes people especially angry is the fact that this preference is fairly common. To some degree, we as a society associate fit and in-shape bodies with youth, health, intelligence, and desirability.

So, does preferring slimmer bodies make you fatphobic?

Like many things in life, it depends.

There is a difference between hating your body and wanting to take care of it.