Why are we still triggered by fat bodies?

by Kyra Clement

‘Body positivity’ is a phrase that’s been thrown around the internet, plastered onto branded campaigns and woven into popular vernacular. But what does it actually mean? 

For many brands, it has come to mean being positive about the body you’re in and doing it with a smile on your face. This palatable version of body positivity, which is ‘all bodies are beautiful’, while true, does not address the political roots of the movement, nor does it centre the marginalised bodies that created the movement in the first place. 

As expressed by pop sensation Lizzo, "The people who created this movement - big women, big Brown and Black women, queer women - are not benefiting from the mainstream success of it."  

SELFHOOD Collective member, Kitty Underhill tells us that “body positivity must come down to its political roots. It is, at its heart, an uncomfortable and political movement. Not something that sells you T-shirts in a size 0-16.” 

And this is part of the problem. Many brands’ attempts to promote ‘body positivity’ fail to address the fundamentals, like offering range size ranges for everyone.

Body positivity has become cool and trendy, rather than being a catalyst for transformation and change.

Some brands appear to get it. Universal Standard - a brand championing ‘revolutionary inclusivity’ – have been commended for providing unprecedented access to fashion for sizes ranging up to 36 and using all the right language in their most recent campaign.

However not all efforts from brands are met with such praise, perhaps one of the reasons why so few are being truly vocal in this space. For example, Nike’s plus sized mannequin in 2019 resulted in an outpour of criticism for unhealthy living and even ‘promoting death’.

As always, it is social media providing the means for this abuse to thrive. Even on our own Instagram channel, one of our Collective members received abusive comments of faux concern after being featured in a video discussing self-love.

It seems the display of plus sized bodies is triggering for many. The question to unpack is why?

Advocates of the body positivity movement point to internalised fatphobia, masquerading under the guise of concern. They argue that the idea that fat = unhealthy is a dangerous rhetoric that is simply not true. Promoting plus size is not glamourizing obesity, but rather representing a group of people who deserve to be seen and heard.

The first step towards dismantling this fatphobia is normalising the existence of fat bodies, and this is where brands can play an important role.

According to Kitty, to do this right, brands must try to grasp what body positivity really is - a political movement sparked by the fat liberation movement in the 60’s.

Quick history lesson: the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance (NAAFA) was created as part of this movement, to fight structural and societal anti-fatness and gain rights for fat people. From this came radical fat activism, which is where body positivity was born.

Whilst this is a movement born in the 60’s, it’s still incredibly needed today.

For example in America, 49 States legally allow employers to discriminate based on weight.

With this context in mind, it is clear that the mainstream version of body positivity that we see today has been watered down to an inoffensive version that is easier to sell, and unhelpful to those that created it in the first place.

Brands claiming to stand behind ‘body positivity’ need to understand the history of the movement, and make sure their behaviour is in tune with its principles. That won’t be addressed with a strategically-cast advertising campaign.

It’s about including 18+ sizing options, hiring models that accurately represent these sizes in their campaigns, using the correct terminology and designing more inclusive and diverse shopping experiences.

Or, if they simply want to promote the acceptance of ALL bodies and focus on feeling good about yourself, then let’s call it what it is - body acceptance.