This archive report was first published on 13 October 2019.
The curious case of fatphobia and why those who created the body positivity movement are slowly being erased from the narrative ¶
Published on October 13, 2019
Body positivity is a social movement that aims to promote a positive body image and self-acceptance. However, the movement has its roots in the fat acceptance movement, which began in the 1960s. This movement aimed to change the anti-fat bias and reprogram society's attitude towards fat people.
Sociologist Charlotte Cooper has argued that the history of the fat activist movement is best understood in waves, similar to the feminist movement. The movement has suffered from waves of activism followed by burnout, with activists in a following wave often unaware of the history of the movement.
Charlotte Cooper has also argued that the dominant model of fatness is contextualised as pitiful, diseased, greedy, and lazy. This model is maintained by various power structures, including drugs companies, food producers, and the fashion industry.
The body positivity movement has evolved over time, and its original intention has been watered down. The movement has become commercialised, and its message has been adapted to fit the needs of a wider audience. This has led to a loss of its core message and a lack of understanding of its history.
Body positivity is not the same as self-love. While self-love is a positive concept, body positivity was created to help people with marginalised bodies feel entitled to self-love. The movement has been hijacked by people who do not understand its original intention, and its message has been distorted.
The commercialisation of the movement has led to many people, especially those in privileged bodies, jumping on the bandwagon. However, this has led to a lack of understanding of the movement's history and its original intention.
Body positivity is about finding a community of like-minded people and feeling safe within that community to love your body and who you are. However, when you no longer recognise yourself in those who occupy that community, it can be difficult to maintain the movement's message.
Despite the challenges, the body positivity movement has made significant progress in promoting self-acceptance and challenging fatphobia. However, there is still much work to be done to ensure that the movement's original intention is not lost.
