Oberlin College Library - Workshop Handouts

Workshop Handouts

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An Oberlin College Library Diversity Committee discussion
facilitated by Kathy Abromeit
April 6, 2000

HOW OFTEN DO YOU_____________________________________________________?: never---------daily

3. directly or indirectly support the assumption that no one should be fat 1 2 3 4 5

5. say or assume that someone is "looking good" because s/he has lost weight 1 2 3 4 5

6. say something that presumes that a fat person(s) wants to lose weight 1 2 3 4 5

8. say something that presumes that fat people eat too much or "the wrong food" 1 2 3 4 5

15. tease or admonish someone about his/her eating (habits or choices) 1 2 3 4 5

16. criticize someone’s eating to a third person ("so-and-so eats way too much junk") 1 2 3 4 5

18. talk about "being good" and "being bad" in reference to eating behavior 1 2 3 4 5

20. say something that presumes being thin is better (or more attractive) than being fat 1 2 3 4 5

21. comment that you don’t wear certain styles because "it makes you look fat" 1 2 3 4 5

comment that you love certain clothing because it "makes you look thin" 1 2 3 4 5
say something that presumes that fatness is unattractive 1 2 3 4 5
participate in a "fat joke" by telling one or laughing / smiling at one 1 2 3 4 5
support the diet industry by buying their services and / or products 1 2 3 4 5
undereat and / or exercise obsessively to maintain an unnaturally low weight 1 2 3 4 5
say something that presumes being fat is unhealthy 1 2 3 4 5
say something that presumes being thin is healthy 1 2 3 4 5
encourage someone to let go of guilt 1 2 3 4 5
encourage or admire self-acceptance and self-appreciation / love 1 2 3 4 5
encourage someone to feel good about his / her body as is 1 2 3 4 5
openly admire a fat person’s appearance 1 2 3 4 5
openly admire a fat person’s character, personality, or actions 1 2 3 4 5
oppose / challenge fattism verbally 1 2 3 4 5
oppose / challenge fattism in writing 1 2 3 4 5
challenge or voice disapproval of a "fat joke" 1 2 3 4 5
challenge myths about fatness and eating 1 2 3 4 5
compliment ideas, behavior, character, etc. more often than appearance 1 2 3 4 5

Behaviors #1-28 are all unhelpful or downright harmful. Look over your answers to isolate areas which need attention. Strive to avoid these and similar behaviors in the future.

Behaviors #29-38 help to support size acceptance. Re-read items where you marked "never" (1) or "rarely" (2); make a list of realistic goals for increasing supportive behavior.

Stereotypes, and the resulting prejudice, develop from a belief that a group of people share common characteristics. This belief is almost always grounded in myth. The following widely-held beliefs about fat people are often used to justify treating fat people poorly, and create a "blame the victim" mentality.

FACTS: Permanent weight loss is elusive for most fat people; 95-98% of all diets fail over three years. Contrary to what the $33 billion per year dieting industry would have us believe, the failure of diets is not the fault of the dieter; rather, the body’s response to a very low calorie diet dictates that the diet will fail.

A person’s body weight is determined by a number of factors, including genetics, metabolism, and dieting history. The body will naturally stabilize at a certain weight; dieting serves to raise this natural "setpoint." This is because the body interprets a VLCD as a period of starvation; in response, the body slows down its metabolism, in order to conserve energy (calories), and sends messages to the dieter that it needs more food. When the dieter goes off the diet, the body converts extra calories consumed as fat, in anticipation of the next period of "starvation," resulting in weight gain greater than the amount lost.

FACTS: The issue of fat and health is a complex one, with many factors to consider. Medical research has raised more questions than it has answered. It seems that, while there are health risks associated with being fat, there are also some health benefits. It may be healthier to remain at a stable high weight than to yo-yo diet.

Added to questions raised by medical research, we also must consider that, in our society, it is very difficult for fat people to stay healthy and become fit. Due to prejudicial medical treatment and harassment by health care professionals, many fat people do not receive adequate preventative health care, and put off seeking treatment when there is a medical problem. In addition, many fat people do not feel comfortable participating in activities that would lead to a greater level of fitness. Due to the harassment they face, fat people rarely feel comfortable using public pools or health clubs, or participating in recreational exercise.

Given that permanent weight loss is elusive for most fat people, the issue of fat and health is irrelevant. The only true option available is to be as healthy as you can, regardless of your weight. (Often times the health issue serves as a smoke screen to justify denying fat people their civil rights. The assumption that fat people are unhealthy is often used to defend discrimination in employment, educational opportunities, housing, and adoption privileges. Health issues should never supersede one's civil rights.)

FACTS: The compulsive eater, whether fat or thin, is a person with an eating disorder. Simply being fat does not indicate the presence of an eating disorder. Studies which set out to prove that fat people eat more than thin people concluded that there is no measurable difference in the food consumption of fat and thin people. Compulsive dieters, who ignore their body's hunger messages, tend to become obsessed with food, and usually overeat after a round of dieting.

The mission of the International Size Acceptance Association (ISAA) is to promote size acceptance and fight size discrimination throughout the world by means of advocacy and visible, lawful actions.

NAAFA is a non-profit human rights organization dedicated since 1969 to eliminating discrimination based on body size and providing fat people with the tools for self-empowerment through public education, advocacy, and member support.

Largesse, the Network for Size Esteem, is an internationally recognized resource center and clearinghouse for size diversity empowerment founded in 1983. With a computer database of up-to-date resources, extensive library of archival and research materials, and connections to all areas of the growing non-diet and size rights community worldwide, ISAA links activists, professionals and organizations with information and with each other.

Dimensions is a fairly comprehensive and up-to-date list of informative and entertaining size-related links.