Origins of Weight Stigma #3: Political Power

A teal square on the origins of fatphobia and weight stigma with a chat bubble graphic and the words "Political power." Lindley's logo is at the bottom.

Why do people hate and fear fat bodies?

Weight stigma — also known as fatphobia, fatmisia, anti-fatness and fat hatred — ties into threads of power and profit going back centuries. Let’s look at one of the factors: Political power.

We have a recent example of a fat man as the U.S. President, but here in 2021, a fat woman as president seems far out of reach. Eliminating entire categories of people from consideration is a pretty effective way to limit your competition.

Read more about the origins of fatphobia:

The 11 reasons why people hate fat people

◇─◇──« »──◇─◇

I believe that people in large bodies deserve the same rights and dignity as every other human. In my weekly newsletter the Body Liberation Guide, we dive deeper into body image, power, oppression, the beauty of fat bodies, what health looks like at every size, and what you can do personally to help end weight stigma.

[Image description: A teal square with a chat bubble graphic and the words “Political power.” Lindley’s logo is at the bottom.]

Share it on Instagram: https://instagr.am/p/CSX0tgKt8L-/

Every Monday, I send out my Body Liberation Guide, a thoughtful email jam-packed with resources on body liberation, weight stigma, body image and more. And it’s free. Let’s change the world together. Subscribe »

Hi there! I'm Lindley. I create artwork that celebrates the unique beauty of bodies that fall outside conventional "beauty" standards at Body Liberation Photography. I'm also the creator of Body Liberation Stock and the Body Love Shop, a curated central resource for body-friendly artwork and products. Find all my work here at bodyliberationphotos.com.