The choice of “fatphobia” | The Body Liberation Guide

Sometimes a stray comment or post on social media will spark something in my mind, and suddenly I have an opinion on it.

This time it was a comment on a fat activist’s Instagram post informing the activist that they shouldn’t be using the term “fatphobia” because “people aren’t afraid of fat people, so it’s not a phobia” — a very common response when fat activists speak and use that term.

I get why people prefer using other terms over “fatphobia,” and you do you, but I’ve had doctors who couldn’t force themselves to touch me and people starve themselves not to look like me, so maybe lay off on “It’s not a phobia.”