Thin privilege is not having your body used as a shorthand for a long list of negative qualities, characteristics and traits. Dolores Umbridge. Ursula. Kingpin. Jabba the Hut. The Dursleys. Fat lawyers and politicians in 150 years of political cartoons. It’s no coincidence that so many villains in books and movies are fat. Their weight…
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: The just world fallacy. Our culture wants us to believe that bodies are simple machines with simple…
Mowich Lake is one of my favorite semi-hidden Washington day trip destinations. It’s located in Mount Rainier National Park, but getting there requires you to take a separate route from the main park roads, over some (public access) unpaved logging roads that are more or less adventurous depending on how recently they’ve been maintained. The…
I’ve had a few requests to see my high-humidity plant setup. I am constitutionally incapable of making a short video, but here you go!
In which I discuss the concept of body grief, grieving the loss of body privileges and how to talk about that without reinforcing oppressive beauty ideals. See @bodyimagewithbri for more on body grieving! Find a version with subtitles here. If you’d like to represent actual fat people in your marketing, check out my inclusive stock…
“The images we see—or don’t see—matter. They tell us what’s possible.” » Emily Nagoski The more we see unrealistic, idealized people in advertising and the media, the more it makes us doubt the worth of our own bodies, skin colors, looks and orientations. Thankfully, the world is changing. Customers are demanding better from the companies…
Here is this week’s body-positive journaling prompt from Body Liberation Photos.
Thin privilege is buying clothes off the rack at a brick-and-mortar store. This is one of the areas where the spectrum of privilege is really easy to see. The larger your body, the more limits there are on where you can buy clothing, and the options diminish really rapidly. Folks who wear a size 24…
Many fat folks have reclaimed the word and are using it as a neutral descriptor, but to the world at large, “fat” is an insult. So should you be using it?
I’m still not officially open for client photography sessions due to the delta COVID variant, but I recently made an exception for a(n outdoor, distanced, vaccinated) group session that’s been in the works since pre-pandemic and will be revealed soon. Dr. Spriggs (she/her) was part of that group, and she stayed for a few minutes…
I’ve only been to Mount Baker, Washington in the fall, and that’s the way I like it. The time of year of that first visit was coincidental — it was on my trip list and we wanted to get in before the highway closed for the winter — but I don’t know that any other…
I had the pleasure of meeting this chatty gent last week and couldn’t resist capturing him enjoying some late afternoon sun! Sarah at @bodypositiveparenting is his chief servant. I love how dubious he looks on that chair; guess he wasn’t expecting the paparazzi to show.
Download this free, body-positive and Health at Every Size-aligned stock photo pack.
Here is this week’s body-positive journaling prompt from Body Liberation Photos.
My CPAP machine, which I’ve named Whistler, and I have reached a truce, more or less. My sleep and energy levels are mostly back to normal, and I’m so grateful. That doesn’t mean I sleep perfectly every night, but it’s so, so improved from the sleep deprivation hell I went through last winter. I settled…
In which I talk about fat shame around toilet seats. If you’d like to represent actual fat people in your marketing, check out my inclusive stock photo site by clicking Stock Photos at the top of the page, and get three free stock photos every month by signing up for my newsletter:
In which I talk about how well the standard marketing advice of “be yourself and be authentic” works for marginalized business owners, and balancing safety + authenticity. Get three free high-resolution, body-positive stock photos for your business every month with my newsletter:
In this graceful illustration from artist Mia Ohki, a partially nude woman with long hair and large thighs leans back on one hand. A leaf or leaf tattoo rests between her breasts, and a butterfly perches on one lifted arm. Purchase cards to share or frame:
Fat people suffer worse health outcomes due to weight stigma? Blame fat people and call them inherently diseased. Fat people are more at risk from COVID due to biased healthcare? Blame fat people and tell them they deserve it. Fat people can’t buy attractive, well-fitting clothing? Blame fat people and call them frumpy and unfashionable….
My photography studio is also my home, and I’m so grateful to have such lovely spaces to work in. It’s also a super comfy and homey environment for my clients. Can’t wait for it to be safe enough to start offering boudoir again…. Sign up below to be the first to know when my calendar…
When you think about bodies — your own or other people’s — what words do you use? Our thoughts and feelings about bodies are shaped by the words we use to describe them. Here are 40 kind, loving descriptive words to replace the negative ones we’ve been taught. Find the written post at https://www.prospecttherapy.com/blog/2018/8/13/guest-blog-post-40-kind-and-positive-words-for-your-body, and…
In which I talk about the hashtag #normalizenormalbodies and whether it’s a good thing.
Here is this week’s body-positive journaling prompt from Body Liberation Photos.
“You would be surprised how seldom it occurs to people that their problems are not their fault. By focusing on fairness and justice, a patient may have a chance to find what has so frequently been lost: an ability to care for and stand up for herself. Guilt can be replaced with a clarifying anger,…
In which I discuss why you might not get the reaction you want or expect when you interact with fat folks in the fat acceptance, body positivity or Health at Every Size® movements. (There’s a version with subtitles on Instagram.) ◇─◇──« »──◇─◇ Hi there! I’m Lindley (she/her, pronounced LIN-lee). I create artwork that celebrates the…
Reader M. asks, “Does it get any easier? Or does it just get harder the more vocal you get? I had a situation in which my admin team of my local athletic group, all thin or smallfat women with the exception of me, did not back me up when I called out some inspiration porn…
Children begin absorbing and reflecting weight stigma as young as 3-5 years old. That’s how pervasive anti-fat bias is in our society, and it’s wrong and oppressive to have generations of children growing up pre-prejudiced against other humans simply for the size of their bodies. And, of course, what does that do to developing minds,…
“Conventionally attractive” equals “willing to put in the time, effort, money, resources and pain and suffering required to gain social approval.” These are personal choices; (all people who identify as) women are equally valuable no matter which choices they make; and women are free to make the choices that work for them in their lives….
In which I discuss the audacity of thin privilege, what “everybody knows” about fat bodies, how even “bad” bodies deserve dignity, and the desperation behind enforcing oppressive systems.
Why do some business owners wear their opinions, politics and activism on their sleeves? Let’s talk about “keeping politics out of your business” and why that’s not an option for marginalized people. ◇─◇──« »──◇─◇ Hear more from me on body politics, oppression and body image:
Let’s talk about shame. Should we feel ashamed when someone challenges something we say? Is it true that when we object to someone else’s words, we’re shaming them? ◇─◇──« »──◇─◇ Hear more from me:
Let’s talk about shame. Should we feel ashamed when someone challenges something we say? Is it true that when we object to someone else’s words, we’re shaming them? See a version with subtitles: https://www.instagram.com/p/CTqH6GqgEwY/
I went to the chiropractor this morning and I am wiped, y’all. I’m grateful to have the freedom of a flexible schedule that allows me to lie down for a while, so I’m going to go do that. This much-needed chiro adjustment wasn’t something I particularly wanted to do, but that’s what radical self-care is:…
Did you know that Plan B (also known as the morning-after pill) is only effective for people who weigh 155 pounds or less? Fat people are left out of medical testing, equipment design, research and medication dosages. Privilege is unearned, but it’s not something you need to feel bad or guilty about. Let’s work to…
Today The Fat Athlete and I were talking about body image and how it’s a never-ending journey. It’s easy to think that a positive or healthy body image, or body acceptance, is a destination that some lucky people have reached and you just can’t seem to find. But no matter how much work we do…
Here is this week’s body-positive journaling prompt from Body Liberation Photos.
“When I started to use the word fat as a self-descriptor, people would actually gasp as if I had cursed or said something self-hating. If I said, ‘I’m too fat to do that,’ people would interject and say things like, ‘No you’re not fat, you’re beautiful,’ and I’d be so confused. Being fat does not…
Why do some business owners wear their opinions, politics and activism on their sleeves? Let’s talk about “keeping politics out of your business” and why that’s not an option for marginalized people.
Reader M. asks, “Does it get any easier? Or does it just get harder the more vocal you get? I had a situation in which my admin team of my local athletic group, all thin or smallfat women with the exception of me, did not back me up when I called out some inspiration porn…
The desk top stops at a sharp slant, unable to lie flat because of my belly and thighs in the way, and the angle is such that I will not be able to set anything on it, use my laptop, or even take handwritten notes.
Thin privilege is never having your body shape used as a shorthand in books, comic books and movies for gluttony, greed or villainy. If a fictional villain is shown in a thin body (e.g., Maleficent), we know that she is villainous due to her actions. (Along with musical and timing cues, as well as other…
There was an interesting discussion today in a Facebook group I’m in about how to keep from being sucked into and swallowed by other people’s energy when it’s negative or doesn’t align with your own. Here is my answer.
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: Other industries. From the beauty industry to the wellness industry, dozens of major industries reap the financial…
I recently challenged my Body Liberation Guide readers to answer the question, “What is valuable and precious about fat bodies beyond being a comfort object? How many things can you think of?” Reader Bee Gee’s response was wonderful and glorious, and they generously gave me permission to share it. Read the list at http://bit.ly/guestbeegee!…
What’s the difference between body positivity and fat positivity? How about body liberation or Health at Every Size (also called HAES)? Here’s a quick look at the terms and definitions I use in my body liberation work. Hear more from me:
Here’s something to think and write about in this coming week: What does a positive body image mean to you? You’re welcome to share your answers here (as long as they meet the space boundaries in my pinned stories) or write them down just for yourself. If this prompt was helpful for you, there…
Weight stigma is absolutely ubiquitous in healthcare. We know from studies that doctors treat fat folks differently. Many doctors assume that we’re lazy, gluttonous or noncompliant just from our body sizes, and a significant number don’t even want to touch us. Here’s a little of my own story about fatphobia, fatmisia and weight stigma in…
Recently I saw a comment from a fitness professional that got me thinking. She said that she wants to help people in bodies of all sizes get to the “happy place” of exercise. But it got me thinking. There are of course people who simply don’t get that kind of happy-making charge from body movement….
I recently challenged my Body Liberation Guide readers to answer the question, “What is valuable and precious about fat bodies beyond being a comfort object? How many things can you think of?” Reader Bee Gee’s response was wonderful and glorious, and they generously gave me permission to share it here.
Thin privilege is getting in and out of your car in a crowded parking lot. It’s never having to try to crawl through your passenger side — or your trunk — to access the driver’s seat. It’s never having to ask, and then trust, a stranger to back your car out of a parking space….
