Reducing Stigma by Ending the Pathologizing of Fatness - Part 1When I talk and write about weight stigma (which I do frequently!) I often say/write some version of “you can’t reduce weight stigma while being invested in anti-fatness.” By this I mean, you can’t be invested in pathologizing fatness, calling the existence of fat people an “epidemic,” eradicating fat people from the world and preventing more fat people from existing… and also reduce weight stigma, since all of those things are expressions of weight stigma that create additional weight stigma. Unfortunately, the weight loss industry is counting on us (and by us I mean the general public, the healthcare industry, and anyone they can convince) believing that the same people who are willing to risk our lives and quality of life to make us thin are also the world’s leading experts in ending weight stigma. It seems ridiculous on its face, but it is a massive issue and we are at a tipping point wherein the weight loss industry is trying to co-opt decades of anti-weight stigma work by fat activists and weight-neutral health advocates in order to make “anti-weight stigma” about selling weight loss, using their massive profits to center themselves as the experts. That’s why I was thrilled to learn of a study by Rachel Fox, Kelly Park, Rowan Hildebrand-Chupp, and Anne T. Vo called “Working toward eradicating weight stigma by combating pathologization: A qualitative pilot study using direct contact and narrative medicine.”... Check out the rest of this post here! |
Fighting Weight Stigma by Ending Weight Pathologization - Part 2In part 1 we started discussing the study “Working toward eradicating weight stigma by combating pathologization: A qualitative pilot study using direct contact and narrative medicine” by Rachel Fox, Kelly Park, Rowan Hildebrand-Chupp, and Anne T. Vo. We discussed the issues with existing weight stigma research and the approach that this study is taking. Today we’ll take a look at the study and its findings. Again, thank you so much to Rachel Fox for reviewing this before it was published! To start with, this is a qualitative study, which means that rather than testing hypotheses to understand the relationship between variables, it instead is focused on understanding an experience in the context of the real world through the use of interviews and observations. It’s also a pilot study which means that it is an intentionally small study, conducted to determine whether a larger study may be warranted... Check out the rest of the post here! |