Who the Body Positivity movement leaves out
by Cristina D’Alto
We’ve all heard the term body positivity, but few of us — including myself — have delved into its history. The idea actually comes from the fat acceptance movement, which originated to challenge the stigma against fat people. I want to quickly note that society tends to assign a negative connotation to the word ‘fat,’ but those who identify as such do not accept this meaning.
Fat activism grew in tandem with the Women’s Liberation and Black Civil Rights movements. This makes sense, given that fatphobia comes from a combination of misogyny and, interestingly, racism. Fear of fatness was conceived by colonists and Enlightenment thinkers who promoted the idea that African American women were inherently gluttonous, lazy and animalistic. Thus, condemnation of fatness did not originate from the excuse of ‘health and wellness concerns’ at all.
According to Sabrina Strings, who has a doctorate in Sociology, thinness became the ideal of white Western Europe from the intersection of the false idea of Black gluttony and the Protestant focus on purity through restriction. While the obsession with thinness is founded on white Western ideas, it is imposed onto everyone.
Even as fat activism grew into a tangible movement, BIPOC voices were left out of the equation. Minority populations were silenced by white leaders in order to not “take on too many issues.” They expressed concern that the messages of fat liberation and acceptance would be diluted. In this way, both fatphobia and fat activism acted as manifestations of racism.
Many white activists even believed that Black and other POC communities were more accepting of fat people and therefore activism was not necessary. In reality, Black women have long been talking about their experiences of fat-shaming in already marginalized bodies. Black fat women were historically sexualized, used as comic relief and dehumanized. A strong example is the once-popular Mammy caricature, which depicts Black women as overweight and desperate to serve the white man.
This widespread exclusion is not for lack of contribution to the movement. While the media praises Rebel Wilson for body inclusivity in popular culture, Black women like Queen Latifah paved the way. Further towards today’s cultural institutions, Body Positivity was largely brought online by communities of Women of Color. For example, Sonya Renee Taylor’s spoken word, “The Body is Not An Apology,” made waves in 2010.
In the modern-day, BIPOC voices in the Body Positivity movement are continually drowned out. Much like general media trends, white women tend to be the ones celebrated, recognized and focused on for their body liberation. BIPOC women, instead, are used as tokens. In this way, the movement continues to focus on women who are conventionally desirable.
When a minority woman gains a voice in the movement, she is often already privileged in some other way. Jameela Jamil is a well-known Pakistani actress who has used her platform to promote body positivity. However, her ideas are based on conversations with Stephanie Yeboah, a Black body image and fat acceptance advocate, who became somewhat of a ghostwriter.
It is important that we as advocates of positive body image acknowledge intersectionality in the movement. We are not immune to the systemic issues of racism. This includes acknowledging the unique hardships of bodies of color and uplifting the marginalized. Listening to already-accepted allies isn’t enough. We must give recognition to the Black fat women who made the Body Positivity movement possible. This journey towards self-acceptance and freedom is for all.
References
Miller, K. (2021, December 15). The Body Positivity Movement’s Whiteness Problem | Elemental. Medium. https://elemental.medium.com/
how-whiteness-killed-the-body-positive-movement-4c185773101e
Johnson, M. (2019, March 5). It’s Time #BodyPositivity Got an Intervention. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/beauty-skin-care/body-positivity-origins#7
vFrom New York to Instagram: The history of the body positivity movement. (2022, February 4). BBC Bitesize. https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/articles/z2w7dp3
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