Discussion on fat acceptance

“Enough with the fear of fat”

Your assignment asks you to discuss the concept of fat acceptance, based on Kelli Jean Drinkwater’s TED talk “Enough with the fear of fat”. You should also include references to “Fat pride: The growing movement of people looking for fat acceptance” from SBS and to 1-2 internet sources.

According to Kelli Jean Drinkwater, fat acceptance means to “actively choose to flourish” (l. 51) regardless of one’s weight. She describes the movement as follows:

People who honor our strength and work with, not against, our perceived limitations, people who value health as something much more holistic than a number on an outdated BMI chart. Instead, we value mental health, self-worth and how we feel in our bodies as vital aspects to our overall well-being. (ll. 52-55).

In other words, the concept of fat acceptance means not judging people based on their weight and finding ways to live a fulfilling life at any size.

Consider that Drinkwater argues that the Body Mass Index is ‘outdated’ suggesting it is not as important an indicator of health as mainstream society assumes. Reflect on whether Drinkwater is right. You may also consider the fact that obesity has been linked to numerous life-threatening medical conditions (something Drinkwater does not address in her speech).

Promoting unrealistically slim body ideals is not a solution, and neither is shaming fat people. However, some might argue that there is a difference between being overweight and obese. While it is possible to be both healthy and overweight, extreme obesity is considered a serious medical condition.

Drinkwater argues that the fat acceptance movement is not about promoting being fat but about self-acceptance which does not exclude losing weight:

But to be clear, I’m not saying that people shouldn’t change their bodies if that’s what they want to do. Reclaiming yourself can ...