“In the United States, anti-fatness is the rule, not the exception.”
“For fat people, the biggest barrier to health may be pervasive anti-fatness.”
“Anti-fat discrimination is real, it deeply harms fat people, and it operates at alarming rates.”
“Anti-fatness is the last socially acceptable form of discrimination.”

This book really resonated with me, as I have been fat all of my life. It is extremely well researched, and debunks a lot of the myths that I have taken for truths all of my life. And it really details how society has 'criminalized' fat people in almost every facet of life. I wish everyone, regardless of shape or size, would read this book! ( )

4.25 ( )

This book is structured almost like a textbook for a class or a seminar. There are lists/exercises on which to reflect at the end of most of the chapters. There is an extensive notes section. The book proper is enjoyable to read and not at all dry despite it being able to function as a textbook.

The author suggests extensive reading on this subject and mentions many other books to read. I appreciate all the other resources on the subject that the author provides.

The 20 Myths written about in this book: Being fat is a choice. Any fat person can become thin. Parents are responsible for their child’s weight. Thin people should help fat people lose weight. Weight loss is the result of healthy choices and should be celebrated. Obesity is the leading cause of death in the U.S. The BMI is an objective measure of size and health. Doctors are unbiased judges of fat people’s health. Fat people are emotionally damaged and cope by “eating their feelings.” Accepting fat people glorifies obesity. Body positivity is about feeling better about yourself as long as you’re happy and healthy. We’re in the middle of an obesity epidemic. Fat people don’t experience discrimination. I don’t like gaining weight but I don’t treat fat people differently. Fat people shouldn’t call themselves fat. People who have never been fat have internalized fatphobia. No one is attracted to fat people and anyone who is has a fat fetish. Fat people should pay for a second airline seat. Skinny shaming is just as bad as fat shaming. Anti-fatness is the last socially acceptable form of discrimination.

https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/takeatouchtest.html This site is listed for testing implicit biases and there are a list of issues and a list of questions for each one. I plan to take most of them.

I’ve watched only part of this video so far. It’s the author doing an interview as part of her tour for this book: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-qlRXcQrXs

I simultaneously read a Kindle e-book and listened to an audiobook. It was read by the author and she did a great job with the narration.

I found the book very thought-provoking. As I read, my mind felt stretched, in a good way. I think it’s an important book. I got a lot out of reading it and I think (or at least hope) that most other readers will feel the same way.

I think that every doctor & health professional should be required to read this book. For that matter, I think that everyone, no matter what their size, should read this book. EVERY MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL! EVERY ONE!

5 full stars. ( )

Not all the myths hit, but if you stick with Gordon's survey of fat phobia and shaming you notice a trend of pseudoscience, grifters and policies that are red flags if you're familiar with the origins of other marginalized identities. Put simply, most of the moral panic and persecution of fat people is arbitrary--which is still challenging even if you already suspected the myths were overblown--and it's likely one or several of the myths you've taken for granted have fueled outrage, commerce or political gain for institutions supported by discriminating against fat people. ( )

I listened to this twice in order to get as much as I could out of it, and I think it’s such an important book. It’s so needed for understanding all the insidious ways anti-fatness shows up in our world, and it does a great job at explaining anti-fat bias as a systemic issue. I feel as though it needs to be utilized as a textbook because those who need it most aren’t going to read it, although it’s sorely needed. ( )