Embracing Empathy: Lindy West Urges Embracing the Term 'Fat'
Join Lindy West in her decade-long fight against fat stigma as she explains her aversion to the term 'obese' and advocates for a more compassionate perspective on body image.
Season 9 of the podcast Chasing Life With Dr. Sanjay Gupta is all about the connection between body weight and health. We cover various topics like the challenges of losing weight, the latest weight loss medications, and tips on discussing weight with children. Check it out for yourself by listening here.
(CNN) — Let's talk about the F-word.
Not the F-word you're thinking of, but the other one. The one that makes people uneasy to hear and even more so to be labeled as: fat.
Author Lindy West and other fat activists have been on a mission for over ten years to redefine and remove the stigma from the term, similar to how gay activists have embraced the term queer.
West's journey began in 2011 when she wrote an essay titled “Hello, I’m Fat.” She shared with CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta on his podcast Chasing Life how publicly calling herself fat changed her perspective. She explained, “There was this way that calling myself fat publicly made me fat. Whereas before I was operating, like ‘I am gonna be thin.’ That’s the cultural narrative: that fat people are thin people who are failing. And so, I was bought into that. So that was scary to kind of, in a certain way, announce, ‘I’m throwing in the towel of trying to be this other thing and waiting for my life to start.’”
The essay became popular, leading West to gain cultural recognition. After five years, she published a memoir titled “Shrill: Notes From a Loud Woman,” which later inspired the Hulu series “Shrill.” Along with her roles as a writer and producer, West also cohosts the NPR podcast “Text Me Back.”
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West and others in the fat liberation community prefer not to use the term "obese" as it brings unnecessary medicalization. (In 2013, the American Medical Association labeled obesity as a disease.)
"I prefer to use the word fat instead of obesity because I don't see it as a disease," she explained. "If being fat is considered a disease, then there should be a common reason or mechanism that explains why all fat people are the way they are - but that's simply not true."
She also mentioned that labeling it as a disease oversimplifies people. "It reduces fat individuals to a single trait, portraying us as nothing more than lazy gluttons," she pointed out.
Listen to more of the conversation with Lindy West by clicking the player below.
It's been a challenge for West to feel comfortable in her own skin, and even harder to gain acceptance from society.
She shared, "I've experienced weight changes, and it's clear that people treat you better when you're smaller. They are kinder, more respectful, friendlier, and more welcoming."
Living a life where no one is ever kind to you can be incredibly challenging. It becomes even worse when you are constantly told that it is your fault for not changing your body to fit society's standards, implying negative things about your worth and abilities.
According to West, treating others in this cruel manner is unacceptable. Everyone deserves basic respect, joy, and the opportunity to fully participate in life. It doesn't matter why someone may be overweight, what truly matters is treating them with respect and kindness.
What should people keep in mind when interacting with those who have larger bodies? West shares these five thoughts.
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Be part of the solution
Work towards making improvements not only for the benefit of plus-size individuals, but also for your own future.
In an email, West emphasized that there are no guarantees that you will never experience weight gain or disability. The choice lies in whether you want to contribute to making life more challenging for individuals who are overweight or disabled, or if you would rather support the enhancement of care and accessibility systems to create a better quality of life for all.
“If you can’t do it for other people, can you do it for your potential future self, or your parents, or your children?” she asked.
Tread lightly with kids
Children need love without conditions, not a recommendation for a new weight loss medication, some of which are approved for kids as young as 12.
According to West, it is not only the physical risks, both short-term and long-term effects, that are concerning, but also the emotional impact. Teaching children at a young age that their bodies should be ashamed of and need to be changed at any cost can have lasting effects. It can lead to disordered eating and make kids feel there is something wrong with them for listening to their hunger cues.
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Kids are constantly growing and forming their relationships with food and their bodies. It's important for them to feel good and healthy, not nauseous and vomiting at school. They shouldn't have to hear negative messages about their bodies from both their parents and bullies. It's crucial for their bodies to be nourished and for their minds to feel loved unconditionally.
Lead with compassion and understanding.
When you meet someone, remember that you don't have all the information about them and shouldn't jump to conclusions or judge them.
According to West, it's impossible to determine if someone has an eating disorder just by looking at their body. We never truly know what someone is going through or why their body appears a certain way. Therefore, the best approach is to treat everyone with kindness and respect.
Educate yourself
To learn more about the pervasive cultural bias against people in larger bodies and how to start deprogramming yourself, crack open one (or all) of these books.
West suggested reading books like 'Fearing the Black Body,' 'The Body Is Not an Apology,' 'Intuitive Eating,' and both of Aubrey Gordon's books, which are titled "You Just Need to Lose Weight': And 19 Other Myths About Fat People" and "What We Don't Talk About When We Talk About Fat."
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Zip it — seriously
If you feel the need to comment on someone's weight, diet, or exercise habits, stop yourself. It's not your place to judge or offer unsolicited advice. Just mind your own business and let people live their lives in peace.
As author West boldly stated, "Leave fat people alone! We have our own priorities, lives, and intelligence. Stay out of it and go focus on something else that brings you joy."
She added, “I don’t barge into your life and tell you not to go mountain biking, you weirdo!”
We hope these five thoughts help you develop a more compassionate perspective on — as West would say — fat people. Listen to the full episode here. And join us next week on the Chasing Life podcast when we bust some myths about popular weight loss products with Dr. “Mike” Varshavski.
CNN Audio’s Grace Walker contributed to this report.
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