Fatness is not a choice, for anyone. Period.

This is something I hear myself repeating in almost every video I make on social media, whether I’m talking about diet culture, body image or other fat issues. Inevitably, when I speak up, someone enters my comments criticising me, my body, my assumed eating habits and lifestyle.

The assumption is always the same: everyone is fat for the same reason, they eat the same, lead the same lifestyles, and are fat by choice.

Join me for episode 30 of The Culture Of It All, where we’re sitting down for a Fat Chat and exploring WHY people still believe that being fat is a choice. We’ll discuss why this belief is outdated, the misunderstanding of fat bodies, and why I still have empathy for folks who believe it’s a choice.

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction and Welcome

01:35 Social Media and Fatphobia

06:21 Diet Cycling and Personal Experiences

10:15 Fundamental Misunderstandings of Fat Bodies

13:06 Societal Narratives and Weight Loss

17:12 Hope for Fat Acceptance and Liberation

In this episode, we’re delving into the complexities of diet culture, discussing the 3 red flags associated with every single diet, and the manipulative tactics of the diet industry. We’ll address the importance of understanding personal preferences in eating and the subjective nature of what constitutes “healthy eating”. I encourage you to practice discernment with your food choices and to recognize the pervasive influence of diet culture within our society.

In this episode, Melanie shares her personal journey towards body neutrality and fat acceptance, exploring the negative impact which dieting had on her physical, emotional and mental health from a young age. She reflects on her childhood, and the struggles of being a teen and trying to fit in and conform to certain stereotypes. She discusses the challenges she experienced when starting a business, making weight loss her career because it was the only constant in her life, and how her life of dieting impacted her success. You’ll hear how Melanie started to question different areas of her life, what led to her quitting diets all together and what she’s working towards now.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Personal Reflections

07:35 Content Warning For This Episode

08:59 Childhood Experiences with Diet Culture

17:56 CW: hiding food, binge eating

19:33 90s Diet Culture, Teens & Conforming to Feminine Ideals

25:22 Married Life & The Pursuit of Thinness

29:43 Experiencing Body Privilege

32:42 Pregnancy & Body Image

38:08 Personal Development & Weight Stigma

43:15 Reflecting on a Decade of Change

49:32 Reminder That Our Thoughts Can Change, Just Like Our Bodies