Just Sharing a Favorite Quote

"Fat people who love themselves scare the shit out of people who don't love themselves. Even fat people who are trying to love themselves scare the shit out of people who can't do the same. We force people to have to look at why they hate their bodies because we are "supposed" to hate ours and we don't. And sometimes they have no idea what to do with that, so they act like assholes."
- Tigress Osborn (owner of Full Figure Ent.)

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Be Proud of Your Stretch Marks

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Right before I started writing this piece, I went to look up, “what are stretch marks,” on Google. The result right at the top instantly disgusted me. However, it also helps to prove my point that there is a great misconception about stretch marks. Society has again turned something completely normal and natural into something to be ashamed of.I started getting stretch marks when I was about 11 years old when I started going through puberty. I absolutely hated them. They were red and grossed me out and I made sure to keep them covered. If my shirt was to happen to ride up and my stretch marks were to show, I would be so embarrassed. Fat feminism teaches that stretch marks are just another part of your body that needs to beloved.

It seems as though a lot of young people, especially teenage girls and young women, think they are alone in having stretch marks. This is because the women they see in mainstream media are shown having perfectly smooth, even skin. This, of course, is a fallacy. The definition provided by Google states that stretch marks are the result of,“obesity or during pregnancy.” This negatively impresses someone into thinking that if they are not pregnant, then they must have their stretch marks because they are “obese.” Stretch marks are the result of growth. When going through puberty, a teen grows and gains weight in a short amount of time. This rapid growth means the skin has to stretch rapidly as well (Kid’sHealth). A person may also get stretch marks during later periods of life when their body does any sort of quick growing. This does not always mean“getting fat.” Pregnancy or gaining muscle mass can result in stretch marks as well.

Jessica White: A Victoria's Secret model
with stretch marks on her hips and butt. Photo Source

“Roughly 80 percent of Americans have stretch marks” (CBS News). Having stretch marks is  nothing strange. They are also not an indicator of poor health or being overweight or obese. Stretch marks are only an indicator of a body growing. Athletes have stretch marks where they have gained muscle. Models may have stretch marks on their breasts or hips but these aren’t seen because of the Photoshop used in the majority their photos. In reality these people that are often idols and inspirations to others have stretch marks like everyone else.

Stretch marks are nothing shameful.I see mine as a beautiful reminder that I have a body that has grown and changed. No one should feel abnormal because they have stretch marks.

Why Does Fat have to be a Bad Word?

 Is ‘fat’ really the worst thing a human being can be? Is ‘fat’ worse than ‘vindictive’, ‘jealous’, ‘shallow’, ‘vain’, ‘boring’ or ‘cruel’? Not to me. - J.K. Rowling

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When I describe myself as fat, others seem to take it to mean that I hate myself and my body. The word “fat” has come to have such a negative connotation. It is used as an insult to those who are overweight or obese. So often the media uses it to shame those who have any fat whatsoever. Weight loss companies tell men and women that they should not have any of it and then tell those men and women magical ways to lose it. Because of the way the term fat was used and how it was directed towards me, I tried to avoid the word entirely. I did not want to be associated with something so negative; something that everyone is trying to get rid of. So again, fat feminism surprised me (as it has many times). Why is there a group of women so happy to identify as fat?

Mainstream media occasionally offers up fat people to be used as role models, but they are doused with clever adjectives. When Whitney Thompson was on the cover of Seventeen Magazine, she was the first plus-sized contestant to win America’s Next Top Model. The article published alongside her photos used words like “curvy” or “plus-sized” and even “bootylicious”; never fat. Using the word fat would have suggested that she was self-hating or that the author/ magazine itself did not approve of her weight. But fat feminists have taken back the word fat and have reshaped it into just another adjective that can even be positive.

What really is fat? Fat cells store extra calories to be used later when the body needs the energy. Fat cells also regulate metabolism by releasing hormones (WebMD). And that is it. It is an essential part of a healthy body. Fat does not determine worth or attractiveness. It is unfortunate that people are using a naturally occurring part of the body against each other. 

I refuse to ever let someone use the word fat as a way to insult me. I have accepted fat as an adjective that can describe me but it does not have to be a negative thing. Someone calling me fat only shows how unoriginal they are. They are not the first person to call me that, and they certainly will not be the last; and that is perfectly fine because I am happy being fat.

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The Basics of Feminism and Where Fat Feminism Came From

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Women fighting for fair treatment have been around for centuries; arguably since the time of the ancient Greeks (Rampton). The female poet Sappho has been a powerful symbol of the feminist movement. Her homoerotic poetry and her teachings about sexuality inspired women to carve out their place in the world (Roach). Sappho became one of the greatest poets in a time when women’s rights were practically nonexistent (Roach). It was not until the late 19^th century that feminism that became a clear cut movement.

The feminist movement is typically summed up in three stages. First wave feminism began in the late 1800’s into the early 1900’s (Rampton). Suffrage was the main platform and the first wave of feminism officially started at the Seneca Falls Convention in 1848 (Rampton). Three-hundred men and women supported Elizabeth Cady Stanton who wrote the Seneca Falls Declaration describing feminism’s ideology and their goal of reaching equality for all women (Rampton). These women were challenging America’s traditional view of women by leaving the “cult of domesticity” for the political sphere (Rampton). As a result of women joining men in politics and in other fields, the question of what the real differences are between men and women (Rampton).

Second-wave feminism emerged in the late 1960’s stemming from the civil rights movement and continued up until the 1990’s (Rampton). During the second wave, the platform changed from suffrage to reproductive rights and sexuality (Rampton). In the 1970’s, feminists became much more radical in their protesting (Feminism in Waves). It was during this time that the National Organization of Women (NOW) was formed and Roe vs. Wade was ruled on (Feminism in Waves).

Fat feminism is a subset of the second wave feminist movement. In the late 1960’s and early 1970’s when women like Twiggy were becoming an ideal for female beauty, the Fat Liberation Manifesto was published by Fishman and Freespirit which linked fat-shaming to sexism (Fat Feminism). However fat feminism was unable to reach mainstream media and was unsupported by NOW which led to the founding of groups such as NAAFA (Fat Feminism). In the 1980’s, the fat feminist movement struggled against the dieting craze that had become so popular. By the 90’s, NOW was officially supporting fat-positivity and with the help of “zine” culture, fat acceptance grew more popular among feminists (Fat Feminism).

Third wave feminism started in the 1990’s and continues today. Gender and sexuality has become a complex issue and feminist have challenged society’s traditional view of these subjects (Rampton). This wave has also become much more inclusive of all different types of women from all different backgrounds (Third-wave Feminism). During this phase, some women have reclaimed femininity from the patriarchy and wear dresses, heels, and makeup not for men, but for themselves (Rampton). Third wave feminism has become incredibly complex and even the definition of what a woman is a far from simple answer (Rampton). Professor Martha Rampton said it best; “Third-wave feminism breaks boundaries.”

Works Cited

“Fat Feminism.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 27 Jan. 2013. Web. 29 Jan. 2013.

 “Feminism in Waves: A Brief Overview of the First, Second and Third Wave.” Yahoo! Voices. Yahoo! Inc., 01 Oct. 2007. Web. 29 Jan. 2013.

Rampton, Martha. "The Three Waves of Feminism." Pacific. Pacific University, Fall 2008. Web. 19 Jan. 2013.

Roach, Carol. "Sappho: Feminist Icon and One of the Greatest Poets of All Time." Gather. Gather Inc., 20 Nov. 2010. Web. 19 Jan. 2013.

“Third-wave Feminism.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 27 Jan. 2013. Web. 29 Jan. 2013.

Learning to Self-Love

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Upon reading the title and purpose if this blog, someone may be thinking that these posts will not apply to them. However, these posts are not just for women, but for men as well. And fat-acceptance isn’t limited to those who are over a certain size. People of all sizes struggle with loving their bodies. And people of all sizes struggle with not seeing fat as a negative thing. At its core, this blog will be about self-love and self-acceptance.

The ideas of self-love and self-acceptance are fairly self-explanatory. Self-love is having extreme pride and being overly fond of oneself (Wordnetweb).  And Self-acceptance is the ability to love every part of oneself (Seltzer). Unlike self-esteem, which is when someone focuses only on their positives, self-acceptance is about recognizing all their flaws as well (Seltzer). Loving oneself can sometimes be seen as narcissism or being conceited. However, these words have the negative connotation of a person not caring about others and being self-absorbed. In our society, people (especially women) are so often taught that they need to be selfless and that serving others will make them happier (Fromm). Women are expected to find a husband and have children so they can devote their time and love to them. But, when someone has such a low opinion of himself or herself, that hate is often projected onto the people around them. When self-loathing is turned into self-love, then love and understanding of others is much easier (Fromm). There is nothing selfish about self-love.

The journey to learning to love oneself is riddled with ups and downs. Learning to love myself took years. My freshman year of high school has been the hardest time in my life so far. Transferring to a high school that was not my base school meant trading in the few friends I had in my middle school for a high school with approximately 3,000 strangers. My biggest struggle was constantly comparing myself to everyone around me. Being in the visual art program meant going from being the best student in my eighth grade art class to being in a room full of artists who were all the best in their classes. The same was true for all the pre-AP classes I took. I was no longer the smartest in the class. And of course P.E. was a huge embarrassment. I had to wear shorts that were too tight for me while running laps and sprinting up and down bleachers. In my case, my greatest bully was myself. 

I had spent so much of my time freshman and sophomore year focusing on others and how I was not like them. So when it came to self-love; I had to learn to focus on myself. Picking out my greatest flaws was so easy. It is picking my greatest attributes, the best parts of me, which took time. I realized that it is okay that I am not perfect because no one else is. Over a course of four years, I learned to accept myself a little at a time. Loving myself does not mean that I think I am without fault. By practicing self-love, I accept myself and the body I am in but I still know that I’m not perfect and I accept that as well.  

It is very difficult to give advice on how someone can improve their view of themselves. Self-love is all about the relationship between a person and themselves, so to tell a person how to love himself or herself is actually quite pointless. Self-love came when I was ready to love myself. Anyone telling me how great I was when I had such a low opinion of myself would just fall on deaf ears. Self-love came of my own volition. My only advice would be to stop looking to others and start focusing within. This is where self-love starts.

Works Cited

Fromm, Erich. "Selfishness and Self-Love." Psychiatry. Journal for the Study of Interpersonal Process. New ed. Vol. Vol.2. Washington: William Alanson Psychiatric Foundation, 1939. 507-23. Print.

Seltzer, Leon F. “Evolution of the Self.” The Path to Unconditional Self-Acceptance. Psychology Today, 9 Sept. 2008. Web. 17 Jan. 2013

Wordnetweb. Princeton, n.d. Web.

An Introduction to a Radical Notion

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Recently I was speaking to a friend and telling her about my auditions to get into my high school’s art program. I was 14 and wanted to study visual arts, but I also took dance lessons and decided to audition for the dance program as well. I figured auditioning for two different parts of the program would make double sure that I got in. Let’s just say I stood out like a sore thumb (what an over-used phrase).

I was telling my friend about the bright blue tights I wore because I wanted to be different. But I really did not need any help in the different department. I had been dancing for only two years then and had studied jazz. Almost every other dancer there had been taking ballet lessons since they were three. And of course the most notable difference was that I was the fattest girl there. When I told my friend this, she said, “Don’t say that about yourself! You’re not fat!” But the thing is… I am.

I was always the big child, the chubby girl, the “fat” one. This took a toll on me and left me struggling with depression and anxiety. However, I recently discovered the feminist movement and most importantly, fat feminism. Fat feminism focuses on overweight women and how they are often disadvantaged because of their size and gender. Fat-positivity is about recognizing women of all sizes and fighting discrimination against any body type.

I had grown up being told that I was too fat by the media, school, peers, and even family. So to hear of there was a movement of fat acceptance where women were proud of their fat thighs, belly rolls, and stretch marks… well let’s just say I was confused. After being told for so long that my weight is a flaw, it was rather unbelievable to think that being fat is perfectly fine.

So upon graduating from high school, I said, “You know what? I am fat! And dammit, I am happy!” For the past seven months or so I have been learning to embrace being a fat woman. This is truly the longest stretch of time I have gone without worrying about my weight, whether or not I need to be on a diet, and (most importantly) what others think of me. Of course this does not mean that I don’t have my bad days. Sometimes I wake up and just feel gross because of the way I look. Everyone has these bad days but I always go back to that place of acceptance. With this blog I hope to educate others about fat feminism and hopefully inspire someone to accept themselves and embrace their body.