Category: Body Politics

Home Body Politics
Post

“Belly of the Beast” Excerpt: The War on Drugs and the War on Obesity

The following is an excerpt from a chapter of Da’Shaun Harrison’s forthcoming book, Belly of the Beast: The Politics of Anti-Fatness as Anti-Blackness.  In March 2004, during a news conference with widespread coverage, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published a report that claimed that obesity was “killing 400,000 Americans a year,” and...

Post

The Capitalistic Work Ethic Fallacy Creates Space For Anti-Fatness and Biphobia

The Protestant Work Ethic mythos and its presumed moral superiority have taught us that discipline should be projected onto everything, including bodies and sexualities. By Maz Hedgehog  One of the core myths of Anglo-American capitalism is the Protestant Work Ethic. The belief that Britain and America earned the wealth hoarded by their ruling classes through...

Post

Lizzo’s Body Is Not A Political Battlefront

White women crying in “disappointment” about Lizzo is nothing short of their belief that fat Black women should always tend to their wounds coming to the surface.  CW: diet talk By Rasheed Ajamu “Body Positivity” icon Lizzo recently decided to partake in a “JJ Smith’s 10-day smoothie detox” and gave her social media following a...

Post

When ‘Moti’ And Unmarriageable Is All That You Are In South Asian Culture

The importance that South Asian culture places on marriage as an “achievement” for women convinced me that being Moti meant I was unworthy of being loved and desired. By Zahra Haider CW: Fatphobia, weight, misogyny, self-harm, disordered eating Shaadi and Moti are two words commonly heard throughout South Asia. The former means “marriage” and the...

Post

How Do You Treat An Eating Disorder So Few Know About?

There are no clear answers for ARFID. And many nationally-recognized facilities don’t have a dedicated curriculum for this disorder. CN/TW: this essay discusses Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID), and eating disorders. By Ariana Drew Torres When I talk about my eating disorder, I always begin with the disclaimer, “You’ve probably never heard of it.” In...

Post

Not All Fat Black Boys Know How To Eat

Fat Black boys are failed by their doctors, failed by nutritionists, failed by a society that doesn’t see us as deserving of treatment and therapy. CW: mentions of eating disorders, medical discrimination, ob*sity, and more. I vividly remember multiple visits to my pediatrician that were centered solely around my eating. As with any parent, my...