In last week's episode, I shared that fatphobia has always stemmed from the belief that weight is mostly controlled by diet and exercise. It’s why we’ve been subjected to decades of diet programs, products and books focused on calories in and calories out. It has also perpetuated the narrative that if you “try hard enough” you can also be thin, or manage your weight.

With the rise in use of GLP-1s for weight loss, and the ease at which people can access them privately with very little screening – we’ve watched as diet talk has shifted from how many calories someone is eating to whether it’s an injection day and they’re going to crap themselves.

Seriously. These are the casual, and dangerous conversations happening across social media. And whilst my personal view is these drugs are going to cause more harm in the longterm, I also know people are prescribed this medication for health reasons, and they deserve access to the healthcare their body needs.

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We’re not only seeing the rise in use of weight loss drugs, we are seeing a rampant rise in fatphobia as a result. Because why on earth would someone not choose to be thin when we’re being sold on a miracle cure?

* Weight loss drugs will not end fat phobia or lead to fat liberation, quite the opposite actually

* These drugs are not a miracle “cure” for weight loss, because being fat is not a disease

* These drugs are harming people in ED recovery - even if they’re not taking them - because GLP1-s are being celebrated for the very things people are trying to unlearn.

* Like with any medication, there are side effects and contraindications - we should not be asking people to choose between their health and thinness - because those two things are not the same

* Here in the UK people are choosing to purchase them privately with poor screening leading to dangerous side effects for people with pre existing chronic illnesses

* They are being marketed as an act of ‘self care’, which is something that is often a taboo topic amongst the fat community as we are often discriminated against in ‘self care’ spaces

* It’s allowing companies to use phrases like ‘food addiction’ and “ob*sity is a disease” in order to manipulate the public into believing these are the only options

In today’s mini episode we’re going to explore how we went from the rise and decline of body positivity in the 2010s to ‘thin is in’ and how this is leading to an increasingly fatphobic society. We’ll also talk about how politics, and facism play a part in this rhetoric, and why it’s going to cause more harm, not just for fat folks, in the long term.

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Takeaways:

There is a correlation between the rise in GLP-1s and the rise in fatphobia.

Fatphobia is more complex than just a fear of fat people.

The diet industry thrives on control and fear.

Weight loss drugs are marketed as an act of self-care.

Fatness is not a choice, and it is not a moral failing.

Unlearning fatphobia is crucial for mental health.

Diet behaviors go beyond just counting calories.

The rise in fatphobia is a system designed to fail.

Internalised fatphobia has nowhere to go after weight loss.

The marketing of weight loss drugs reinforces fatphobic attitudes.

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction to Fatphobia and GLP-1s

01:59 Understanding Fatphobia: Definitions and Misconceptions

04:21 The Role of Diet Culture and Weight Loss Drugs

06:37 Marketing Tactics and the Perception of Weight Loss

08:27 Political Instability and the Rise of Fatphobia

10:25 The Impact of Weight Loss on Fatphobia

12:13 Internalized Fatphobia and Its Consequences

14:13 Fashion Rules and Body Image

15:42 Conclusion: Unlearning Fatphobia for Better Health

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🗓️ Next Week: Raising Body-Confident Kids in a Body-Shaming World

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