In episode five of Is It a Fat Thing? we get into the details of the stereotype the Fat community have suffered under for as long as we can remember and the wide-reaching ramifications of being defined by these characteristics in real life. We teeter on the dangers of plastic garden chairs of doom and using design to cause violence against fat bodies, battle fat suits and ex-fats, celebrate Ursula’s c**ty cut crease, reminisce about that time Zayn Malik turned up on Wooplus and rail against Jillian Michaels criminal lack of charisma. 

This episode was recorded in January 2025.

Citations/notable links

• Fat’s on Film Podcast - The Nutty Professor with Fat Liberation London https://open.spotify.com/episode/7IF8Qg7GybGJt1k2OqtZOY?si=b3d0a837be604ac4 
• Metformin - a life extender? https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/why-do-some-researchers-believe-metformin-may-hold-the-key-to-longevity 
• Zayn on Wooplus gossip rag https://graziamagazine.com/articles/zayn-malik-dating-app/ 
• The airplane seat size squeeze https://www.cntraveler.com/story/airline-seat-sizes-safety-risks-op-ed 
• Fat icon Lindy West on The Whale https://www.theguardian.com/film/2023/mar/10/lindy-west-on-the-whale 
• Fearing the Black Body: The Racial Origins of Fat Phobia by Sabrina Strings 
• Keir Starmer’s bizarre Ozempic-forward approach to getting people ‘back to work’ https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cjd54zd0ezjo 
• The Biggest Loser contestants speaking out about their treatment and the long-term effects of such a traumatic attack on their bodies: 
• https://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/02/health/biggest-loser-weight-loss.html 
• https://www.huffpost.com/entry/i-was-on-the-biggest-loser-and-it-was-the-biggest-mistake-ive-ever-made_b_6581714
• https://www.chicagomag.com/chicago-magazine/december-2010/biggest-loser-michael-ventrella-struggles-in-life-after-the-show/
• https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/former-biggest-loser-contestant-show-ruined-my-life
• Michael Moseley horrifying anti-fat TV shows https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0608839/ 

Media Mentioned

• Shallow Hal, 2001 (directed by Bobby Farrelly and Peter Farrelly)
• The Nutty Professor, 1996 (directed by Tom Shadyac)
• Matilda, 1996 (directed by Danny Devito; written by Roald Dahl, Nicholas Kazan & Robin Swicord)
• Cinderella, 1950 (Directed by Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson, and Hamilton Luske) 
• Ratatouille, 2007 (directed by Brad Bird, Jan Pinkava) 
• The Little Mermaid, 1989 (directed by Ron Clements, John Musker)
• Wicked, 2024 (directed by Jon M. Chu)
• Shrill, 2019-21 (created by Aidy Bryant, Alexandra Rushfield, Lindy West)
• Survival of the Thickest, 2023-cont (created by Michelle Buteau)
• Insatiable, 2018-19 (created by Lauren Gussis) 
• Don't Die: The Man Who Wants to Live Forever, 2024 (directed by Chris Smith)
• The Whale, 2022 (directed by Darren Aronofsky) 
• The Simpsons, 1989-cont (created by James L. Brooks, Matt Groening, Sam Simon) 
• South Park, 1997-cont (created by Trey Parker, Matt Stone, Brian Graden) 
• Aitch “Learning the Curve” music video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpuIKVn5rsU
• The Biggest Loser, 2004-cont (created by David Broome, Mark Koops, Ben Silverman) 

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You can find Nikita on Tik Tok @niktoks or Instagram @nikigramx

Jade is on Instagram and TikTok under @justjadeelouise 

Simran can be found on Instagram @simksandhu_ TikTok under @simran_k_s and BlueSky @sksandhu.bsky.social

Our theme tune was composed by Dorian Jackdaw.

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