Thoughts on the fat body (in)visible

This amazing video has been circulating around the internet the past couple of days. It’s called: Fat body (in)visible and it’s from Margitte Kristjansson. It can be viewed here (nsfw, some swearing, and some nudity).

A few quotes from the women interviewed really struck a chord with me. The first was from Keena, who said:

“When I look at the word diet, I see the word die.”

It reminded me of what my sister told me her Jenny Craig (yes, I know) consultant told her when she first met her:

“We have a saying here at Jenny Craig. Nothing tastes as good as thin feels.”

Firstly, way to co-opt a quote from Kate Moss, one of the models who made the androgynous, heroin chic 90s fashionable. Secondly, way to be original and body positive. Is that meant to make a person want to lose weight? Or shame them? Or is that the entire point? Thirdly, EW.

The second quote:

“As a fat person, I took on the object of class clown. I wasn’t allowed to be an object of desire” – Jessica.

This is something I, myself have faced and I know that other fat people have faced – I will make up for my unacceptable body by being funny. By making jokes about myself before anyone else has a chance to. I remember, in high school, I would privately wonder to myself why no one was interested in me. There were people interested in me. There were people who wanted to date me. But I always assumed that I would end up the butt of a cruel joke, so I made a joke of it all.

The fourth quote:

“I feel hyper visible when I’m at restaurants, eating. I feel like the spotlight is always on me” – Jessica.

I don’t think this is an entirely an issue related to fat girls. I think women in general can relate to this. We always assume everyone is looking at us and judging us. Hell, some people might be whatever. But those feelings are multiplied when we’re eating. Either with friends, in a crowded food court, in a quiet restaurant, by ourselves – we feel we are being watched and our food choices are being judged. We don’t have dessert, not because we don’t feel like it, but because someone might say something about the woman eating the dessert. I have never known my father or my brother to feel like this, but I will say I have noticed some fat men who feel the same way as fat women – judged and ridiculed for what they eat. As if their bodies, by being different, invite comments on everything, including what they choose to put into those bodies.

The last quote:

“I don’t want to change myself, to make others feel comfortable” – Keena.

Nor should we have to. Nor should anyone have to. The idea that we, as women, should have to minimise the space we take up, that we can’t get angry, we can’t get upset, we can’t draw attention to ourselves and we can’t ignore or actively flaunt/shun beauty ideals – otherwise we’ll be shamed, ridiculed, looked down on, or even attacked, is one that is still prevalent. And it’s wrong. I hate it. We’re all different. Difference is a good thing. It can be challenging, but there’s nothing wrong with being challenged and learning. Peoples bodies are not public property.

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