18/08/2025
When we say someone is fat, we’re simply describing a body, just like saying someone is tall or short, brunette or blonde. That’s it. No moral value. No insult. No compliment. Just a neutral body descriptor.
BUT most of us have grown up hearing fat used as a slur or a shorthand for lazy, unhealthy, unattractive, unworthy. So when someone uses the word fat to describe themselves, it can trigger an automatic, well-meaning-but-misguided response “You’re not fat, you’re beautiful!” Spoiler alert: those two things aren't mutually exclusive.
By reclaiming the word fat, we strip it of its stigma and start to:
🩷 Challenge anti-fat bias in medicine, media, workplaces, and everyday life
🩷 Reduce shame around existing in a fat body
🩷 Shift the conversation away from weight being something we must “fix”
🩷 Support fat people in being seen, heard, and respected
It’s a move toward body liberation and away from the oppressive beauty and health standards we’ve likely all internalised thanks to diet culture and the patriarchy.
If you’re not fat yourself, it’s important to be thoughtful. Many fat people are reclaiming the word fat on their own terms, and that’s powerful. But if you’re unsure how someone identifies, don’t assume. Always ask how they’d like their body to be described (if it needs to be described at all). Some people prefer terms like plus-size, larger-bodied, or simply... nothing. Because not every body needs commentary.
TL;DR version: Fat is not a bad word. Using it in a neutral way helps to de-stigmatise fat bodies and push back against weight-based discrimination.
Need help unlearning anti-fat bias? You're not alone. Let's chat 🩷
PS: Just a heads-up, the “O” words (ob*sity, ob*se, overw*ight) are NOT neutral descriptors. These terms come from medicalised frameworks that pathologise and stigmatise bodies. They’re often used to justify discrimination, not to support health. And they cause real harm - emotionally, socially, and systemically. We need to acknowledge that. And challenge it, every time we hear it.
