Fatphobia is a priority theme, especially within feminism, and it is also violence against women, a system of oppression. And I, even though I am fat, took a long time to see it.
As a child, my classmates, nicknamed me Izabola - a pun, since my name is Izabela and “bola” in Portuguese means ball. A hostile treatment of my body by others, which was soon seen as funny. It was when I was still very young that I learned that being fat was a laughingstock to my classmates, a behavior that showed how inferior my fat body was.
Far from the limitations that the space at school offered, ten years later, after some diets, therapy, and failed attempts to accept myself, I had contact with contexts, people, and scenarios that were not fatphobic, where my appearance was natural, and my health wasn’t questioned because of my weight.
As a child, my classmates, nicknamed me Izabola - a pun, since my name is Izabela and “bola” in Portuguese means ball. A hostile treatment of my body by others, which was soon seen as funny. It was when I was still very young that I learned that being fat was a laughingstock to my classmates, a behavior that showed how inferior my fat body was.
Far from the limitations that the space at school offered, ten years later, after some diets, therapy, and failed attempts to accept myself, I had contact with contexts, people, and scenarios that were not fatphobic, where my appearance was natural, and my health wasn’t questioned because of my weight.
But my body was still a concern of my own as I couldn't fit into the beauty standard placed by society - a beauty standard that causes disorder, panic, fear, and repulsion.
I found out that even if I know that my body doesn't have to be thin for me to be happy, society, affective-sexual relationships, job opportunities, doctors and family will expect that I am.
But my body was still a concern of my own as I couldn't fit into the beauty standard placed by society - a beauty standard that causes disorder, panic, fear, and repulsion. I found out that even if I know that my body doesn't have to be thin for me to be happy, society, affective-sexual relationships, job opportunities, doctors and family will expect that I am.
I found out that even if I know that my body doesn't have to be thin for me to be happy, society, affective-sexual relationships, job opportunities, doctors and family will expect that I am.
But my body was still a concern of my own as I couldn't fit into the beauty standard placed by society - a beauty standard that causes disorder, panic, fear, and repulsion. I found out that even if I know that my body doesn't have to be thin for me to be happy, society, affective-sexual relationships, job opportunities, doctors and family will expect that I am.
Society, in the medical field or the aesthetics field, humiliates and diminishes those who are fat, discriminating, proposing that the concerns on fat bodies are a health issue, when in fact, they start from an observation and judgment of someone else's body.
Society expects a fat person to be ashamed of themselves, and to hate themselves. Naomi Wolf, in "The Myth of Beauty'', describes the feeling that was necessary for the acceptance of my fat body, "Living in fear of our bodies and our lives is not living. The consequent neuroses of fear of life are everywhere."
Plum, like me, got that nickname because she is "round," but her actual name is Alicia Kettle: a character in the Dietland series, based on the book by Sarai Walker. Plum taught me, when I was 25, what I wish I had found in books, series, and movies, and what I wish I had understood for myself.
"I don’t hate myself. The world hates me. For being like this. Every day, I walk around in this skin. People look at me like I have the plague. They act like I’m a stain. They stare and laugh and yell, and worst of all, they tell me I have such a pretty face and they lecture me on how I can fix my body because how I am is wrong."
Even though there is fat representation nowadays, with plus size models and brands, this representation, mostly, is not real; it does not reach real bodies, especially in Brazil, and is simply a marketing strategy - even if this a reflection of the empowerment actions of fat women, who, like me, have broken with the stereotypes and standardizations of society, media, doctors, childhood colleagues, family, and ourselves.
REFERÊNCIAS BIBLIOGRÁFICAS
WOLF, Naomi. “O Mito da Beleza”.
ARRAES, Jarid. “GORDOFOBIA COMO QUESTÃO POLÍTICA E FEMINISTA”. Disponível em: https://www.revistaforum.com.br/digital/163/gordofobia-como-questao-politica-e-feminista/. Acesso em: 21/04/2019.
JIMENEZ, Maria Luisa. “Dietland: a Gordofobia como questão Feminista.”. Disponível em: https://www.todasfridas.com.br/2018/09/25/dietland-a-gordofobia-como-questao-feminista/. Acesso em: 21/04/2019.
JIMENEZ, Maria Luisa. “Gordofobia, Mercado e Representatividade da Mulher Gorda”. Disponível em: https://www.todasfridas.com.br/2018/08/25/gordofobia-mercado-e-representatividade-da-mulher-gorda/. Acesso em: 21/04/2019.
PAIM, Bastos Marina. “Os corpos gordos merecem ser vividos”. Disponível em: http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0104-026X2019000100804&lng=pt&nrm=iso&tlng=pt Acesso em: 21/04/2019.