Full Description
It is okay to be fat. This is the basic premise of fat activism, a social movement that has existed in Canada since the 1970s. Being Fat focuses on the earliest strands of the movement, covering the last decades of the twentieth century. The book explores how fat activists wrestled with feminist issues of the era, including femininity, sexuality, and health.
Showcasing the earliest efforts of fat activists in Canada, such as the growth of social initiatives "for fat women only," Being Fat helps us recognize the long reach of second-wave feminism and how it shaped activists' approaches to everyday experiences like shopping, exercise, and going to the doctor.
Contents
List of Figures and Tables
Acknowledgments
Introduction: Fat Women Are Not Few
1. FIFI: Feminist Approaches to Being Fat
2. Between Women: Fat Acceptance Organizations
3. "If Only You'd Lose Weight...": Femininity, Sexuality, and Fat Activism
4. Dr Fullovitt, MD: Fat Women's Experiences with Doctors and Dieting
5. "Let Me Hear Your Body Talk": Aerobics for Fat Women Only
6. Bodies in Fashion: Buying and Selling Plus-Size Clothing
Conclusion: When We Rise the Earth Will Shake
Appendix A: Research Methods
Appendix B: Detailed List of Research Participants
Notes
Bibliography
Index
