I've been following this all steadily since I first noticed Mikey's Patreon post go out, and I'm just so grateful for her and Lindley and everyone else coming forward. I'm a fat woman who basically bought an entire bookshelf of books on HAES/Intuitive eating/etc. during this ongoing pandemic, and it's eye-opening to take a step back and notice just how many are authored (and also given recommendation/praise blurbs inside the flap!) by thin, white women. I think one of my favorite anti-diet books I noticed had only one plus-size woman who wrote a recommendation. I have been struggling with my self-esteem in relation to my weight before this and I naturally found myself gravitating towards my books by fat authors. I wish I currently had the means to purchase more of these books. But for now, the books I have by Jes Baker, Aubrey Gordon, Sofie Hagan, Roxane Gay, and Joy Arlene Renee Cox-- I turn to them when I need to read from someone who just *understands*. There is such a lived experience with fatness that thinner people don't understand that needs to continue to be reflected and honored.
I wanted to just crawl under my desk as I was reading this note, Mikey’s post, the emails from ASDAH (new to me). To be honest that’s my reaction to almost every Burnt Toast email, not because they’re not worthy - exactly the opposite. All of this discussion is an acknowledgement of the magnitude and implications of fatness, race, privilege and how those are intertwined and it can be overwhelming. I say that as an obese, brown, but otherwise very privileged person who sometimes just wants to forget everything I’ve learned about this topic and would prefer to be oblivious and run back to weight watchers and work towards fitting into a size 18w again because that would be the life. Ignorance is bliss sometimes.
Side note - who else is so tired of people admitting their privilege thinking that said admission somehow erases their privilege? I know I do it too. The whole situation with Lindo felt like “I know I’m privileged and I’d like to bring in other voices to stay credible … but I still want to be too dog. Isn’t that so thoughtful of me?” Oooof
YES! I've been following this closely. I just started following Mikey and ASDAH a few weeks ago when the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics dropped their guidelines for treatment of overw*ight and ob*se clients - coming down hard against using HAES and non-diet approaches. I've committed to reading The Body is Not an Apology and work to, as @nicolahaggett said to me, "help folks gently pull [the thread]...to widen the lens beyond Diet Culture to all forms of body oppression".
Yikes. Thank you for this. This is a great reminder to seek out, follow, and support fat BIPOC creators and dietitians instead of exploitative thin white people who profit off their labor!
I appreciate your thoughts and can relate to all of them. As a mid-fat white woman with lots of privilege I am working through how to structure a new organization that will be focused on working to add weight/height to anti-discrimination laws in the states (beyond Mass, NY and Michigan) and federally. Doing this kind of policy change work in a capitalistic society requires lots of money and therefore lots of fundraising in a society that sees no benefit in dignity for fat folx. I worry about where that will have to come from as there are varying degrees of authenticity in a commitment to fat liberation in corporate and grant making organizations. The Lindo situation was a long time coming and its a punctuation point in my reflection about my positionally in this community and how to move forward work that will be one (legal) tool to hold accountable those who harm fat people. I am focusing on being in relationships and liberatory practices with full openness to accountability. Damned supremacy—the unlearning comes in waves which is frustrating.
Thank you for your excellent writing! How about offering an honorarium to your interview subjects that they can accept or donate to a cause of their choosing. Academics have been doing this for eons.
Thank you for your thoughtful article. One point that stood out for me, as a librarian, is the balance between "credible experts"/identifying sources and an individual's need for confidentiality/anonymity for their own safety. Librarians often advocate for "information literacy" (which can sound condescending!) and teach our patrons to evaluate information sources for authenticity: Who made these assertions? Are they named and credentialed to show they are credible and accountable for their views? I need to consider how to talk about people who use pseudonyms to preserve their safety (for example, if they are trans but not out in real life because it could jeopardize their jobs/relationships) in the context of authenticity.
I've been following this all steadily since I first noticed Mikey's Patreon post go out, and I'm just so grateful for her and Lindley and everyone else coming forward. I'm a fat woman who basically bought an entire bookshelf of books on HAES/Intuitive eating/etc. during this ongoing pandemic, and it's eye-opening to take a step back and notice just how many are authored (and also given recommendation/praise blurbs inside the flap!) by thin, white women. I think one of my favorite anti-diet books I noticed had only one plus-size woman who wrote a recommendation. I have been struggling with my self-esteem in relation to my weight before this and I naturally found myself gravitating towards my books by fat authors. I wish I currently had the means to purchase more of these books. But for now, the books I have by Jes Baker, Aubrey Gordon, Sofie Hagan, Roxane Gay, and Joy Arlene Renee Cox-- I turn to them when I need to read from someone who just *understands*. There is such a lived experience with fatness that thinner people don't understand that needs to continue to be reflected and honored.
I wanted to just crawl under my desk as I was reading this note, Mikey’s post, the emails from ASDAH (new to me). To be honest that’s my reaction to almost every Burnt Toast email, not because they’re not worthy - exactly the opposite. All of this discussion is an acknowledgement of the magnitude and implications of fatness, race, privilege and how those are intertwined and it can be overwhelming. I say that as an obese, brown, but otherwise very privileged person who sometimes just wants to forget everything I’ve learned about this topic and would prefer to be oblivious and run back to weight watchers and work towards fitting into a size 18w again because that would be the life. Ignorance is bliss sometimes.
Side note - who else is so tired of people admitting their privilege thinking that said admission somehow erases their privilege? I know I do it too. The whole situation with Lindo felt like “I know I’m privileged and I’d like to bring in other voices to stay credible … but I still want to be too dog. Isn’t that so thoughtful of me?” Oooof
YES! I've been following this closely. I just started following Mikey and ASDAH a few weeks ago when the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics dropped their guidelines for treatment of overw*ight and ob*se clients - coming down hard against using HAES and non-diet approaches. I've committed to reading The Body is Not an Apology and work to, as @nicolahaggett said to me, "help folks gently pull [the thread]...to widen the lens beyond Diet Culture to all forms of body oppression".
Yikes. Thank you for this. This is a great reminder to seek out, follow, and support fat BIPOC creators and dietitians instead of exploitative thin white people who profit off their labor!
I had no idea Lindo wasn't fat.
I appreciate your thoughts and can relate to all of them. As a mid-fat white woman with lots of privilege I am working through how to structure a new organization that will be focused on working to add weight/height to anti-discrimination laws in the states (beyond Mass, NY and Michigan) and federally. Doing this kind of policy change work in a capitalistic society requires lots of money and therefore lots of fundraising in a society that sees no benefit in dignity for fat folx. I worry about where that will have to come from as there are varying degrees of authenticity in a commitment to fat liberation in corporate and grant making organizations. The Lindo situation was a long time coming and its a punctuation point in my reflection about my positionally in this community and how to move forward work that will be one (legal) tool to hold accountable those who harm fat people. I am focusing on being in relationships and liberatory practices with full openness to accountability. Damned supremacy—the unlearning comes in waves which is frustrating.
Thank you for your excellent writing! How about offering an honorarium to your interview subjects that they can accept or donate to a cause of their choosing. Academics have been doing this for eons.
Thank you for your thoughtful article. One point that stood out for me, as a librarian, is the balance between "credible experts"/identifying sources and an individual's need for confidentiality/anonymity for their own safety. Librarians often advocate for "information literacy" (which can sound condescending!) and teach our patrons to evaluate information sources for authenticity: Who made these assertions? Are they named and credentialed to show they are credible and accountable for their views? I need to consider how to talk about people who use pseudonyms to preserve their safety (for example, if they are trans but not out in real life because it could jeopardize their jobs/relationships) in the context of authenticity.