Fatphobia and Resistance to Discrimination from a Fat Studies Perspective

Fatphobia, as a system of discrimination and oppression, seeks the eradication of fat bodies by perceiving them as unattractive, unproductive, and pathological, thereby generating discrimination in all aspects of daily life, including the workplace, educational settings, emotional-sexual relationships, and medical care (Piñeyro, 2016). Consequently, my research focuses on the fatphobic violence and discrimination experienced by individuals socially understood as fat. In my investigations, I aim to address various issues related to practices of resistance, as well as the pains and pleasures of inhabiting fatness, which are often viewed as immoral, unhealthy, and grotesque (Esteban, 2016; Bakhtin, 1994).

In this panel, I would like to reflect on several topics addressed in my research. Specifically, I will consider how weight stigma affects the daily lives of fat individuals. Our system is characterized by fatphobia, in which fat people are constructed as lazy, unclean, depressed, and unhealthy, thus justifying their perceived unworthiness of respect, rights, and love. Using the results from my inquiries employing artistic group techniques and reflective mapping of audiovisual content that perpetuates weight stigma, this presentation aims to discuss the consequences of inhabiting fatness and the resistances to discrimination from the perspective of fat studies.