The Fat Response, a Love Letter
What I’ve heard when writing about fatness
I’ve had a great time this year writing about my fat experiences, whether it be focusing on confidence as a fat person or some personal pleasure of the moment at the poolside. There’s also been a couple of stories about being fat at work at the pitfalls of being a bigger body in limiting spaces. But the overall takeaway for me was to have people use their imagination and perspectives to view the human body as varied, pleasurable, and worthy. Various shapes and sizes. Pleasure-giving and pleasure-seeking. Worthy to take up literal and figurative space.
The responses I received from these pieces was mixed but mostly fun. People who messaged me or left comments were predominantly thrilled to be seen and felt empowered by one more voice on the pile of throaty, encouraging people writing about fatness — elsewhere. There hasn’t been too much on this platform about true love of the self and fatness. Most of the context remains bent towards the diet culture even when writers aren’t necessarily trying. It’s the culture we’re steeped in, and it permeates.
Some readers mistook my articles for a starting point before beginning a weight-loss journey. They couldn’t be further from the truth. I’m loving myself for who I am in the moment in all of these articles. And there were a few…
