Stereotyping and fattism

Overweight and obese people are usually viewed negatively. As well as being held up to ridicule, obese people are also subject to discrimination and anti-fat bias.

If Marilyn Monroe were an aspiring young actress today, she would be deemed too chubby for Hollywood. Her legendary figure fit the 1950s ideal of female beauty but since then curves are out - thin is in.

The size of aisles and seats in buses, airplanes, cinemas and waiting rooms are all suited to people with a slim build, while fashionable clothing seems to be designed only with the slim in mind. Each day large people get the message that they are not desirable or 'normal'.

We assume that thin people are successful, sexy and happy while large people are ugly, unhealthy and undesirable. The 'fat person' stereotype is that they are lazy and slothful. People's size can affect their chances of getting a job, being accepted in higher education, and the salary they receive.

Our stereotypes have a long history. Take Shakespeare. Julius Caesar refers to Cassius's "lean and hungry look", evidence of his ambition and plotting; in 'Henry the Fourth part 1', Falstaff is the continual butt of Prince Hal's jokes: having double-crossed him in a highway robbery prank, the Prince laughs as Falstaff flees in panic:

Throughout most of history, female fat has been a signal of fertility and sexuality. The most famous early image of a woman is a small figurine known as the Venus of Willendorf, which is thought to date between 24 000 and 22 000 BCE. And she is very large indeed - obese by our standards.

So, if they are lucky, large females may be 'cuddly' or an 'Earth Mother'. More often, though, 'they have let themselves go'.

Further reading

Rebecca Puhl and Kelly D Brownell
Bias, Discrimination, and Obesity
Obesity Research 9:788-805 (2001)
A review of information on discriminatory attitudes and behaviours against obese individuals. Concludes that "clear and consistent stigmatization, and in some cases discrimination, can be documented in three important areas of living: employment, education, and health care".

Wang SS, Brownell KD, Wadden TA.
The influence of the stigma of obesity on overweight individuals.
J Obes Relat Metab Disord 28(10):1333-7 (2004)
Even overweight patients at a weight reduction clinic held anti-fat opinions: "Unlike other minority group members, overweight individuals do not appear to hold more favorable attitudes toward ingroup members."

Janet D Latner and Albert J Stunkard
Getting Worse: The Stigmatization of Obese Children
Obesity Research 11:452-456 (2003)
Children hold negative views of obese people, and comparison with a study carried out in 1961 indicates that views are becoming more negative: "Stigmatization of obesity by children appears to have increased over the last 40 years."

Marlene B Schwartz, Heather O’Neal Chambliss, Kelly D Brownell, Steven N Blair and Charles Billington
Weight Bias among Health Professionals Specializing in Obesity
Obesity Research 11:1033-1039 (2003)
Health care professionals don't think much of obese people either: "Even professionals whose careers emphasize research or the clinical management of obesity show very strong weight bias, indicating pervasive and powerful stigma."