Why Is Fat So Wrong?

Once upon a time, in lands not all that far away, being on the heavier side was actually praised. And yet, we now live in a society where being fat is so shamed that many have tried to hide themselves away for fear of being somehow humiliated because of their extra weight. Why did things shift so drastically from one beauty standard to another?

How art reflects our changing beauty standard

I remember sitting in my art history classes looking at statues and paintings of women and wondering why the beauty standard had changed from what we see throughout history. The oldest sculpture of a human being, called "Venus of Hohle Fels," represents a very rotund feminine figure. It's named after Venus, the Roman goddess of love and beauty.¹

When studying Renaissance art, I saw depictions of women who had flabby bellies and thicker arms and thighs. These images showed what many women looked like within that culture. At one point in history, you were more likely to be considered "high society" if you were heavier, because that meant you had the money for food. It was like a status symbol to be on the heavier side.²

How modern culture and media reshaped the "ideal" body

Our modern society seems to have a drastically different outlook on what the ideal feminine body is. I think one of the major game changers was the advent of the supermodel and Photoshop. Suddenly, it seemed more important to be stick thin and less voluptuous. Achieving the "ideal" weight seemed to be impossible in any healthy sort of way. And the images we saw across media were not safe from being photoshopped or airbrushed into oblivion, either.

The recent rise of body positivity

In the early 2000s, I noticed new ideas were flying in by the droves. By the 2010s, I saw more people being authentic to themselves, regardless of their size. I saw the beginning of the body positivity movement and more and more people embracing themselves despite their size. I began to see actresses and models larger than a size 2 on my screen. Models seemed to become larger and more voluptuous agai, and that shift in media felt like real progress.

Why there's no single "ideal" to chase

The reality of the issue is that we should love and accept ourselves and others despite our size and shape differences. Society shouldn’t put a specific body type on a pedestal and suggest that everyone should look just like that. Instead, every body type should be placed upon pedestals and held up in great regard. We are only given this one body - I think we should idealize ourselves as we are, instead of worrying about what we aren’t.

Loving yourself beyond any societal perception

Why is being fat so bad? Why is being fat something to be criticized? What is it about being heavy that makes other people uncomfortable? Honestly, I don't think it should be any of those things. It should be reveled in again like it once was. All body shapes should be reveled in and loved, including you, dear reader. You should be able to revel in your own uniqueness. Give yourself a big hug and love who you are.