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?

Art history and the female form

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 in 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 women who had flabby bellies and thicker arms and thighs. These images showed what many women looked like within that society. 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 thing to be on the heavier side.²

Modern views on the "ideal" weight

Our modern society seems to have a drastically different outlook on what the best feminine model is. I think one of the major game changers was the advent of the super model 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 images in the media were not safe from being photoshopped or airbrushed into oblivion.

Back when to now

In the early 2000's, I noticed new ideas were flying in by the droves. By the 2010's, 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 that were larger than a size 2 on the screens in front of me. Models seemed to became larger and more voluptuous again.

What's an "ideal" anyway?

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 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.

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? Well, I don't think it should be any of that. 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.