Fat Is NOT a Feminist Issue
Susan Orbach seems to have misunderstood the meaning of feminism. Feminism is the public advocacy for the extension of rights to women equal to that of men. Yet Orbach thinks feminism is more the dissociation from things considered masculine. In her article, “Fat Is a Feminist Issue,” Orbach argues that women who are fat are put under unneeded stress by society’s expectation that women maintain a fit physique. She goes on to say that feminism argues, “that being fat represents an attempt to break free of society’s sex stereotypes.” Although I agree that fat people, women especially, are ostracized by society, to think that women choose to become fat as an act of independence is fantastical. People, not just women, become fat from overeating and having a poor diet. We rebuff those that are fat because they are less productive and require special treatment to live normal lives despite having the capacity to change. To confuse being fat as a form of expression indicates Orbach has forgotten the health repercussions that come with being fat: heart attack, stroke, diabetes, and colon cancer. Being fat should not be embraced for the same reason anorexia should not be embraced; both lifestyles are harmful to one’s health.
Women are compelled by advertisements and the media to work toward a specific body type in order to attract men. This is unethical because it capitalizes on the biological desire to have children. Feminists rightly believe that women should not have to conform to whatever appearance men find attractive. They risk being labeled as deviant for their nonconforming, by not letting society dictate how they dress, what they do, and other forms of expression. As a society, we must tolerate these forms of expression unless they constitute a danger or disturbance toward someone. Being fat poses a threat to a person’s health and inconveniences those that then have to care for said person. Therefore being fat is not a feminist issue because it does nothing to expand upon the rights of women. My advice to Susan Orbach’s fat freedom fighters is to stop reducing your life expectancy and find more effective ways of securing equal rights for women.
Link to Fat Is a Feminist Issue by Susan Orbach:
http://erinbell1020.pbworks.com/w/file/fetch/39644779/orbach.pdf
