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Reviews tagging 'Eating disorder'
What We Don't Talk About When We Talk About Fat by Aubrey Gordon
86 reviews
ashylibrarian's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
medium-paced
4.25
Well...this was a book I needed to read. I needed to read this one for me, and I needed to read this one to challenge me.
For so long, I have fed myself the narrative that my body is bad because it's fat. My body is bad because it doesn't fi society's expectations of "good." I STILL fall for this narrative.
Aubrey Gordon challenged my beliefs, validated my feelings, and gave me anti-fat biases to challenge in my own life.
I would recommend this a s read for any body.
For so long, I have fed myself the narrative that my body is bad because it's fat. My body is bad because it doesn't fi society's expectations of "good." I STILL fall for this narrative.
Aubrey Gordon challenged my beliefs, validated my feelings, and gave me anti-fat biases to challenge in my own life.
I would recommend this a s read for any body.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Medical trauma, and Fatphobia
Moderate: Sexual harassment, Eating disorder, Medical content, and Sexual assault
murderousscottishgremlin's review against another edition
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
Informative and engaging, with personal stories spread throughout. Required reading for anyone looking to learn more about anti-fat bias and unlearn their own biases.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming and Fatphobia
Moderate: Eating disorder
cbeatrizls's review
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fatphobia
Minor: Eating disorder
quasinaut's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
medium-paced
4.25
An important book combining statistics and research with stories from Aubrey Gordon's and other fat folks' actual experiences living in a fatphobic world. At times, it was repetitive - I suspected that some examples or stories were intentionally reused knowing that some people might only encounter one chapter or section. But having read the whole book, I found that there were individual passages that were devastatingly, beautifully written but sometimes the larger structure or flow didn't quite work.
All in all, an eye-opening introduction to systemic fat oppression for anyone who still thinks fat people, not fatphobia, are the problem.
All in all, an eye-opening introduction to systemic fat oppression for anyone who still thinks fat people, not fatphobia, are the problem.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fatphobia
Moderate: Body shaming and Medical trauma
Minor: Sexual assault and Eating disorder
ashleycatharine's review
challenging
hopeful
informative
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
Everyone needs to read this book. Fat people deserve respect and care and this book shines light on the various misconceptions of fatness.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Medical trauma, Eating disorder, and Body shaming
dragon_s_hoard's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual harassment, Racism, Self harm, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Toxic friendship, Sexism, Sexual assault, Body shaming, Child abuse, Fatphobia, Sexual violence, Ableism, Emotional abuse, Medical trauma, Bullying, Eating disorder, Medical content, Misogyny, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Chronic illness, Lesbophobia, Dysphoria, Gaslighting, Panic attacks/disorders, Police brutality, Classism, Transphobia, and Biphobia
cassie7e's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
4.0
A thorough introduction to anti-fat bias and it's effects for those just starting to learn about it, and a great refresher or expansion for those more familiar with the topic. Gordon interweaves anecdotes (see CW below), statistics, and criticisms with a personal and intersectional lens that acknowledges the nuances of experiences and situations. **CW for abuse, discrimination, sexual harrasment, etc.
She ends by envisioning a world that lets bodies be bodies, and all the things we must accept and advocate for for true bodily autonomy of all kinds, for all people. A lot of people complain she doesn't tell us how to get there, or complain she over-recommends banning things. We shouldn't be relying on one person to give us the solutions to overhaul a whole system so I find both complaints irrelevant. The vision is inspiring, not prescriptive.
I especially appreciated the discussion of the body positivity movement's failure of inclusion, and the way thinner people frame it as a matter of insecurity and self perception, whereas fat people's problem isn't internal at all, it's the daily systemic and personal oppression they face in a world made for smaller bodies. This focus on self love serves the individualism encouraged by capitalism to avoid systemic change and accountability, and refuses to require a change in how people treat others, only themselves.
There are a few times when information is repeated, but as most people probably don't sit down and read a nonfiction book in one sitting, it's probably fine. Just caught my ear listening straight through the audiobook.
She ends by envisioning a world that lets bodies be bodies, and all the things we must accept and advocate for for true bodily autonomy of all kinds, for all people. A lot of people complain she doesn't tell us how to get there, or complain she over-recommends banning things. We shouldn't be relying on one person to give us the solutions to overhaul a whole system so I find both complaints irrelevant. The vision is inspiring, not prescriptive.
I especially appreciated the discussion of the body positivity movement's failure of inclusion, and the way thinner people frame it as a matter of insecurity and self perception, whereas fat people's problem isn't internal at all, it's the daily systemic and personal oppression they face in a world made for smaller bodies. This focus on self love serves the individualism encouraged by capitalism to avoid systemic change and accountability, and refuses to require a change in how people treat others, only themselves.
There are a few times when information is repeated, but as most people probably don't sit down and read a nonfiction book in one sitting, it's probably fine. Just caught my ear listening straight through the audiobook.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fatphobia, Medical trauma, Body shaming, and Bullying
Moderate: Sexual harassment and Eating disorder
Minor: Sexual assault and Sexual violence
genesismt's review
challenging
emotional
informative
5.0
"We will need to retrain ourselves to understand a new, compassionate set of principles that can guide our actions: ...That fatness is not failure and, subsequently, that thinness is not an accomplishment. The size of our bodies is largely beyond our control, and even in the few occasions when it isn't, thinness cannot be a prerequisite for basic respect, dignity, provision of services, or meeting basic needs like getting a job or finding food."
This was so informative and so important!! I feel like this should be required reading...Gordon is a white person, so it is also crucial to include Black and Latinx fat voices in these conversations, but from her perspective she addresses the ways in which fat bias is deeply entrenched in our society and the consequences of weight discrimination on fat individuals. The fact that medications are not as effective for people who are overweight and obese makes me so mad!! Diets literally fail 98% of the time but it is something that is constantly encouraged for people as well, even children, which is heartbreaking. Gordon also addresses the racist origins of the BMI, the exclusion of fat bodies in the body positivity movement and so much more. As the average person's size continues to increase, it is adamant that we address anti-fat violence, and move a step forward from body neutrality and acceptance. I learned so much and related to some of the points discussed, even though I am not a plus sized person, especially when it comes to conversations coming from places of "concern" for my health. As I try to unlearn my own fat bias and have these conversations with my family, it can be difficult but it is important. Highly recommend!!
This was so informative and so important!! I feel like this should be required reading...Gordon is a white person, so it is also crucial to include Black and Latinx fat voices in these conversations, but from her perspective she addresses the ways in which fat bias is deeply entrenched in our society and the consequences of weight discrimination on fat individuals. The fact that medications are not as effective for people who are overweight and obese makes me so mad!! Diets literally fail 98% of the time but it is something that is constantly encouraged for people as well, even children, which is heartbreaking. Gordon also addresses the racist origins of the BMI, the exclusion of fat bodies in the body positivity movement and so much more. As the average person's size continues to increase, it is adamant that we address anti-fat violence, and move a step forward from body neutrality and acceptance. I learned so much and related to some of the points discussed, even though I am not a plus sized person, especially when it comes to conversations coming from places of "concern" for my health. As I try to unlearn my own fat bias and have these conversations with my family, it can be difficult but it is important. Highly recommend!!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Bullying, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Medical content, Sexual violence, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Body shaming, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment
rachelle_reads's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
medium-paced
4.5
This is a book about a marginalized group. It’s not an easy read and it’s not an uplifting book focused on self care or body positivity - individual changes, largely. Rather, it’s focused on the challenges faced by small fat and large fat people in the world today, especially in public, in the media, and in healthcare, and a call to action for making changes in our society at large to benefit people with fat bodies. The book is well-researched, with some excruciating examples from the author’s own experience mixed in.
I have long enjoyed the author’s role in the podcast The Maintenance Phase and look forward to reading her second book as well.
I have long enjoyed the author’s role in the podcast The Maintenance Phase and look forward to reading her second book as well.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fatphobia
Moderate: Eating disorder