Reviews tagging 'Medical trauma'

What We Don't Talk About When We Talk About Fat by Aubrey Gordon

73 reviews

dragon_s_hoard's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative reflective sad slow-paced

4.0

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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.

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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!!

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Violence, Bullying, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Medical content, Sexual violence, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Body shaming, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment

ashwaar's review against another edition

challenging informative medium-paced

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Eating disorder, Medical content, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Fatphobia, Misogyny, and Bullying

Moderate: Sexual harassment and Sexual assault

Minor: Homophobia and Toxic friendship

bek_p87's review

challenging informative inspiring

5.0

I need EVERYONE to read this book. I especially need every one of my colleagues in the medical profession to read this - and then re-read chapter 7 "First, Do No Harm" until it sinks in and changes the rampant anti-fat bias in medicine.

Sometimes I read books that are critical of the medical profession and have a knee-jerk "not all doctors" reaction - but not this time. As a fat woman and a GP, I know DAMN WELL how many - not all, but TOO F*CKING MANY - doctors view and treat fat people. Even though BMI was never designed to assess the health of individuals, even though the majority of health problems attributed to weight are actually caused by delayed access to healthcare and anti-fat bias, even though study after study has proven that NO DIET leads to long term weight loss and that constant weight fluctuations are WORSE for the body than simply being fat.

Of course, healthcare isn't the only setting in which fat people are discriminated against, and work needs to be done on multiple levels to improve the lives of fat people. But if I can convince even one of my colleagues to read this book and change their practice, I'll count it as a personal victory. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma, Sexual assault, and Fatphobia

entiresunset's review

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

A must read for everyone. Cannot recommend this enough. I learned so much by reading this book and am now able to tackle my own internalised anti-fat bias and weight stigma and to start my own healing process.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fatphobia and Bullying

Moderate: Eating disorder, Sexual harassment, Medical trauma, and Transphobia

Minor: Sexual assault and Rape

chlo_po's review

challenging informative inspiring medium-paced

5.0

essential reading for the body justice movement aka everyone with a body, and a powerful way forward against the ever present anti-fatness in ourselves and our society 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma

Moderate: Sexual assault, Eating disorder, and Sexual harassment

amcgriff's review against another edition

informative medium-paced

4.75

The audiobook is not read by the author which is jarring at first because of being a long time Maintence Phase listener. But otherwise, well researched and informative but not particularly shocking or new information for people who are fat. For those that have not lived as fat people or who think being fat is a moral failing, the information is easy to digest and well presented with a mix of personal narrative and scholarly-ish writing.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fatphobia

Moderate: Sexual harassment and Medical trauma

tiernanhunter's review against another edition

challenging informative inspiring fast-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder, Medical trauma, Body shaming, Bullying, Fatphobia, Grief, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Toxic friendship and Medical content

hwills5's review

challenging emotional hopeful informative reflective medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Bullying, Fatphobia, Body shaming, Sexual harassment, and Eating disorder

Minor: Domestic abuse, Body shaming, Ableism, and Medical trauma