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annaka_haynes 's review for:
What We Don't Talk About When We Talk About Fat
by Aubrey Gordon
I've really been enjoying the Maintenance Phase podcast with Aubrey Gordon and Michael Hobbes, and I'm excited to read Aubrey's new book, so I thought I'd catch up and read her debut book first. I was very, very disappointed that she didn't narrate, because her voice has become so familiar during the podcast, but... I totally get it. Being an author doesn't make you a voice actor, or someone who has time to be a voice actor. On the whole, this was a really informative and helpful introduction to fatphobia and the really problematic ways our society dehumanizes fat folks. It was also humbling; despite years of body image issues, and gaining weight with age, I'm 'straight-sized,' meaning that I can buy clothes at most stores in the US. I never imagined a world where you could only buy clothes online or custom-tailored, and with limited choices, at that. I have certainly never had strangers feel the need to take food out of my shopping cart, or give me unsolicited advice on nutrition or exercise. Gordon offers a science-based but very personal view of the life of someone who is "very fat" (her words) including appalling stories of the lack of healthcare available to most people who weight more than 200lbs. If, like me, you've never really thought about what life as a truly fat person is like in the US, this smart, honest, and heart-felt work is well worth reading.