A review by ehmannky
Unshrinking by Kate Manne

informative medium-paced

4.0

A pretty deep look at the ways that fatphobia impacts modern society and how it just sort of dominates people's thinking and how truly awfully we tend to treat anyone even slightly heavier than normal. I liked that Manne was so candid about her eating disorders and why dieting is so addicting (also, I loved all of the scientific insight on why people should stop dieting since dieting is so bad for our bodies). Most of this book is a lot more a look at the social problems created by fatphobia and the scientific reasoning behind weight gain and why dieting is bad for you. But she does return to her philosopher roots at the end when she starts pointing out the logical problems with "body positivity" and "body neutrality." She states we should be reaching for "body reflexivity," which states that our bodies exist for ourselves and they're not for anyone. It's a fundamental appreciation for human diversity and a deep celebration of human autonomy. It also places the answers to dealing with fatphobia on the world, rather than depending on people to develop positive or neutral relationships with their bodies. A really thoughtful read.