This is NPR's Life Kit. I'm Mary L. Sigerra.

In January, we get lots of advertisements, emails, and other messages that it's time

to lose weight and sculpt our bodies. And a lot of that pressure, to be thin, is rooted

in what author and podcast host Aubrey Gordon describes as anti-fatness.

Anti-fatness is a sort of web of beliefs, interpersonal practices, institutional policies

that are designed to keep fat people sort of on the margin.

That can look like harassing someone for being fat or calling them names, but it can also

be more subtle.

Like regarding thin bodies as an accomplishment and fat bodies as a failure that needs correcting,

right?

Sometimes we compliment someone's weight loss, but stay silent on their weight gain. We're

sending a pretty strong message about which one of those we will accept and celebrate,

and which one of those we find really sort of mortifying and embarrassing and something

that shouldn't be talked about.

Aubrey Gordon is author of the book, You Just Need To Lose Weight, and 19 other myths

about fat people. Those myths include, any fat person can become thin if they try hard

enough, fat acceptance glorifies obesity, no one is attracted to fat people, and fat

people are emotionally damaged and cope by eating their feelings.

Today on the show, my colleague and all things considered host Wanda Summers talks to Aubrey

Gordon about the book and about pushing back against anti-fat myths.

Okay, so this book lays out this long list of myths surrounding fatness and fat people

and I'd love to talk to you about them all, but I can't.

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