Fat Talk

The term “fat talk” refers to negative conversation that degrades the body. Daily, women question “does this make me look fat?” or remark that their hips, legs, butt, you name it are too imperfect to be tolerated. Often, people spend so much time criticizing themselves and others that they cannot appreciate the body for what it is and the beauty it possesses. 

American culture even reinforces this behavior. Girls and women are expected to be dissatisfied and critical of themselves and are viewed as vain of they are not. There is a scene in the popular 2004 movie Mean Girls where four friends stand in front of the mirror and tear their perfect bodies apart. Viewers do not even question this behavior as strange or self-hating. Similarly, men and friends anticipate the classic “does this make me look fat?” question and view it as typical female behavior. Even statements like “you lost so much weight you look great!” carry the idea that he or she did not look good before and emphasizes the perceived need to always be thinner. 

All this fat talk is contagious and spreads a negative body image that leaves girls and women feeling like empty failures while destroying any sense of self-confidence, self-esteem, and self-worth. 

The same phenomenon occurs in the male population. Men and boys put themselves and others down for not being strong and muscular enough. Men, just as much as women, are embarrassed and hesitant about beach trips and the way they look for occasions. They are criticized in media for being scrawny or having a “beer belly” just as often as women are criticized for putting on baby weight or “letting themselves go.”

Instead of being in the fat talk mindset, people should take some time to appreciate the body they do have and everything it does for them. No body is perfect and every body is different. Even models scrutinize their bodies and have to go through intensive photoshopping to achieve the images released to the media. It is unfair that people are pressured to devote so much time and energy to improve bodies that are beautiful treasures the way they are. 

Try complimenting people on things other than they way they look. Celebrate how the body functions. Take a look in the mirror and focus on favorable qualities. It’s empowering to love one’s body and oneself and instills a lasting sense of confidence and worth. Feeling good about the body will inherently motivate and instill healthy behaviors and achieve an all-around better quality of life. Practice and promote a fat talk free conversation.