10 phrases that seem harmless, but are very fatphobic

Making a joke with a fat friend just to lighten the conversation between friends, make fun of that colleague because he hooked up with a “nonstandard” girl… why not, right? We have a good reason not to: because it’s fatphobia – prejudice against fat people!

Although many people think that fatphobia is not real, the offensive and degrading criticisms against fat people are true and they kill, as was the case of young Dielly Santos, aged 17, who committed suicide at school, where she was attacked daily by her classmates. with curses like “filthy pig” and “trash”.

So that this is not the reality of other people, the first step is to understand how, on a daily basis, some popular phrases reaffirm fatphobia and then remove them from vocabulary forever. Check out 10 examples that you have certainly heard and perhaps already mentioned!

1. “She has such a pretty face!”

Sometimes, this phrase is accompanied by continuations such as: “too bad she’s fat”, “I just needed to lose weight” and an infinity of equally fatphobic variations. So does that mean the face is pretty, but the body is ugly because it’s fat? No! Everything can be beautiful, except that prejudice makes people close their eyes – and that is painful for those who are affected by it.

2. “Wow, are you going to eat more?”

In addition to the judgmental looks, when a fat person is eating something, everyone becomes a food inspector, and always with the same justification: the warning – even if mean and offensive – is only for the good of the other!

3. “You are not fat. You are cute!”

No, she really is fat and guess what: this is not a criticism. It’s just a feature. Therefore, it is not necessary to use words in the diminutive that sound derogatory to talk about that person, after all, being fat is not a defect!

4. “But have you thought about your health?”

Who says a fat person can’t be healthy? She might like to exercise, eat healthy food, go out with friends, study, work, read – after all, that also means taking care of her health, doesn’t it? – and still be fat. One thing does not cancel the other! In addition, thin people can have health problems that are not seen with the naked eye, and even so they do not have their lives monitored.

5. “You should go with a black outfit, because you lose weight”

Should a person really just choose an outfit because they look skinny in it? Even if she doesn’t feel comfortable, or even thinks she’s beautiful with that piece? Appearing to be a few pounds lighter certainly shouldn’t be the deciding factor in this situation—or any other, to be honest.

6. “It’s okay to be cute. Men like to have something to squeeze!”

We are in the middle of the 21st century and the woman still needs to guide herself according to the male tastes? I think not! Regardless of whether or not a man likes her image, the important thing is that you feel comfortable with her body and see beauty in it.

7. “Wow, but you could take care of yourself a little more, right? Do a diet…”

One of the biggest prejudices involving fat people is the stigma that they simply don’t take care of themselves because they don’t fit the standards. But the truth is: a person’s weight doesn’t make them more or less vain. And most importantly: taking care of yourself is not going into a slimming process. Wearing clothes that make her feel good, being with people she loves and even watching her favorite series, all of this is treating yourself with care and respect!

8. “Wow, but she shouldn’t wear that. She’s fat!”

Marking the belly, letting stretch marks and body folds show: none of this should stop a person from wearing what they feel like, but the criticism about it can still be cruel. Therefore, the representation of fat people and fashion plus size are important, after all, it is only in this way that they will feel more encouraged to live the way they want – and that includes dressing and daring as much as they feel free to do so!

9. “Oh my friend, I’m so fat!” / “Of course. You look beautiful!”

Does this mean that fat people are necessarily ugly? Because, until then, the only opposite of fat is skinny and that’s definitely not a beauty gauge – just fatphobia anyway.

10. “He sure saw her inner beauty!”

Couples in which the partners are physically different, especially when the woman is fat, can be the target of mean comments. One of them is the prejudiced deduction that the man is with his spouse not because he finds her attractive, but just because she has a “good heart”. After all, fat women can’t be sexy, right? Wrong!