The word ‘fat’ wasn’t always an insult, and yet people skirt around the word.
I asked a few students on campus what their definition of ‘fat’ was, or what the word made them think of. Anna Wade, nursing freshman; Johnny Richards, film production freshman; and Sydney Hughes, music theater junior, said ‘fat’ meant “excess visible weight” or “someone who is overweight.”
Richards admitted that the word more often made him think of someone who was female rather than male. Hughes had similar thoughts, seeing the word as a “weapon . . . that is most often used to tear down other people – women especially.”
Wanting to push that a little further, I asked them if they would use the word ‘fat’ to describe someone. “I try not to, but sometimes it slips out,” Wade said.
“I would not use this word to describe a person,” Richards said. He also said he found it ‘offensive and rude’ and would only “use [it] in a safe environment where I know no one will be offended.”
“For the average person, being called ‘fat’ is going to really hurt,” Hughes said. “So I’m going to avoid it.”
Many people can probably identify with Wade, Richards, and Hughes’s opinions. I often find myself calling someone “round” or “bigger” as a way to soften the subject. Saying the word “fat” feels like a harsh thing to do.
“It’s become such a bad word when it really shouldn’t be,” Wade said.
Richards introduced another perspective when he said “the tone of the person that’s speaking controls whether that word is insulting or not.” This lends to the idea that individually, we make-or-break what this word means. We give it the power to be hurtful.
Hughes brought up a significant point that looks a little closer at this idea.
“Our culture has stigmatized being overweight, or just not-supermodel-skinny, so [fat] carries a lot of negativity along with it,” she said. “Calling someone fat is an insult, right up there with calling someone ‘ugly’ or ‘stupid’ or ‘hateful’ or ‘petty’.”
Sometime around the 14th—15th century, being ‘fat’ was considered a good thing, even beautiful. The painting of The Three Muses is an example of the Renaissance’s take on beauty. This goes to show that humankind’s ideal of beauty is ever-changing that it’s ridiculous to take it as gospel word.
It’s clear that there are people who believe that being ‘fat’ isn’t, and shouldn’t be, a negative thing. Unfortunately, Hughes is right when she said society has made body image a big deal.
‘Fat’ may not be a bad word, but that doesn’t mean we can use it freely. The important thing to remember is that, individually, we give words power. Using the word ‘fat’ in bad tact won’t solve anything, but avoiding it and treating it like a bad omen won’t solve anything either.
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