We know too well the mockery, the hate and judgement that come from living fat and how heavy this burden can be. We all know that a fat body can bring its fair share of unhappiness. (Reasons invoked by others who also got the surgery are quite similar.) It’s important to remember that it’s their body and their choice. A choice, she said, to no longer live in a body that was bringing her more sorrow than happiness, among other reasons. And I really didn’t expect it coming from her.Įgotistically, I thought… What would happen after we “lost” such a vocal role-model? What would happen… to “us”? You know, “us”, the fat people “left behind”.
Because I have the utmost respect for her contributions to the cause of women’s rights and size acceptance. It struck me especially strongly since I am more familiar with her work (than Tipton’s or Barr’s, for example). I have to admit, it really shook me up when I found out about it.
In the past year or so, many women at the forefront of the fat acceptance movement opted for bariatric surgery and/or major weight-loss: Melissa McCarthy, Gabourey Sidibe, Roseanne Barr, Ashley Nell Tipton… More recently, Roxane Gay, feminist and body activist author I admire, went under the knife to get the weight-loss surgery.
