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Fat bias?



  3. jcwelker
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It only takes a modest weight gain for a woman to experience weight discrimination, but men can gain far more weight before experiencing similar bias, a new study shows.

The notion that society is less tolerant of weight gain in women than men is just one of the findings suggested by a new report from the Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity at Yale University, published this month in the International Journal of Obesity.

For the study, researchers documented the prevalence of self-reported weight discrimination and compared it to experiences of discrimination based on race and gender among a nationally representative sample of adults ages 25 to 74. The data was obtained from the National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States.

Overall, the study showed that weight discrimination, particularly against women, is as common as racial discrimination. But the researchers also identified the amount of weight gain that triggers a discriminatory backlash. They found that women appear to be at risk for discrimination at far lower weights, relative to their body size, than men.
jcwelker

4 responses // Fat bias?

  • that's annoying, I'm a woman and people always go on about my bum when I pass, I'm not fat, but they still tend to do it.

    think skinner torsos link to it.
    steadward
  • Slim, fit bodies are considered ideal for both men and women, but the level of scrutiny that's acceptable for women's bodies, whether in media or amongst individuals, is far more intense for women than for men methinks.

    It could be argued that the most fetishised parts of women's bodies (breasts, arse, waist, legs etc.) are more readily on display and more often considered an important part of dressing well (most women's clothes are deisgned to emphasise them - the average pair of men's jeans aren't) so again, there's more of a sense that they're 'out there', public, and open for comment.

    Plus, female body parts are more often seen as inanimate objects, separate from a whole body (breasts, arse, waist etc.) and judged accordingly, so its no wonder that when female bodies deviate from the ideal (or the norm) its going to be more noticeable and more commented on.

    And of course there's the still-lingering idea that a man 'does', and a woman 'is seen'. Most women I know are still valued on how attractive they look, before how damn clever or creative or interesting they are, and I've seen many a not-very-talented woman get on well in the professional world because she looks right, and that's easy, and non-threatening.

    God, its depressing how we all still judge people based on age-old imbalances. When's it gonna change?
    Lindsey88
  • the annnoying thing is, i don't even wear make up, i don't believe in it, and always wear a track suit with tank top and this still happens to me!

    It's not fair dang it! I even worked out tomake my arms bigger so some random person would stop yelling about me from across the street, as they don't seem to like masuline arms at least average size on a woman, did'nt work either! Now I haft to work out every night or they'll just go flabby!

    What I have to saccrifice and still not win!
    steadward
  • I'm not surprised. Society is always harsher on women than it is on men.
    milkradio

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