Hi friend,
One of the most common questions I get is, âShould I use the word fat?â
Many fat folks have reclaimed the word and are using it as a neutral descriptor, but to the world at large, âfatâ is an insult. So should you be using it?
If you are a fat person: Go for it! Feel free to reclaim that word, though of course you donât have to.
If you are a thin person: Use with caution, and only in contexts where youâre making it very clear that youâre using it neutrally.
If youâre not sure if youâre fat: Be cautious about claiming identities that arenât really yours. Generally, people who are fat experience active stigma, discrimination and limitations due to their body size. See this Fluffy Kitten Party piece on
fategories to learn more.
If you are a healthcare provider in a fat body: Sure, go for it, as long as youâre making it clear that youâre not using it as an insult or a self-deprecating joke.
If you are a healthcare provider in a thin body: If youâre working in an explicitly fat-affirming, Health at Every SizeÂź or similar context, use it with caution. Otherwise, avoid it to prevent accidentally increasing stigma or making patients feel insulted.
If you are a researcher: Iâm aware that the o* words below are expected language in academia, but that doesnât make them less viciously stigmatizing. Use neutral language unless forced to do otherwise, and advocate for less stigmatizing language in research.
Pro tip for everyone: The words overweight, obese and obesity are slurs. They medicalize and stigmatize a perfectly normal and natural segment of the variation of human bodies. Donât use them.
So what am I supposed to say instead? Here are some descriptive phrases you can use instead of âfat:â
- People in larger bodies
- Higher-weight people
- Larger people
Letâs fight for a world where fat is just a neutral descriptor for large bodies and not an insult, where fat bodies are equally valued.