What if we told you that “fat” is not a feeling? That’s what performer and body empowerment activist Caroline Rothstein says in this stirring video about how trauma, beauty standards, and oppression teach us not to love our bodies. Learn from her eating disorder recovery, and get her key to choosing to love her body – and respect other people’s bodies, too. (Content Warning: Rape, eating disorder)

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Person looking directly at camera, against a gray background

The body positivity movement has made great strides in helping bodies of all shapes feel loved, cherished, and acceptable. But what does it mean when major media outlets create lists of body image heroines and virtually every woman listed is white? In this article, Sonya Renee Taylor details the racist undertones that have caused the movement to overlook and neglect her and other black women’s body-loving activism for far too long.

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Plus-size model Tess Munster looks seductively at the camera against a teal background

When fat and happy people get positive press, we get hope for body positivity. But scrolling down to the comments is a different story – there, you’ll find a monstrous amount of hate and criticism. So why is loving yourself so controversial? Find out with this spot-on take on how we’re all taught to feel badly about ourselves and why body love is for everyone.

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At the bottom of every article celebrating body diversity, you’ll likely find some version of the following comment: “I’m all about confidence, but this is just unhealthy.” This is called concern trolling, and it needs to stop. It has led to weight-based discrimination becoming a serious problem across the world. So here’s some actual information about being fat.

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I am most certainly plus-size at 5’6″ and 260 pounds; a size 18 in most stores. I’m pretty damn fat and unabashedly so. But all bodies–large, small, and everything in between–pay dearly for the negativity in which fat bodies are perceived. So I’m here to explain to the world the 6 things that are often misunderstood about the fat acceptance movement.

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Here’s the thing: Fat-shaming is not about health. And navigating a health issue while being fat (or supporting someone who is) can be a difficult journey. But realize that there is hope and that you deserve to be treated with respect by all health professionals. So how, exactly, can we navigate fat-shaming from health professionals when it’s not the fat’s fault?

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“Lose 20 pounds, and you’ll feel better.” “If you started exercising, this wouldn’t be a problem.” If you aren’t thin, chances are you’ve gone to the doctor’s office about a lingering cold, or a hurt elbow and had to listen to comments like these from your doctor. These situations can be awkward, and triggering. So can we handle them in the moment?

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“I mean it as a compliment when I notice you’ve lost weight!” Okay. But just because you’re well-intentioned doesn’t mean what you say doesn’t have a harmful impact. I know your perception of me might have changed because you’re socialized to believe smaller is better, but there are better ways to behave when you notice someone has lost weight.

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From magazines plastered with the latest stars’ weight gain, to diet ads featuring people grabbing and pinching their flesh, the message is clear: “Fat is bad and you better do something about it.” The way people justify this contempt is bringing up concerns about “health” and individual responsibility explanations. But these explanations fall flat. Here’s why.

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I’ve written several times about various aspects of fat antagonism. But because the body positivity, Health at Every Size, and fat acceptance movements trend very white, there is little discussion—both within these movements and outside of them—about body image issues for Black folk. That’s a problem for several reasons. Mostly because I’ve been having a…

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