No, we do not say “living with obesity”, and I strongly recommend Ragen Chastain’s Substack for info about why “obese” is such a problematic term and concept.
Also as someone who has always occupied a fat body, I can confirm that there’s little imminent likelihood of plus sizes becoming the norm and smaller ones being less common. Still very few brands sell larger clothing, and even when they say that they do, they don’t actually stock those sizes. Brands also had a few years of co-opting the body positivity movement, so instagramming pics of plus models in their clothes - but in reality not selling clothing in those sizes. And now ultra-thinness is back in, brands won’t bother with the body positivity bandwagon any more. TLDR, we fats had a brief moment of slightly more garment options, but not as many as you’d think, and the backlash is going to be harsh in our new era of semaglutides
P.S. I'm not saying I like it, but "living with obesity" is the preferred bureaucratic term: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6713124/ A friend of mine counters by saying he's "a person living with writing."
Good point about the "new era of semaglutides." I'm waiting for the backlash against those drugs, though, as their side effects are revealed. (See "Ozempic face.")
people keep bringing up fen-phen. BUT, I think the lure of thinness is SO strong that a lot of people would absolutely prefer to risk death than fatness
You strike a chord in this enlightening piece. In the mid-90s, while editing Canada’s premier women’s magazine, I started using “plus-size” models (bit of a misnomer) and published a guide for fashion in tall, petite and plus sizes. To the dismay of the ad sales department, I once featured an array of real women with very real bodies on the cover. Readers loved this direction; higher-ups did not. My size is toward the small end of “straight” but I continue to feel for larger women who want stylish clothes they can afford.
Thanks, Rona! I've been enjoying your writing. I've met your sister — even took a pie-baking class at her Mill Valley house (I flunked), and am glad to make your acquaintance as well.
I immediately thought about how plus-sizes are discussed in Finland. Finnish companies might use the slightly awkward, anglicized term "plus-koko" (meaning plus-size) but the term we use here in conversation is simply "bigger sizes". I guess Finns tend to say things as they are...
No, we do not say “living with obesity”, and I strongly recommend Ragen Chastain’s Substack for info about why “obese” is such a problematic term and concept.
Also as someone who has always occupied a fat body, I can confirm that there’s little imminent likelihood of plus sizes becoming the norm and smaller ones being less common. Still very few brands sell larger clothing, and even when they say that they do, they don’t actually stock those sizes. Brands also had a few years of co-opting the body positivity movement, so instagramming pics of plus models in their clothes - but in reality not selling clothing in those sizes. And now ultra-thinness is back in, brands won’t bother with the body positivity bandwagon any more. TLDR, we fats had a brief moment of slightly more garment options, but not as many as you’d think, and the backlash is going to be harsh in our new era of semaglutides
P.S. I'm not saying I like it, but "living with obesity" is the preferred bureaucratic term: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6713124/ A friend of mine counters by saying he's "a person living with writing."
yeah I'm not taking advice from bureacrats, any variations on the term suck
Good point about the "new era of semaglutides." I'm waiting for the backlash against those drugs, though, as their side effects are revealed. (See "Ozempic face.")
people keep bringing up fen-phen. BUT, I think the lure of thinness is SO strong that a lot of people would absolutely prefer to risk death than fatness
and as a fat, it's sooooo great to be reminded daily of how people would rather die than have a body like mine
You strike a chord in this enlightening piece. In the mid-90s, while editing Canada’s premier women’s magazine, I started using “plus-size” models (bit of a misnomer) and published a guide for fashion in tall, petite and plus sizes. To the dismay of the ad sales department, I once featured an array of real women with very real bodies on the cover. Readers loved this direction; higher-ups did not. My size is toward the small end of “straight” but I continue to feel for larger women who want stylish clothes they can afford.
Thanks, Rona! I've been enjoying your writing. I've met your sister — even took a pie-baking class at her Mill Valley house (I flunked), and am glad to make your acquaintance as well.
I can’t bake pies either. Only female in the family who didn’t get the pie crust gene.
This was such an interesting investigation.
I immediately thought about how plus-sizes are discussed in Finland. Finnish companies might use the slightly awkward, anglicized term "plus-koko" (meaning plus-size) but the term we use here in conversation is simply "bigger sizes". I guess Finns tend to say things as they are...
I will remember shopping in the Husky department circa 1962. Amazing to learn that the term is still around.
“well remember” that is.
And you will remember it forever.
Sadly, yes.