Fat Talk: Social Bonding or Socially Damaging?
Fat Talk. If you’re a woman, you know what this is. It happens when you get together with girlfriends. It’s usually at its worst if you bump into someone on a “bad hair day,” (or what I like to call, more aptly, a “bad body image day”). The conversation starts innocently enough, with friendly small talk, but inevitably one of you compliments the other on “how great she looks.” Both of you know this has nothing to do with her outfit, but with how slim you perceive the other to be.
Thus begins the volley of self-deprecating remarks. “Gosh, I feel so fat these days, I don’t know how you manage to stay so slim.” This is met with, “Lord no, you think I look skinny? I look so gross today, I ate like a pig at lunch. You’re delusional!” And back and forth, with each defending her position as the fat one, and complimenting the other on how great she looks.
What’s really going on here? What’s Fat Talk really about? And do you realize how damaging it can really be?
The Purpose of Fat Talk
There are a few factors at play here, some of which perpetuate the diet mentality and contribute to the maintenance of body image and eating disorders.
1. The social acceptability of Fat Talk. When ”French Women Don’t Get Fat” by Mireille Guiliano first came out (this was before I specialized in this area), I remember being very clearly impressed by the author’s statement that in France (and Europe more generally), it’s considered in bad taste to comment on one’s own weight or eating habits. However, in North America, women regularly engage in Fat Talk as a bonding activity, putting […]