Abstract
Fikkan and Rothblum (2011) review the literature on discrimination and bias against overweight and obese (fat) women. They provide convincing evidence
that fat women face discrimination in the workplace, are treated disparately in medical, mental health, and educational settings,
are at a disadvantage in social and romantic situations, and are either absent or portrayed negatively in the media. They
conclude with the observation that feminists have largely ignored this issue that disproportionately affects women. While
I agree that fat is a feminist issue, I also argue that the issue of gender differences in the experience of weight discrimination
is more complicated than suggested in the Fikkan and Rothblum review. The commentary concludes with some possible explanations
for why feminists have neglected this issue, emphasizing the historical changes in the feminist movement which have taken
the focus off of issues primarily related to White middle-class women.
that fat women face discrimination in the workplace, are treated disparately in medical, mental health, and educational settings,
are at a disadvantage in social and romantic situations, and are either absent or portrayed negatively in the media. They
conclude with the observation that feminists have largely ignored this issue that disproportionately affects women. While
I agree that fat is a feminist issue, I also argue that the issue of gender differences in the experience of weight discrimination
is more complicated than suggested in the Fikkan and Rothblum review. The commentary concludes with some possible explanations
for why feminists have neglected this issue, emphasizing the historical changes in the feminist movement which have taken
the focus off of issues primarily related to White middle-class women.
- Content Type Journal Article
- Category Feminist Forum
- Pages 1-7
- DOI 10.1007/s11199-011-0059-5
- Authors
- Patricia Vincent Roehling, Psychology Department, Hope College, Holland, MI, USA
- Journal Sex Roles
- Online ISSN 1573-2762
- Print ISSN 0360-0025