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The Fat Wars : America 's Weight Rage

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“I don’t hate you because you’re fat. You’re fat because I hate you,” an iconic “Mean Girls” quote briefly illustrates how fat is often portrayed in society. Movies and television series have a tendency to exclude overweight actors/actresses or use them as a center of ridicule. In doing so, it sends a misguided message to children, teens and adults who now feel the pressure of inadequacy. People have begun to examine the effects of body shaming in America. In the article “Fear of Fatness,” Peggy Orenstein, an award-winning writer, claims that the image of the ideal woman is rather impossible to achieve, and even those who may obtain it, still find flaws within themselves. Orenstein presents the idea that body fat is viewed as a negative …show more content…

Orenstein acknowledges how Ava, though fat, still embraces her life. Ava is beginning to see the reality that fat is criticized; nonetheless, she handles the comments in a healthy manner for her age. Ava is not the only one facing this obstacle. Individuals have started to acknowledge how young girls, in multiple countries, are reacting in damaging ways to the effects of this so-called fat epidemic. Many are questioning where it comes from. Within the school they attend, among friends they associate with, or media they view, Orenstein points out potential sources that may have caused children to feel conflicted about their weight. She emphasizes about the importance of parents praising their children for what they achieve rather than how they look. However, this advice is easier said than done, because as Orenstein addresses, the world often perceives women for their appearance over other characteristics they may embody. We come to wonder how girls went from caring about bettering themselves and their minds, to obsessing over physical appearance. Orenstein emphasizes the importance of this topic with Joan Jacobs Brumberg’s work on comparing the thoughts of girls that lived in separate centuries. In doing so, one can see how drastically thoughts shifted from internal self-worth to external self-image. Orenstein concludes with the idea

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