Dr. Sarai Walker, author of Dietland, defines fat acceptance as believing that bodies come in all shapes and sizes and that all bodies have equal value. I wholeheartedly agree with this statement. Weight is just a visible representation of people's lifestyle and what's going on inside their bodies (physically and mentally). We should not imply things about people's personal health from their weight or enforce the idea that people only have value and worth when they are a healthy weight (not thin, healthy). EVERYONE deserves basic human decency. Everyone should be able to love themselves and their body. No one should ever feel embarrassed or ashamed to exist. All this, I agree with. What I don't agree with is people using fat acceptance and self-love and body positivity to peer pressure people into remaining complacently and unhealthily fat.

Some fat activists have dug their heels so deeply into fat acceptance that it seems they are purposely staying fat to maintain their image and message of fat acceptance and body positivity. In a Jubilee video (5:56) about plus-sized people, when asked if they wanted to lose weight, one of the participants visible struggled to make a decision. When he finally admitted to wanting to lose weight, he was clearly concerned that people would judge him as not being truly apart of the fat acceptance and body positivity movement. It is concerning that people have taken being "fat" into their identity so deeply that they are willing to risk their health to maintain it.

Others go as far as to call out other people who lose weight in a healthy way for health benefits. I recently watched a video by My Thoughts WIll Probably Offend You in which a self-proclaimed "fat" personal trainer attacked another IG user for using #fatacceptance incorrectly in her weight loss journey post. This personal trainer was so focused on accepting fat bodies and defending and validating her fat identity that she completely missed the point and message of this woman's post. Clearly, in the eyes of some fat acceptance communities, weight loss is looked down upon and people are encouraged to stay fat, even if it is unhealthy for them. If they're losing weight or making healthy lifestyle changes that result in weight loss, they are dismissed as not being real supporters or accused of triggering others. Even body positive superstar Lizzo ran into this backlash with her support of Oprah's revamped version of weight watchers.

I see the value in fat acceptance and have learned a lot from opening my eyes to their perspective. It is so inspiring to see people who society deems unworthy of being seen brazenly wearing whatever they want and unashamedly loving themselves and their body. It is important that we as a society get away from the mindset that thin and only thin is beautiful. Fat acceptance is a good movement! What isn't good or healthy is pressuring people into staying fat, bullying people for losing weight and spreading false information about health.