0:00:12.492,0:00:17.401
When you hear the word fat,[br]what thoughts and images come to mind?

0:00:18.375,0:00:20.041
Some of you might think of fat

0:00:20.302,0:00:23.436
as the extra 10 pounds[br]you are currently trying to lose.

0:00:24.152,0:00:29.136
Others might be thinking,[br]"Hmm, I wonder what the fat content was

0:00:29.178,0:00:31.293
in the bag of potato chips[br]I had for lunch.''

0:00:32.155,0:00:35.843
And some of you when you hear[br]the word fat might think back

0:00:35.871,0:00:39.055
to that time in middle school[br]when someone called you fat

0:00:39.122,0:00:41.954
and how it has affected[br]the rest of your life.

0:00:42.565,0:00:44.151
Let's just admit it;

0:00:44.151,0:00:47.501
fat can be a pretty loaded word,[br]no matter who you are.

0:00:48.381,0:00:51.183
My own personal experience[br]with that is not special.

0:00:51.643,0:00:55.196
I grew up a swimmer and disliked[br]my body from an early age.

0:00:56.021,0:00:58.149
I was a big girl growing up,

0:00:58.149,0:01:01.094
which helped me gain[br]a lot of success in the pool,

0:01:01.385,0:01:05.142
but not so much success[br]when it came to boys liking me

0:01:05.142,0:01:08.294
or girls not targeting me[br]with their cruel comments.

0:01:09.035,0:01:11.314
I made it through middle school[br]and high school,

0:01:11.343,0:01:14.884
and landed at Pepperdine University[br]on a swimming scholarship

0:01:14.884,0:01:17.886
where I endured the body image torment

0:01:17.966,0:01:21.161
that you might imagine[br]for an 18-year-old female swimmer

0:01:21.161,0:01:23.271
living in Malibu, California.

0:01:23.271,0:01:24.690
(Laughter)

0:01:24.913,0:01:26.984
I joined a sorority, Tri Delta,

0:01:26.984,0:01:30.485
and we took part in a national[br]body image campaign

0:01:30.495,0:01:32.070
called ''Fat Talk Free Week.''

0:01:32.387,0:01:36.306
"Fat talk" is a term[br]coined by researcher Mimi Nichter

0:01:36.551,0:01:41.286
that refers to the disparaging way[br]that friends talk about their bodies.

0:01:41.699,0:01:44.871
Things like, ''Do I look fat in this?''

0:01:45.534,0:01:49.127
Or, ''She really shouldn't be[br]wearing that dress.''

0:01:49.655,0:01:54.803
And, ''I can't believe I ate[br]that last doughnut, I feel so fat.''

0:01:55.842,0:01:57.348
Sound familiar?

0:01:57.620,0:02:00.771
For many women,[br]this is a normal part of life,

0:02:01.100,0:02:04.425
but fat talk is also occurring

0:02:04.655,0:02:07.473
when you compliment a friend[br]on their weight loss.

0:02:07.915,0:02:10.079
How many of you have ever told a friend

0:02:10.412,0:02:13.104
that they looked good[br]after they lost weight?

0:02:14.052,0:02:15.608
Yeah. Absolutely.

0:02:15.935,0:02:21.141
Unfortunately, this positive affirmation[br]tells your friend two things:

0:02:21.517,0:02:25.072
one, that they didn't look[br]good beforehand;

0:02:25.439,0:02:28.776
and two, that fat is a bad thing.

0:02:29.836,0:02:33.303
I realized, then, that while[br]my intentions were good,

0:02:33.651,0:02:37.936
my words could be harmful[br]and my own body image insecurities

0:02:37.936,0:02:43.132
were actually a result of two things:[br]our culture and the media.

0:02:43.546,0:02:46.875
We hear it all the time, "Fat is bad."

0:02:47.408,0:02:50.778
"Fat people aren't making[br]the right choices to lose weight."

0:02:51.421,0:02:54.002
"Fat people aren't taking care[br]of themselves."

0:02:54.002,0:02:56.074
"Fat people are so lazy."

0:02:56.502,0:02:59.096
It should come as[br]no surprise to many of you

0:02:59.146,0:03:02.099
that a recent Rudd Center[br]research report found

0:03:02.099,0:03:06.051
that almost 50% of adult participants said

0:03:06.051,0:03:10.412
they would rather give up[br]a year of their life than to be obese,

0:03:10.672,0:03:14.624
or that children as young[br]as three years old

0:03:14.774,0:03:19.397
already judge those[br]they perceive to be overweight.

0:03:20.495,0:03:25.723
I realized then that I, too, was[br]so wrapped up in my own desire to be thin

0:03:25.881,0:03:28.893
that I didn't recognize[br]the hidden advantages

0:03:28.993,0:03:30.821
that my thin body gives me.

0:03:31.804,0:03:35.686
I'm not fat, I can eat whatever I want

0:03:35.975,0:03:39.048
and as much as I want in public[br]without being judged.

0:03:39.240,0:03:42.689
I can go into any clothing store[br]and know that they're going to have

0:03:42.726,0:03:45.808
lots of options and styles[br]and colors in my size.

0:03:46.370,0:03:48.019
I can go to the gym and work out

0:03:48.221,0:03:51.368
and not worry that someone's going[br]to take a picture of me.

0:03:52.042,0:03:55.102
I can get on dating apps[br]like Bumble and Tinder,

0:03:55.102,0:03:57.658
knowing that I'm going[br]to have lots of matches.

0:03:58.216,0:04:03.446
I can go to restaurants[br]and classrooms, theaters, stadiums

0:04:03.544,0:04:06.206
and know that I'm going[br]to be comfortable in the seats.

0:04:07.126,0:04:12.184
I can go to a movie or watch [br]a television show, open up a magazine,

0:04:12.204,0:04:17.214
and be guaranteed to see characters[br]and celebrities who look like me.

0:04:18.128,0:04:20.073
If I do question my weight,

0:04:20.073,0:04:22.743
my friends and family members[br]are going to remind me

0:04:22.743,0:04:24.144
that I have a great body

0:04:24.144,0:04:29.351
as opposed to recommending[br]the latest fad diet or exercise regimen.

0:04:30.670,0:04:32.247
Because of my thin size,

0:04:32.435,0:04:36.719
all of you are more likely[br]to listen to what I have to stay

0:04:36.986,0:04:41.039
instead of thinking that I'm just up here[br]trying to justify my weight.

0:04:41.870,0:04:46.970
Simply put, there are a lot of advantages[br]that I receive in my life

0:04:47.180,0:04:49.090
just because of my thin body.

0:04:49.727,0:04:51.707
I have thin privilege.

0:04:52.892,0:04:54.878
Here's the thing about privilege, though.

0:04:54.878,0:04:56.106
It's invisible.

0:04:56.106,0:04:59.466
So I was receiving all[br]of these unearned benefits,

0:04:59.466,0:05:01.135
which I took for granted,

0:05:01.135,0:05:05.005
not knowing the real harm[br]that fat people endure.

0:05:05.005,0:05:10.886
You see, the opposite[br]of thin privilege is fat oppression.

0:05:11.316,0:05:14.387
So, thin people like me go through life

0:05:14.413,0:05:18.311
receiving all of these unearned[br]favors and opportunities,

0:05:18.311,0:05:23.310
while people who are fat are punished[br]and judged for their outward appearances.

0:05:24.156,0:05:28.578
It was through the wisdom[br]of fat acceptance scholars and activists

0:05:28.794,0:05:31.405
that I, too, became a fat studies scholar

0:05:31.490,0:05:35.268
to fight against this prejudice[br]bias and discrimination.

0:05:35.981,0:05:38.484
Now, I know what many of you[br]are probably thinking,

0:05:39.059,0:05:42.187
"Fat people are at risk[br]for so many diseases,

0:05:42.187,0:05:45.007
and thin is clearly healthier."

0:05:45.007,0:05:47.716
And I'm here to tell you[br]that the jury's still out.

0:05:48.219,0:05:52.110
Many medical professionals[br]and researchers still haven't come

0:05:52.142,0:05:53.740
to any form of consensus

0:05:53.740,0:05:57.893
regarding a lot of issues[br]concerning weight and health.

0:05:58.462,0:06:01.090
So, years from now, we're likely to find

0:06:01.090,0:06:06.723
that what we thought we knew about weight[br]is actually wrong or maybe exaggerated.

0:06:06.905,0:06:11.982
So, let's set aside what we think[br]we know about health and fat,

0:06:12.119,0:06:16.475
so we can talk about something[br]so much more important: discrimination.

0:06:17.357,0:06:20.056
Now, what I hope is going[br]through all of your minds is,

0:06:20.294,0:06:21.776
''But I'm not prejudiced

0:06:21.776,0:06:26.117
and I don't discriminate against somebody[br]because of their body size.''

0:06:27.045,0:06:31.245
Unfortunately, fat oppression[br]shows up in many spaces

0:06:31.245,0:06:33.256
you probably haven't considered.

0:06:33.530,0:06:36.272
So, let's talk about two[br]that are extremely important:

0:06:36.879,0:06:39.605
The workplace and the medical field.

0:06:40.160,0:06:45.655
In the workplace, employers have negative[br]stereotypes about their fat employees,

0:06:45.790,0:06:48.512
which leads to workplace discrimination.

0:06:48.982,0:06:54.062
Ninety-three percent of professionals[br]in human resources admitted

0:06:54.062,0:06:57.398
they were likely to hire someone[br]they perceived to be thin

0:06:57.398,0:06:58.790
over someone who is fat,

0:06:58.800,0:07:02.536
even if both individuals had[br]the same exact qualifications.

0:07:03.091,0:07:08.607
Research shows that fat employees[br]make 2.5 percent less money

0:07:08.607,0:07:10.835
than their normal size colleagues,

0:07:10.835,0:07:17.607
a disparity which can mean upwards[br]of $100,000 less for a fat employee

0:07:17.607,0:07:20.468
over the course of a 40-year career.

0:07:20.883,0:07:24.314
What's more, Michigan is the only state

0:07:24.314,0:07:28.628
with law prohibiting discrimination[br]on the basis of weight,

0:07:28.628,0:07:31.604
which means there's little[br]preventing employers

0:07:31.614,0:07:34.898
from pressuring their fat[br]employees from resigning

0:07:34.908,0:07:38.014
or firing them if they don't[br]fit the corporate image.

0:07:38.921,0:07:42.346
Fat employees are penalized[br]simply for existing,

0:07:42.731,0:07:47.047
while individuals like me, in thin bodies,[br]we never need consider

0:07:47.047,0:07:51.951
the impact our body size can have[br]on our hiring or promotions.

0:07:53.095,0:07:57.279
Those of us in thin bodies[br]receive even more advantages

0:07:57.279,0:07:59.408
when it comes to our medical care.

0:08:00.044,0:08:04.048
As a thin person, I've never questioned[br]the care I've received

0:08:04.328,0:08:08.621
or canceled a doctor's appointment[br]because I was afraid of being fat-shamed.

0:08:08.913,0:08:13.350
I've never worried about[br]being misdiagnosed because of my size.

0:08:13.991,0:08:18.782
Now, I'm not trying to speak[br]to the fat experience, that's not my goal.

0:08:19.099,0:08:25.415
As a thin ally, it is deeply troublesome[br]to me to think that those fat individuals

0:08:25.457,0:08:29.507
are receiving a lesser quality of care[br]just because of their size.

0:08:30.190,0:08:32.984
Many fat patients leave[br]their physicians offices

0:08:33.134,0:08:37.338
feeling as though their primary[br]concern was overlooked

0:08:37.402,0:08:40.850
because of the misplaced focus[br]being put on their weight.

0:08:41.699,0:08:46.367
For fat women, going to the gynecologist[br]can be particularly troubling

0:08:46.378,0:08:49.789
as they are often made[br]to feel ashamed for their weight

0:08:49.886,0:08:53.447
or the victims of cruel comments[br]at the hands of their doctors,

0:08:53.698,0:08:55.489
doctors who struggle to believe

0:08:55.627,0:08:58.870
that their fat patients could[br]actually be having sex.

0:08:59.563,0:09:01.057
Because of my thin privilege,

0:09:01.057,0:09:06.515
I've never been, nor will I likely ever be[br]a victim of this cruel treatment.

0:09:07.883,0:09:11.244
This is a result of the fact[br]that many medical professionals

0:09:11.244,0:09:15.715
are unconsciously or consciously[br]biased against fat patients.

0:09:16.556,0:09:19.537
In one study of doctors, it was discovered

0:09:19.537,0:09:23.678
that 40 percent of doctors had[br]some type of weight prejudice,

0:09:23.828,0:09:29.228
with a survey of physicians finding[br]doctors admitted to using such adjectives

0:09:29.242,0:09:35.448
as weak-willed, ugly and awkward[br]to describe their own obese patients.

0:09:36.154,0:09:38.884
In a study of nurses, nurses admitted

0:09:38.884,0:09:42.674
that they didn't want to touch[br]or care for their fat patients,

0:09:42.674,0:09:44.380
with another study finding

0:09:44.380,0:09:50.850
that 24 percent of nurses were repulsed[br]by the idea of even having fat patients.

0:09:51.625,0:09:55.977
Oftentimes, doctors will try[br]to address a health problem

0:09:55.977,0:09:58.377
by recommending[br]that a patient lose weight,

0:09:58.377,0:10:00.046
only to find out later

0:10:00.046,0:10:03.807
that the health problem had nothing to do[br]with the patient's weight.

0:10:04.475,0:10:11.110
Women who are fat are a third less likely[br]to receive such necessary preventive care

0:10:11.118,0:10:14.213
as breast exams and Pap smears.

0:10:15.000,0:10:17.396
These studies and statistics are alarming.

0:10:17.722,0:10:21.623
We trust our medical professionals[br]to take care of us,

0:10:21.623,0:10:25.203
and any degree[br]of discrimination in this field

0:10:25.287,0:10:28.133
could be the matter of life or death.

0:10:28.614,0:10:29.637
Simply put,

0:10:29.637,0:10:34.437
fat patients receive a lesser quality[br]of care than their thin counterparts,

0:10:34.437,0:10:35.915
and this is a problem.

0:10:36.622,0:10:40.348
Discrimination in the workplace[br]and medical field speaks

0:10:40.348,0:10:45.081
to an important truth[br]about size privilege: it's invisible.

0:10:45.414,0:10:48.504
And like any form of form of privilege,

0:10:48.504,0:10:52.130
the first step is simply[br]acknowledging that it exists.

0:10:52.627,0:10:55.466
For many of you,[br]you may not often consider

0:10:55.466,0:10:59.075
the hidden benefits that come[br]with having a thin body,

0:10:59.943,0:11:02.494
but those of us in thin bodies,

0:11:02.964,0:11:05.548
whether we worked hard[br]to create them or not,

0:11:05.868,0:11:10.262
need to recognize the ways[br]that our bodies benefit us,

0:11:10.262,0:11:13.682
so that we can visualize[br]the myriad of ways

0:11:13.682,0:11:16.887
that fat oppression[br]actually occurs all around us.

0:11:17.457,0:11:22.665
How awful to think that our fat loved[br]ones and friends might go through life

0:11:22.665,0:11:25.227
feeling as though they've done[br]something wrong,

0:11:25.253,0:11:29.263
or that they were getting shortchanged[br]simply because of their body size.

0:11:30.040,0:11:34.542
If we do not acknowledge[br]our own thoughts, words and actions,

0:11:34.793,0:11:37.619
when it comes to weight,[br]on a regular basis,

0:11:37.619,0:11:39.789
then we perpetuate the problem.

0:11:39.789,0:11:44.384
Racial jokes and gay slurs[br]are no longer tolerated in our society.

0:11:44.635,0:11:50.422
So, why do we so readily abide humor[br]made at a fat person's expense?

0:11:51.434,0:11:54.579
Fat is the last accepted prejudice.

0:11:55.704,0:11:58.556
We need to check our own inherent biases

0:11:58.556,0:12:01.560
against bodies[br]that aren't slender or slim.

0:12:01.954,0:12:06.299
For some of you, your own personal journey[br]in fat acceptance might begin

0:12:06.310,0:12:08.957
when you question why you don't stand up

0:12:08.957,0:12:13.494
for your fat co-worker who is the victim[br]of hushed cruel comments

0:12:13.552,0:12:16.271
being made by your colleagues[br]in the break room.

0:12:16.801,0:12:18.825
For others of you, it might begin

0:12:18.895,0:12:23.574
when you find yourself silently judging [br]the fat person sitting next to you

0:12:23.574,0:12:25.365
eating the same fast-food meal

0:12:25.365,0:12:28.013
that you, yourself,[br]are currently consuming.

0:12:28.365,0:12:32.635
And for many of you, it might start[br]when you ask yourself

0:12:32.635,0:12:38.517
why you are so afraid of being fat[br]and why you feel so negatively about it.

0:12:39.685,0:12:43.597
The important thing to remember here[br]is that this is a process

0:12:43.597,0:12:48.489
and we're trying to undo[br]years and years of learned behavior,

0:12:48.489,0:12:50.493
so we are going to make mistakes.

0:12:51.047,0:12:52.585
Here's the bottom line:

0:12:53.068,0:12:58.097
prejudice, bias and discrimination[br]against fat bodies are real

0:12:58.097,0:13:00.070
and the impacts are far-reaching.

0:13:00.559,0:13:05.420
We're supposed to love our bodies,[br]and I ask all of you to love your body:

0:13:05.700,0:13:10.902
your tall body your, your fat body,[br]your short body, your round body,

0:13:10.921,0:13:13.487
your thin body, whatever body you are in.

0:13:14.153,0:13:19.319
You have a mind and the capacity [br]to use that mind and your body

0:13:19.319,0:13:21.842
to work towards a change of perception,

0:13:22.107,0:13:28.483
and ultimately, to create a society[br]where all bodies are treated as equal.

0:13:29.132,0:13:30.254
Thank you.

0:13:30.254,0:13:32.892
(Applause)