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Unshrinking: How to Face Fatphobia
The definitive takedown of fatphobia, drawing on personal experience as well as rigorous research to expose how size discrimination harms everyone, and how to combat it—from the acclaimed author of Down Girl and Entitled
“An elegant, fierce, and profound argument for fighting fat oppression in ourselves, our communities, and our culture.”—Roxane Gay, author of Hunger
For as long as she can remember, Kate Manne has wanted to be smaller. She can tell you what she weighed on any significant her wedding day, the day she became a professor, the day her daughter was born. She’s been bullied and belittled for her size, leading to extreme dieting. As a feminist philosopher, she wanted to believe that she was exempt from the cultural gaslighting that compels so many of us to ignore our hunger. But she was not.
Blending intimate stories with the trenchant analysis that has become her signature, Manne shows why fatphobia has become a vital social justice issue. Over the last several decades, implicit bias has waned in every category, from race to sexual orientation, except body size. Manne examines how anti-fatness operates—how it leads us to make devastating assumptions about a person’s attractiveness, fortitude, and intellect, and how it intersects with other systems of oppression. Fatphobia is responsible for wage gaps, medical neglect, and poor educational outcomes; it is a straitjacket, restricting our freedom, our movement, our potential.
In this urgent call to action, Manne proposes a new politics of “body reflexivity”—a radical reevaluation of who our bodies exist in the world ourselves and no one else. When it comes to fatphobia, the solution is not to love our bodies more. Instead, we must dismantle the forces that control and constrain us, and remake the world to accommodate people of every size.
“An elegant, fierce, and profound argument for fighting fat oppression in ourselves, our communities, and our culture.”—Roxane Gay, author of Hunger
For as long as she can remember, Kate Manne has wanted to be smaller. She can tell you what she weighed on any significant her wedding day, the day she became a professor, the day her daughter was born. She’s been bullied and belittled for her size, leading to extreme dieting. As a feminist philosopher, she wanted to believe that she was exempt from the cultural gaslighting that compels so many of us to ignore our hunger. But she was not.
Blending intimate stories with the trenchant analysis that has become her signature, Manne shows why fatphobia has become a vital social justice issue. Over the last several decades, implicit bias has waned in every category, from race to sexual orientation, except body size. Manne examines how anti-fatness operates—how it leads us to make devastating assumptions about a person’s attractiveness, fortitude, and intellect, and how it intersects with other systems of oppression. Fatphobia is responsible for wage gaps, medical neglect, and poor educational outcomes; it is a straitjacket, restricting our freedom, our movement, our potential.
In this urgent call to action, Manne proposes a new politics of “body reflexivity”—a radical reevaluation of who our bodies exist in the world ourselves and no one else. When it comes to fatphobia, the solution is not to love our bodies more. Instead, we must dismantle the forces that control and constrain us, and remake the world to accommodate people of every size.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published January 9, 2024
About the author
Kate Manne
4 books741 followersKate Manne is an associate professor of philosophy at Cornell University, having previously been a junior fellow at the Harvard Society of Fellows from 2011-2013. She works in moral, social, and feminist philosophy. Her work has appeared in venues including The New York Times, The Times Literary Supplement, The Huffington Post, New York Magazine/The Cut, The Washington Post, Politico, as well as academic journals.
Manne's first book, Down Girl: The Logic of Misogyny, was awarded the 2019 PROSE Award for Excellence in Philosophy and in the Humanities by the Association of American Publishers. It also received the APA (American Philosophical Association) 2019 book prize. In 2019, Manne was voted one of the world's top ten thinkers by Prospect Magazine (UK).
Manne's second book, Entitled: How Male Privilege Hurts Women, was named one of the best 15 books of 2020 by The Atlantic, and one of the best 15 feminist books by Esquire. Her third book, Unshrinking: How to Face Fatphobia, will be out in January 2024.
Manne's first book, Down Girl: The Logic of Misogyny, was awarded the 2019 PROSE Award for Excellence in Philosophy and in the Humanities by the Association of American Publishers. It also received the APA (American Philosophical Association) 2019 book prize. In 2019, Manne was voted one of the world's top ten thinkers by Prospect Magazine (UK).
Manne's second book, Entitled: How Male Privilege Hurts Women, was named one of the best 15 books of 2020 by The Atlantic, and one of the best 15 feminist books by Esquire. Her third book, Unshrinking: How to Face Fatphobia, will be out in January 2024.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
January 27, 2024
I got offered a freelance proofread of this book during a busy period last year, and I jumped on it immediately, even though I knew I'd have to work the entire Memorial Day weekend (which included my birthday!) to get it done in time. For me, it was a no-brainer, so excited was I to see how Kate Manne would handle these topics.
I was not disappointed! There have been a number of books (and podcasts) in recent years that have dealt with the topic of fatphobia, myths about health and weight loss, and how it all ties in to sexism/racism/classism, but this is one of the very best. Not only is it incisive, edifying, and thought-provoking, which we've come to expect from Kate Manne, but it's also one of the most readable, interesting, and (dare I say?) entertaining books I've read on these subjects. Everyone should read this. Seriously, I recommend it to everyone.
As I've mentioned on here before, I'm a freelance copy editor and proofreader. I have at this point worked on quite a few books, and I only write reviews for the ones I loved so much that I cannot keep it to myself. My opinions, as always, are my own.
Note: Any comments on this review that express fatphobia or say that fat people should "just lose weight" "for their health" will be deleted. If you want to know why, read this book.
I was not disappointed! There have been a number of books (and podcasts) in recent years that have dealt with the topic of fatphobia, myths about health and weight loss, and how it all ties in to sexism/racism/classism, but this is one of the very best. Not only is it incisive, edifying, and thought-provoking, which we've come to expect from Kate Manne, but it's also one of the most readable, interesting, and (dare I say?) entertaining books I've read on these subjects. Everyone should read this. Seriously, I recommend it to everyone.
As I've mentioned on here before, I'm a freelance copy editor and proofreader. I have at this point worked on quite a few books, and I only write reviews for the ones I loved so much that I cannot keep it to myself. My opinions, as always, are my own.
Note: Any comments on this review that express fatphobia or say that fat people should "just lose weight" "for their health" will be deleted. If you want to know why, read this book.
December 21, 2023
Un-Shrinking How to Face Fatphobia by Kate Manne really made me very sad.
Ultimately there were many arguments outlined in this book that I did not agree with. However, I did want to point out some salient arguments, that Kate Manne makes, that I think should be common sense to kind people.
1. It is never ok to bully anyone based on body size.
2. More should be done to prevent body sized bullying at younger ages.
3. People who are doing equal work should get equal pay, that has nothing to do with body size.
4. People with large bodies should still have access to health care that sees them holistically, and
treats them with empathy and care.
Having said all of this, I still felt that Un-Shrinking was a biased book, that was more than left leaning. Science shows us that being overweight can lead to more health problems, and the Kate Manne seems to argue that that is not usually the case. There are also arguments made about how fat has been viewed throughout history. However, when looking at the "fat" people discussed from other points in history, particularly the 1800s, their body sizes for overweight people are equal to small people now. Because of this, several of these historical arguments fell short for me.
Ultimately, the message should be that people should be treated with kindness and care, but the biases and some of the failed arguments means that I will not be hand selling this book.
This review copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review. Huge thanks to Crown, and imprint of Random House, or my review copy.
Ultimately there were many arguments outlined in this book that I did not agree with. However, I did want to point out some salient arguments, that Kate Manne makes, that I think should be common sense to kind people.
1. It is never ok to bully anyone based on body size.
2. More should be done to prevent body sized bullying at younger ages.
3. People who are doing equal work should get equal pay, that has nothing to do with body size.
4. People with large bodies should still have access to health care that sees them holistically, and
treats them with empathy and care.
Having said all of this, I still felt that Un-Shrinking was a biased book, that was more than left leaning. Science shows us that being overweight can lead to more health problems, and the Kate Manne seems to argue that that is not usually the case. There are also arguments made about how fat has been viewed throughout history. However, when looking at the "fat" people discussed from other points in history, particularly the 1800s, their body sizes for overweight people are equal to small people now. Because of this, several of these historical arguments fell short for me.
Ultimately, the message should be that people should be treated with kindness and care, but the biases and some of the failed arguments means that I will not be hand selling this book.
This review copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review. Huge thanks to Crown, and imprint of Random House, or my review copy.
January 12, 2024
Heavy sigh.
I had a difficult time deciding how to rate this, and I settled on rating it five stars, because it is well-written, well-researched, and, well, true.
I can relate to the entire text, I could have written the personal experience sections myself. I am a victim and a perpetrator of fatphobia, having lost and gained over 800 pounds in my lifetime. I have never lost weight in a healthy way, except maybe my first diet at age 11, today the only way in which I can lose weight is to starve. Period. I’ve been on a diet for over 30 years, except during my two pregnancies and the 6 months following the Covid pandemic when I decided to do “intuitive eating.”
The first section describes that fatphobia is real. File that under, “duh.” People treated me like I was smarter when I was smaller. Once I lost 80 pounds and I was immediately promoted.
However, no one is going to read this book that actually needs to. Everyone who reads this is likely either a therapist or social worker that already knows and believes all of this, or someone like me, fat and with first hand knowledge of how our culture treats people in larger bodies. Problem is; we don’t need to be sold on how hard it is to be fat. We already know. We already gaslight ourselves and we know that dieting doesn’t work, is bad for us, and that we cannot stop.
The problem is the subtitle “How to Face Fatphobia.” Because the truth is, you can’t change it. I mean, I quit dieting, gained 80 pounds in 6 months, and everything about my life got worse, EXCEPT my health, which got infinitely better.
I can’t stop dieting. Everything was better when I was skinny. Part of me always knew that skinny people had it easier— I had no idea HOW much easier. I would love to tell you that the author convinced me that my health is worth it, that I can embrace the body have, but I can’t.
There are three basic premises of the book.
1. Fatphobia is real, and it’s real bad. (Yes, true.)
2. Dieting doesn’t work and is bad for you. (Yes, true.)
3. The right thing to do is stop dieting.
On the 3rd point, I know very much that quitting dieting is the right thing to do—- but I’m not going to. Because of point 1. No amount of physical health is worth the way people treat you and gaslight you when you’re fat.
I am sorry this review is so depressing.
I had a difficult time deciding how to rate this, and I settled on rating it five stars, because it is well-written, well-researched, and, well, true.
I can relate to the entire text, I could have written the personal experience sections myself. I am a victim and a perpetrator of fatphobia, having lost and gained over 800 pounds in my lifetime. I have never lost weight in a healthy way, except maybe my first diet at age 11, today the only way in which I can lose weight is to starve. Period. I’ve been on a diet for over 30 years, except during my two pregnancies and the 6 months following the Covid pandemic when I decided to do “intuitive eating.”
The first section describes that fatphobia is real. File that under, “duh.” People treated me like I was smarter when I was smaller. Once I lost 80 pounds and I was immediately promoted.
However, no one is going to read this book that actually needs to. Everyone who reads this is likely either a therapist or social worker that already knows and believes all of this, or someone like me, fat and with first hand knowledge of how our culture treats people in larger bodies. Problem is; we don’t need to be sold on how hard it is to be fat. We already know. We already gaslight ourselves and we know that dieting doesn’t work, is bad for us, and that we cannot stop.
The problem is the subtitle “How to Face Fatphobia.” Because the truth is, you can’t change it. I mean, I quit dieting, gained 80 pounds in 6 months, and everything about my life got worse, EXCEPT my health, which got infinitely better.
I can’t stop dieting. Everything was better when I was skinny. Part of me always knew that skinny people had it easier— I had no idea HOW much easier. I would love to tell you that the author convinced me that my health is worth it, that I can embrace the body have, but I can’t.
There are three basic premises of the book.
1. Fatphobia is real, and it’s real bad. (Yes, true.)
2. Dieting doesn’t work and is bad for you. (Yes, true.)
3. The right thing to do is stop dieting.
On the 3rd point, I know very much that quitting dieting is the right thing to do—- but I’m not going to. Because of point 1. No amount of physical health is worth the way people treat you and gaslight you when you’re fat.
I am sorry this review is so depressing.
January 23, 2024
A review of Kate Manne's Unshrinking, and related screeds:
- Short summary: the book is great. it's short and punchy, which is good in this context. I was hoping for a more philosophical take (since she's a philosopher) and she delivered. There's a particularly interesting section on anti-fat language in philosophy, and the misogyny of the field. Also a section on fatphobia as gaslighting, which is much better than it sounds (I know the term has become ridiculously overused)
- There is a lot of crossover from other books on the topic, especially in the beginning chaptrers, so if you've read them (e.g. Aubrey Gordon, Virginia Sole-Smith, Sabrina Strings -- who provides a lot of the material on the racist origins of fatphobia) you'll recognize some of the work. There's only so much more to add about how medical fatphobia kills people, or the questionable origins of BMI as an individual measurement.
- I was a little bit (not very) disappointed that after her introductory chapter she went into the science of obesity. She did this basically as a setup and to head off arguments so I do understand why. I was disappointed partly because it was well-trod, but largely because it's only mildly relevant, in my opinion. People's minds are often unchanged by science. You can see that every time someone presents evidence for the very limited effectiveness for diets -- a dozen people will pop up to tell you, "But THIS diet works!" There's a reason people are resistant to science-based arguments (which Manne gets into): Fat is a moral issue. Our hatred as a culture for fat people is rooted in disgust for them.
There's a little debate about what term to use. Aubrey Gordon prefers antifatness. Manne sticks to fatphobia. I think both are correct. Antifatness isn't just rooted in a hatred of fat; it's also based on a fear of it. Fat people represent the thing you could be, and people respond with hatred because of their fear of becoming us.
- Something she gets into that I liked is the "good fatty."
Here's my confession: I'm not really one of them. I'm not the fat person who tried all the diets and didn't have them work. I'm not the fat person who can run a marathon.
The reality is: I am the person who doesn't want to diet and decided decades ago that I wasn't going to starve myself. I'm the one who hated gym class. I am the one who did develop Type 2 diabetes. It's true that I got some loaded genetic dice (50% of women with PCOS will develop T2D by age 40). I am the one who wasn't fat as a kid and got heavier as a teen.
But here's the thing: I don't usually like to get into the what I did or didn't do, because it keeps the conversation on the individual choice realm, where Americans like to keep it. People want it to be my fault, a thing I chose to be and can choose to stop. That means if they make the right choices, it won't happen to them.
And the reality? It doesn't matter! I deserve to be treated as fully human, PERIOD. it isn't anyone else's business how they got fat or whether or not they're trying to change it.
I do not owe other people. I do not owe the public the performance of healthiness as a condition of existing in the world.
Fatness creates a sense of entitlement amongst the thin (and society at large). They think they are entitled to abuse, confront, and shame fat people, and moreover, that they are doing so *for our own good*. Because we are too dumb to know it for ourselves. In return, we are obligated. We must deny ourselves, we must admit we don't have the right to enjoy food purely for pleasure, we have to accept this level of intrusion. I have literally been shamed by a stranger for eating junk food in public for God's sake. (Luckily this isn't a regular occurrence because for some reason I have a cloak of public invisibility that I have worn since the age of approximately 19. I cannot explain this.)
- There's a lot of personal experiences and talk about how fat people, particularly women, feel about themselves and their bodies and their attractiveness, which is important but also a little bit of a gut punch for some of us so be warned.
- Short summary: the book is great. it's short and punchy, which is good in this context. I was hoping for a more philosophical take (since she's a philosopher) and she delivered. There's a particularly interesting section on anti-fat language in philosophy, and the misogyny of the field. Also a section on fatphobia as gaslighting, which is much better than it sounds (I know the term has become ridiculously overused)
- There is a lot of crossover from other books on the topic, especially in the beginning chaptrers, so if you've read them (e.g. Aubrey Gordon, Virginia Sole-Smith, Sabrina Strings -- who provides a lot of the material on the racist origins of fatphobia) you'll recognize some of the work. There's only so much more to add about how medical fatphobia kills people, or the questionable origins of BMI as an individual measurement.
- I was a little bit (not very) disappointed that after her introductory chapter she went into the science of obesity. She did this basically as a setup and to head off arguments so I do understand why. I was disappointed partly because it was well-trod, but largely because it's only mildly relevant, in my opinion. People's minds are often unchanged by science. You can see that every time someone presents evidence for the very limited effectiveness for diets -- a dozen people will pop up to tell you, "But THIS diet works!" There's a reason people are resistant to science-based arguments (which Manne gets into): Fat is a moral issue. Our hatred as a culture for fat people is rooted in disgust for them.
There's a little debate about what term to use. Aubrey Gordon prefers antifatness. Manne sticks to fatphobia. I think both are correct. Antifatness isn't just rooted in a hatred of fat; it's also based on a fear of it. Fat people represent the thing you could be, and people respond with hatred because of their fear of becoming us.
- Something she gets into that I liked is the "good fatty."
Here's my confession: I'm not really one of them. I'm not the fat person who tried all the diets and didn't have them work. I'm not the fat person who can run a marathon.
The reality is: I am the person who doesn't want to diet and decided decades ago that I wasn't going to starve myself. I'm the one who hated gym class. I am the one who did develop Type 2 diabetes. It's true that I got some loaded genetic dice (50% of women with PCOS will develop T2D by age 40). I am the one who wasn't fat as a kid and got heavier as a teen.
But here's the thing: I don't usually like to get into the what I did or didn't do, because it keeps the conversation on the individual choice realm, where Americans like to keep it. People want it to be my fault, a thing I chose to be and can choose to stop. That means if they make the right choices, it won't happen to them.
And the reality? It doesn't matter! I deserve to be treated as fully human, PERIOD. it isn't anyone else's business how they got fat or whether or not they're trying to change it.
I do not owe other people. I do not owe the public the performance of healthiness as a condition of existing in the world.
Fatness creates a sense of entitlement amongst the thin (and society at large). They think they are entitled to abuse, confront, and shame fat people, and moreover, that they are doing so *for our own good*. Because we are too dumb to know it for ourselves. In return, we are obligated. We must deny ourselves, we must admit we don't have the right to enjoy food purely for pleasure, we have to accept this level of intrusion. I have literally been shamed by a stranger for eating junk food in public for God's sake. (Luckily this isn't a regular occurrence because for some reason I have a cloak of public invisibility that I have worn since the age of approximately 19. I cannot explain this.)
- There's a lot of personal experiences and talk about how fat people, particularly women, feel about themselves and their bodies and their attractiveness, which is important but also a little bit of a gut punch for some of us so be warned.
January 17, 2024
Hate to say it but I found this largely disappointing. She’s a beautiful writer and the memoir bits were well crafted - I would have happily read an entire memoir from her. I also appreciate the work she is doing making public some of the excellent work in fat studies. But this was largely summary of other works and honestly didn’t hold much new insight. I don’t want to put the burden of “novelty” on all academic work but I think I just expect more in terms of being stimulated/challenged/pushed, especially from a philosopher. I feel like there is so much more there about mind/body dualism, Anglo/Protestant denialism and anxiety over the body/flesh, disciplinary power etc. that she could have gotten into. I remember reading Susan Bordo’s Unbearable Weight in college and how it honestly changed my life it was such an amazing text. This book is sadly not that and doesn’t even really revise or update or substantially engage those arguments from the 90s.
July 9, 2023
Synopsis (from Netgalley, the provider of the book for me to review.)
*********************************************************
The definitive takedown of fatphobia, drawing on personal experience as well as rigorous research to expose how size discrimination harms everyone, and how to combat it—from the acclaimed author of Down Girl and Entitled
For as long as she can remember, Kate Manne has wanted to be smaller. She can tell you what she weighed on any significant her wedding day, the day she became a professor, the day her daughter was born. She's been bullied and belittled for her size, leading to extreme dieting. As a feminist philosopher, she wanted to believe that she was exempt from the cultural gaslighting that compels so many of us to ignore our hunger. But she was not.
Blending intimate stories with the trenchant analysis that has become her signature, Manne shows why fatphobia has become a vital social justice issue. Over the last several decades, implicit bias has waned in every category, from race to sexual orientation, except body size. Manne examines how anti-fatness operates—how it leads us to make devastating assumptions about a person’s attractiveness, fortitude, and intellect, and how it intersects with other systems of oppression. Fatphobia is responsible for wage gaps, medical neglect, and poor educational outcomes; it is a straitjacket, restricting our freedom, our movement, our potential.
In this urgent call to action, Manne proposes a new politics of “body reflexivity”—a radical re-evaluation of who our bodies exist in the world ourselves and no one else. When it comes to fatphobia, the solution is not to love our bodies more. Instead, we must dismantle the forces that control and constrain us and remake the world to accommodate people of every size.
You gotta love rednecks and their bumper stickers of NO FAT CHICKS (I want to reply with NO SMALL DIX”). It never ceases to amaze me how many people on social media, Reddit, in person hate… and I mean HATE FAT PEOPLE. They are lazy, smelly, gross, have no will power, low class, useless, etc. etc. etc. We are not. (Usually).
Not a casual read as it is very philosophical but it's a good one that I would love to shove in the faces of those higher-than-thou types who make assumptions – fat women are hated by their doctors. They get ignored by their doctors, some as seeking pain medication And are told to go and lose some weight as it will solve all their problems. Could they have cancer? Easily. And this book shows that some women died of cancer because their doctors ignored them because of their fatness. In general, doctors love to ignore people: they ignore me, and they ignore everyone who took advantage of their precious time. Why? Because we're fat and people hate fat people. Just eat less and move more ... yeah, like millions of us have not tried that over and over and failed nonetheless??? OK, try and stop ranting...I think I want a cookie.
This book is highly recommended. Read it it may make you weep but read it.
*********************************************************
The definitive takedown of fatphobia, drawing on personal experience as well as rigorous research to expose how size discrimination harms everyone, and how to combat it—from the acclaimed author of Down Girl and Entitled
For as long as she can remember, Kate Manne has wanted to be smaller. She can tell you what she weighed on any significant her wedding day, the day she became a professor, the day her daughter was born. She's been bullied and belittled for her size, leading to extreme dieting. As a feminist philosopher, she wanted to believe that she was exempt from the cultural gaslighting that compels so many of us to ignore our hunger. But she was not.
Blending intimate stories with the trenchant analysis that has become her signature, Manne shows why fatphobia has become a vital social justice issue. Over the last several decades, implicit bias has waned in every category, from race to sexual orientation, except body size. Manne examines how anti-fatness operates—how it leads us to make devastating assumptions about a person’s attractiveness, fortitude, and intellect, and how it intersects with other systems of oppression. Fatphobia is responsible for wage gaps, medical neglect, and poor educational outcomes; it is a straitjacket, restricting our freedom, our movement, our potential.
In this urgent call to action, Manne proposes a new politics of “body reflexivity”—a radical re-evaluation of who our bodies exist in the world ourselves and no one else. When it comes to fatphobia, the solution is not to love our bodies more. Instead, we must dismantle the forces that control and constrain us and remake the world to accommodate people of every size.
You gotta love rednecks and their bumper stickers of NO FAT CHICKS (I want to reply with NO SMALL DIX”). It never ceases to amaze me how many people on social media, Reddit, in person hate… and I mean HATE FAT PEOPLE. They are lazy, smelly, gross, have no will power, low class, useless, etc. etc. etc. We are not. (Usually).
Not a casual read as it is very philosophical but it's a good one that I would love to shove in the faces of those higher-than-thou types who make assumptions – fat women are hated by their doctors. They get ignored by their doctors, some as seeking pain medication And are told to go and lose some weight as it will solve all their problems. Could they have cancer? Easily. And this book shows that some women died of cancer because their doctors ignored them because of their fatness. In general, doctors love to ignore people: they ignore me, and they ignore everyone who took advantage of their precious time. Why? Because we're fat and people hate fat people. Just eat less and move more ... yeah, like millions of us have not tried that over and over and failed nonetheless??? OK, try and stop ranting...I think I want a cookie.
This book is highly recommended. Read it it may make you weep but read it.
Want to read
January 10, 2024KATE MANNE FATPHOBIA BOOK??? IN MY MOUTH PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE
August 25, 2023
The problem with books like this is the fact that the very people that need to hear this message the most are the least likely to pick this up. 🙃
Manne presents an undeniable body of research, woven in with personal anecdotes, making a case for all the ways fatphobia is more prevalent and problematic than most people seem to think. As a practitioner in the Anti-Diet space, I was already aware of much of the research cited but she has a beautiful way of summarizing the studies and hammering home the "why this matters".
It isn't an easy read, as many books written by academics can be, but it's worth the effort.
Manne presents an undeniable body of research, woven in with personal anecdotes, making a case for all the ways fatphobia is more prevalent and problematic than most people seem to think. As a practitioner in the Anti-Diet space, I was already aware of much of the research cited but she has a beautiful way of summarizing the studies and hammering home the "why this matters".
It isn't an easy read, as many books written by academics can be, but it's worth the effort.
January 7, 2024
In Unshrinking: How to Face Fatphobia (pub. January 9, 2024), Kate Manne has gathered current research and writing about fatness, anti-fat bias (fatphobia), and diet culture, and added her own philosophical analysis (she is a philosophy professor at Cornell), creating something completely original.
I’ve been aware of the possibility of being a fat person who doesn’t diet since the late 1980s, thanks to the beloved BBW magazine. I’ve been trying to follow a weight-neutral, nondieting, fat positive approach to my own life for nearly as long. I have collected and read most of the “body positive”, anti diet-culture, fat liberation writing that has been published, and a lot of what exists online, in the last thirty-plus years, But I’ve never read an analysis of anti-fatness and diet culture from a philosophical point of view. I am so glad that Manne has done this work!
With the first several chapters collecting research about fatness and dieting, quoting many other fat activist authors, such as Aubrey Gordon, Ragen Chastain, Hanne Blank, Roxane Gay, and many others, Manne also weaves in her own story of her body, how it has changed and what she has done about it through her life. It is exhaustively researched and the Notes are an essential part of the book.
After all of the background, Manne shows that dieting with the intent to change one’s body size is not just an unpleasant, ineffective activity, but it is also an immoral one because it requires that we learn to ignore bodily imperatives. She further argues that we are all being gaslit by diet culture, and that by refusing to participate, we can become “unshrinking: reclaiming space in a way that is unapologetic, fearless, graceful.”
Those of us who resist diet culture are:
putting your body on the line for the sake, in part, of fat representation in particular and body diversity more broadly. You’d be showing up in the world in a way that resists narrow and, frankly, fascist body norms and ideals and values. You’d be standing in solidarity with people othered and marginalized on account of their fatness . . . You would stand, moreover, with countless silent others who are yet to tell their stories, or whose stories are yet to unfold, within a fatphobic social world that we have the collective power to make so much better.
Kate Manne, Unshrinking: How to Face Fatphobia
It’s out today, so don’t wait. Please get this book, which is an essential addition to all fat positive, anti-diet culture libraries.
Thanks to NetGalley for the e-Galley in exchange for an honest review. I had only one week to get it read and reviewed before publication day, but I did it!
I’ve been aware of the possibility of being a fat person who doesn’t diet since the late 1980s, thanks to the beloved BBW magazine. I’ve been trying to follow a weight-neutral, nondieting, fat positive approach to my own life for nearly as long. I have collected and read most of the “body positive”, anti diet-culture, fat liberation writing that has been published, and a lot of what exists online, in the last thirty-plus years, But I’ve never read an analysis of anti-fatness and diet culture from a philosophical point of view. I am so glad that Manne has done this work!
With the first several chapters collecting research about fatness and dieting, quoting many other fat activist authors, such as Aubrey Gordon, Ragen Chastain, Hanne Blank, Roxane Gay, and many others, Manne also weaves in her own story of her body, how it has changed and what she has done about it through her life. It is exhaustively researched and the Notes are an essential part of the book.
After all of the background, Manne shows that dieting with the intent to change one’s body size is not just an unpleasant, ineffective activity, but it is also an immoral one because it requires that we learn to ignore bodily imperatives. She further argues that we are all being gaslit by diet culture, and that by refusing to participate, we can become “unshrinking: reclaiming space in a way that is unapologetic, fearless, graceful.”
Those of us who resist diet culture are:
putting your body on the line for the sake, in part, of fat representation in particular and body diversity more broadly. You’d be showing up in the world in a way that resists narrow and, frankly, fascist body norms and ideals and values. You’d be standing in solidarity with people othered and marginalized on account of their fatness . . . You would stand, moreover, with countless silent others who are yet to tell their stories, or whose stories are yet to unfold, within a fatphobic social world that we have the collective power to make so much better.
Kate Manne, Unshrinking: How to Face Fatphobia
It’s out today, so don’t wait. Please get this book, which is an essential addition to all fat positive, anti-diet culture libraries.
Thanks to NetGalley for the e-Galley in exchange for an honest review. I had only one week to get it read and reviewed before publication day, but I did it!
August 30, 2023
Kate Manne’s third book is a lot more personal than her first two, detailing vividly this rockstar philosopher’s lifelong experience of inhabiting a body her culture deems “overweight” or “obese.” Weaving together personal experience and well-researched anti-fatphobia analysis, bolstered throughout by moral philosophical reflections, Manne concludes that no one is obligated to lose weight, and that one’s body is one’s own. Period. These insights—seemingly simple, even banal—are, in my view, pretty pathbreaking since they go against everything that our fatphobic media sphere preaches. Overall, I found this book engaging, well-written, and thought-provoking. I’d knock off one star, though, since, despite its sharp critique, Manne’s book doesn’t boast much that is new. Roxane Gay, Tressie McMillan Cottom, Hanne Blank, Lindy West, and Aubrey Gordon, to name just a few authors, have all recently published well-received works on fatphobia and fat activism (Manne acknowledges and cites them, I should add), and this space is becoming quite crowded. If you are familiar with fat activist discourse, Manne’s book will confirm what you already believe.
Thanks to NetGalley and Crown for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my review.
Thanks to NetGalley and Crown for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my review.
January 27, 2024
Mildly (My first instinct was "deeply," but that would be vastly overstating my own reaction) saddened to be disappointed by this one. I consider Manne a guiding star in my own thinking about misogyny and sexism, and I consider fatphobia to be an important topic to think about from a feminist lens, not to mention anti-racism and all the others (not to be flippant by not listing them all). Maybe because I relate more to experiences of misogyny and sexism than anti-fatness (not that any woman is exempt from the surveillance, bodily scrutiny, and, yes, internalized biases (maybe SOME women free from this one, tho how idk)) as an averagely weighted person (I am NOT listing my body weight or BMI or photos to "prove" this in either direction; what the fuck is wrong with y'all that some might even have the thought or wonder). I do consider both health and beauty industries to mostly be scams (and there are a LOT of excellent podcasts and other books on these topics specifically (Season 2 of The Dream off the top of my head so you can't accuse me of not backing my assertions with examples)). Weight is one area (there are many) where women are encouraged (pressured, even) to waste a lot of time and energy that could go other places. Counting calories obsessively and/or being too hungry to think are LOSSES that women bear. What could we be doing and creating and achieving otherwise? The threat of weight is a powerful axis of control and abuse. Fat people are treated VERY badly, dieting overwhelmingly does not work (long term), BMI is bullshit, I know, I know, I know. Another reviewer wondered if this book would reach anybody not already open to the arguments it is making (specifically, wondered if it would reach thin people). I try (being the operative word) to practice body neutrality and be grateful for the one I have and what it can do. Like, any one of us could gain weight or develop a chronic health condition or become disabled or simply AGE (all sins). The concept of "body reflexivity" Manne advances in the conclusion feels like... quibbling (wild thing to accuse a philosopher of--that's like their whole deal) and not that actionable.
Maybe this is a good place to start for people. Manne writes movingly of her own decades of evolving thought and behavior and feelings over her own weight and how to think and act (or not!) about it, and her book here could be on someone else's path. Otherwise, not that much groundbreaking thinking on the moral harms of fatphobia, though an impressive assemblage of research on the failure rate of diets, which may be useful for those unfamiliar or skeptical of the idea. I haven't seen too many critical reviews (yet?), and I don't want to rate it too low and tank, but I did have issues with this, and I'm hoping that if other readers do that I have touched on some of them here and framed it in a way that's not simply "I hate fat people and this isn't worth thinking about," an impression I obviously wish to avoid.
For more cracks in thinking, I would recommend Sabrina Strings's Fearing the Black Body: The Racists Origins of Fat Phobia, which Manne includes in her bibliography and references several times in-text, for incredible analysis of anti-fatness and anti-Blackness and Modern Food, Moral Food by Helen Zoe Veit, which Manne has not included (and may not be aware of), for a historical, moral analysis of American thinking around eating, science (health and food), and thinness.
Maybe this is a good place to start for people. Manne writes movingly of her own decades of evolving thought and behavior and feelings over her own weight and how to think and act (or not!) about it, and her book here could be on someone else's path. Otherwise, not that much groundbreaking thinking on the moral harms of fatphobia, though an impressive assemblage of research on the failure rate of diets, which may be useful for those unfamiliar or skeptical of the idea. I haven't seen too many critical reviews (yet?), and I don't want to rate it too low and tank, but I did have issues with this, and I'm hoping that if other readers do that I have touched on some of them here and framed it in a way that's not simply "I hate fat people and this isn't worth thinking about," an impression I obviously wish to avoid.
For more cracks in thinking, I would recommend Sabrina Strings's Fearing the Black Body: The Racists Origins of Fat Phobia, which Manne includes in her bibliography and references several times in-text, for incredible analysis of anti-fatness and anti-Blackness and Modern Food, Moral Food by Helen Zoe Veit, which Manne has not included (and may not be aware of), for a historical, moral analysis of American thinking around eating, science (health and food), and thinness.
January 22, 2024
Thank you to #NetGalley and Crown for providing an ARC of Kate Manne’s new book, #Unshrinking.
There are many books, websites, and social media accounts where you can learn about the research on weight gain and loss, dieting, and weight stigma. What Kate Manne brings to this material is the lens of a philosopher; she organizes this information into a philosophical, moral argument with carefully cited evidence to persuade readers that it is WRONG to discriminate against fat people. She also argues against body positivity and even body neutrality, promoting body reflexivity instead. In other words, we need not love our bodies, nor will our happiness and authenticity be found in simply accepting our bodies. We must internalize our bodies as our own, for ourselves, not for the admiration or satisfaction or use of others.
Manne integrates memoir of her own embodied experience throughout the argument, which probably makes the book more accessible for many readers. I personally did not think it works and would prefer fewer personal stories of hemming and hawing over her ‘small fat’ status. It arguably undermines her conclusion: if our bodies are for ourselves, writers do not need put their own embodiment and humanity under the microscope to prove a point. How does that get us closer to fat liberation?
These shortcomings won’t prevent me from recommending the book. I’m sure it will benefit many readers.
There are many books, websites, and social media accounts where you can learn about the research on weight gain and loss, dieting, and weight stigma. What Kate Manne brings to this material is the lens of a philosopher; she organizes this information into a philosophical, moral argument with carefully cited evidence to persuade readers that it is WRONG to discriminate against fat people. She also argues against body positivity and even body neutrality, promoting body reflexivity instead. In other words, we need not love our bodies, nor will our happiness and authenticity be found in simply accepting our bodies. We must internalize our bodies as our own, for ourselves, not for the admiration or satisfaction or use of others.
Manne integrates memoir of her own embodied experience throughout the argument, which probably makes the book more accessible for many readers. I personally did not think it works and would prefer fewer personal stories of hemming and hawing over her ‘small fat’ status. It arguably undermines her conclusion: if our bodies are for ourselves, writers do not need put their own embodiment and humanity under the microscope to prove a point. How does that get us closer to fat liberation?
These shortcomings won’t prevent me from recommending the book. I’m sure it will benefit many readers.
Read
January 22, 2024Unshrinking is an eye-opening study into the science, culture, and stigma around systemic fatphobia. The book dives into why fatness isn’t as big of a deal as it’s societally presented as, and also how fatphobia measures to curb obesity are actually extremely dangerous both physically and emotionally. A few points that stuck with me:
- Obesity may have a higher correlation to certain health issues, but so does extreme sports with higher chances of injury and death, and we don’t stigmatize those people.
- Most fat people who lose weight rapidly will regain it. This is not a matter of willpower, but rather a matter of body science. And attempts at constant weight loss often lead to extreme fluctuations in weight that are more detrimental to one’s health than maintaining a higher weight.
- The effects of being a victim of fatphobia stigma are often times more detrimental to a fat person’s health - mental, which often leads to physical - than being fat itself
- Fat people are oftentimes prescribed extremely invasive measures of encouraging weight loss (including bariatic surgery, which involves removing parts of the stomach). These diets and procedures often have extremely negative side effects/consequences and aren’t even that effective. The fact that medical professionals would subject people to these highly invasive, dangerous, and ineffective methods of weight loss, with side effects that are often much worse than the effects of being obese, reveal a deep seated medical system of fatphobia.
- A higher proportion of Americans is obese than ever before. Yet fatphobia is also on the rise. Showing that stigma doesn’t have the effect of actually eradicating being fat.
- There were a lot of stats around the discrimination against fat people, especially women. This often related to insinuations about intelligence too.
- Obesity may have a higher correlation to certain health issues, but so does extreme sports with higher chances of injury and death, and we don’t stigmatize those people.
- Most fat people who lose weight rapidly will regain it. This is not a matter of willpower, but rather a matter of body science. And attempts at constant weight loss often lead to extreme fluctuations in weight that are more detrimental to one’s health than maintaining a higher weight.
- The effects of being a victim of fatphobia stigma are often times more detrimental to a fat person’s health - mental, which often leads to physical - than being fat itself
- Fat people are oftentimes prescribed extremely invasive measures of encouraging weight loss (including bariatic surgery, which involves removing parts of the stomach). These diets and procedures often have extremely negative side effects/consequences and aren’t even that effective. The fact that medical professionals would subject people to these highly invasive, dangerous, and ineffective methods of weight loss, with side effects that are often much worse than the effects of being obese, reveal a deep seated medical system of fatphobia.
- A higher proportion of Americans is obese than ever before. Yet fatphobia is also on the rise. Showing that stigma doesn’t have the effect of actually eradicating being fat.
- There were a lot of stats around the discrimination against fat people, especially women. This often related to insinuations about intelligence too.
January 19, 2024
Kate Manne is not only the person whose work convinced me there was a place in philosophy for me, but remains one of my absolute top philosophers to this day - and Unshrinking only strengthened that position. A thorough, well argued, gentle yet unflinching account of the workings and effects of fatphobia, it opened my eyes to the perniciousness of this bias, in society as well as in myself. I particularly loved the chapters on philosophy, but this book ttuly widens Manne’s focus beyond any one discipline. After reading, I have a lot of reflecting to do - in fact, we all do. Very much recommended!
January 15, 2024
I did think that Dr. Manne rushed her readers through some conclusions, which is unfortunate because many readers are going to, like me, experience significant cognitive dissonance as she walks them through the science in the early chapters. That said, it’s absolutely a five-star work. Fatphobia, while harmful and exclusionary and reductive, is also immoral. What’s more, it’s irrational: it fails every proof of logic that you put it to.
January 15, 2024
Interesting topic, failure of execution
I really wanted to rate this higher because I am interested and invested in the topic. There was a lot here that I did find valuable including anecdotes and quotes from other authors. My first (minor) issue was the amazing number of times she used "derogate." Just no.
The second and major issue I had was her answer to fat phobia - body reflexivity. She says don't be negative, obviously; don't be positive, and don't even be neutral, because that's never sustainable. I don't know how reflexive is different from neutral, tbh.
And finally she's waiting for when humanity grows enough to have no beauty standards at all. It may be a wonderful thought experiment, but...
And finally again, fyi, the kindle version ends on page 208 leaving about100 kindle pages of footnotes, index, bib, etc.
I really wanted to rate this higher because I am interested and invested in the topic. There was a lot here that I did find valuable including anecdotes and quotes from other authors. My first (minor) issue was the amazing number of times she used "derogate." Just no.
The second and major issue I had was her answer to fat phobia - body reflexivity. She says don't be negative, obviously; don't be positive, and don't even be neutral, because that's never sustainable. I don't know how reflexive is different from neutral, tbh.
And finally she's waiting for when humanity grows enough to have no beauty standards at all. It may be a wonderful thought experiment, but...
And finally again, fyi, the kindle version ends on page 208 leaving about100 kindle pages of footnotes, index, bib, etc.
January 31, 2024
Short review: as a fat person I know the gist of fatphobia, having experienced it my entire life and have learned a lot thanks to a lot of online spaces and started working on unwrapping my internalized fatphobia, but this book offers a lot of knowledge on the history of and how deeply rooted it is ingrained in society. I think this is a great read for anyone wanting to start working through their own internalized fatphobia.
January 30, 2024
This is the deeply researched, meticulously footnoted treatise on fatphobia of my dreams -- with some great academic philosophy tea to boot. Everyone should read this book.
December 19, 2023
This book opened my eyes to a form of discrimination that I never realized permeated my life. Kate Manne blasted apart the myths and falsehoods surrounding dieting and weight with clear, easy-to-read prose. I could not put this book down and have already reread parts of it. I've been telling lots of people about it and urging them to read it; so many people I know will be much happier -- and healthier -- if they listen to what this book is telling us. I HIGHLY recommend it.
January 21, 2024
This is only the second book I've read so far this year, but it's one of my top books of 2024. How can I make such a bold pronouncement? Because there are just some books that rewire your brain in profound ways, so that you're never going to be the same person you were before you read them. This book is one such book, and I'm grateful that I read it because the change it's caused in me is crucial.
I've been reading a great deal over the last few years about diet and beauty culture in an effort to make sense of what got me to this point in my life. I'm a middle-aged, white woman, and I've spent the majority of my life deeply mired in both diet and beauty culture. Every pound I gained or lost, every hairstyle I tried, every bit of makeup I've ever worn, and every outfit I've ever put on were scrutinized and questioned by me because I worried deeply what other people might think. It didn't matter if I liked how I looked or if I felt comfortable, I was afraid how I looked wouldn't be good enough for other people. This is no accident. This is the purposeful design of our white heteropatriarchy, established to maintain power structures and to continually persuade us that the solution is just before us, as long as we spend, spend, spend to attain it.
I'm not really sure what made me finally see what was right before me all along. I would guess it was probably a combination of factors that included having a chronic illness and reaching middle age and realizing that no matter how hard I've striven or how close I've come to attaining my "ideal" weight and appearance, I've always, always, always been dissatisfied. No sooner would I reach one goal than I would find another perceived flaw I needed to fix. And, of course, I always had my choice of a plethora of products and services that promised to help me fix that flaw. I've spent most of my life hungry and feeling uncomfortable in my skin, and I reached a point where I couldn't do it any longer.
So I'm very much taken with Manne's idea of body reflexivity and only wish I would have found it when I was much younger. I wish I would always have known that my body is for me. My body wasn't meant to serve other people, which means I'm free to dress, eat, style my hair, etc. however I like because the whole point is for me to feel wholly myself in my own skin. I can't express how liberating this is.
This book is meticulously researched and extremely well-reasoned. In lucid, compelling prose, Manne takes on the current discourse around weight and makes it dissolve and disappear. After all, if people were genuinely concerned about the health and well-being of others, we'd have things like universal health care and access to food and clean water for all. We wouldn't live in a society where the governor of Iowa rejects feeding children over the summer because "childhood obesity has become an epidemic". What kind of country is this when it's deemed acceptable to allow children to starve rather than risk them becoming fat? It's a little hard to continue to believe the illusion that any of this is about health when people are all but admitting they think it's better to eradicate fat kids than it is to ensure they have access to food.
Disturbing as this is, her reasons for denying funding for food programs aren't even based on rigorous science. Reams and reams of research prove that there is no healthy way for people to lose weight, and that the chances of maintaining weight loss over the long term are vanishingly small. It's entirely possible that any negative health effects people suffer as a result of their weight are due to facing relentless weight stigma, but I don't see anyone rushing to fund research on this topic. Instead, we're being bombarded with messages--even from medical professionals--that we should resort to ever more drastic and potentially dangerous measures in order to shrink ourselves. Worse yet, these measures are also being recommended for children, long before their bodies even have a chance to mature.
Moreover, even if losing weight did make a person healthier, why have we, as a society, decided anyone is obligated to do so? As Manne points out, you don't see this same level of concern with regard to other high-risk activities. This is a country that thinks it's in favor of bodily autonomy and people's right to do what they want as long as they don't harm others--and that's true, as long as those activities involve things like riding motorcycles without helmets or participating in extreme sports. The minute you start talking about providing trans kids with gender-affirming care or women with safe and legal abortions or leaving fat people alone to live their lives, that fierce advocacy for bodily autonomy disappears like so much smoke.
I'm done playing this rigged game. I refuse to continue to deny myself the pleasure of eating and enjoying the foods that are the most appealing to me. I refuse to continue to deny myself the full human experience of living in my own, flawed body, regardless of its size. From now on, I'm going to live the way I wish I'd always lived: in a body that is mine and is for me and me alone.
I've been reading a great deal over the last few years about diet and beauty culture in an effort to make sense of what got me to this point in my life. I'm a middle-aged, white woman, and I've spent the majority of my life deeply mired in both diet and beauty culture. Every pound I gained or lost, every hairstyle I tried, every bit of makeup I've ever worn, and every outfit I've ever put on were scrutinized and questioned by me because I worried deeply what other people might think. It didn't matter if I liked how I looked or if I felt comfortable, I was afraid how I looked wouldn't be good enough for other people. This is no accident. This is the purposeful design of our white heteropatriarchy, established to maintain power structures and to continually persuade us that the solution is just before us, as long as we spend, spend, spend to attain it.
I'm not really sure what made me finally see what was right before me all along. I would guess it was probably a combination of factors that included having a chronic illness and reaching middle age and realizing that no matter how hard I've striven or how close I've come to attaining my "ideal" weight and appearance, I've always, always, always been dissatisfied. No sooner would I reach one goal than I would find another perceived flaw I needed to fix. And, of course, I always had my choice of a plethora of products and services that promised to help me fix that flaw. I've spent most of my life hungry and feeling uncomfortable in my skin, and I reached a point where I couldn't do it any longer.
So I'm very much taken with Manne's idea of body reflexivity and only wish I would have found it when I was much younger. I wish I would always have known that my body is for me. My body wasn't meant to serve other people, which means I'm free to dress, eat, style my hair, etc. however I like because the whole point is for me to feel wholly myself in my own skin. I can't express how liberating this is.
This book is meticulously researched and extremely well-reasoned. In lucid, compelling prose, Manne takes on the current discourse around weight and makes it dissolve and disappear. After all, if people were genuinely concerned about the health and well-being of others, we'd have things like universal health care and access to food and clean water for all. We wouldn't live in a society where the governor of Iowa rejects feeding children over the summer because "childhood obesity has become an epidemic". What kind of country is this when it's deemed acceptable to allow children to starve rather than risk them becoming fat? It's a little hard to continue to believe the illusion that any of this is about health when people are all but admitting they think it's better to eradicate fat kids than it is to ensure they have access to food.
Disturbing as this is, her reasons for denying funding for food programs aren't even based on rigorous science. Reams and reams of research prove that there is no healthy way for people to lose weight, and that the chances of maintaining weight loss over the long term are vanishingly small. It's entirely possible that any negative health effects people suffer as a result of their weight are due to facing relentless weight stigma, but I don't see anyone rushing to fund research on this topic. Instead, we're being bombarded with messages--even from medical professionals--that we should resort to ever more drastic and potentially dangerous measures in order to shrink ourselves. Worse yet, these measures are also being recommended for children, long before their bodies even have a chance to mature.
Moreover, even if losing weight did make a person healthier, why have we, as a society, decided anyone is obligated to do so? As Manne points out, you don't see this same level of concern with regard to other high-risk activities. This is a country that thinks it's in favor of bodily autonomy and people's right to do what they want as long as they don't harm others--and that's true, as long as those activities involve things like riding motorcycles without helmets or participating in extreme sports. The minute you start talking about providing trans kids with gender-affirming care or women with safe and legal abortions or leaving fat people alone to live their lives, that fierce advocacy for bodily autonomy disappears like so much smoke.
I'm done playing this rigged game. I refuse to continue to deny myself the pleasure of eating and enjoying the foods that are the most appealing to me. I refuse to continue to deny myself the full human experience of living in my own, flawed body, regardless of its size. From now on, I'm going to live the way I wish I'd always lived: in a body that is mine and is for me and me alone.
January 15, 2024
I’ve read a a few books on the topic of fatphobia, and this is by far the best one I’ve read, and I’m so grateful that someone was awesome as Kate Mann wrote it. I’m a massive Kate Mann fan. She’s a philosopher and has written previous books about sexism and misogyny, and in this one, she tackles the issue of fatphobia and how overweight people are treated in our society.
I’ve been overweight for most of my life but put on the most weight during my drug addiction over a decade ago, and it’s been a struggle to shed the pounds. There are so many myths and misconceptions about overweight people, and Kate’s book is one of the first books I’ve read that actually left me feeling good about myself. One of the reasons is that she does an excellent job explaining how overweight people internalize fatphobia.
Kate’s book covers just about everything I’d want covered. She discusses the rise of fatphobia, the moral philosophy around the topic, and many studies that show that fat doesn’t always mean unhealthy. If I had one critique it’s that the book is largely through the lens of women, which makes sense, but it’d be nice if one of these books spoke to men more as well. Women have it rough when it comes to weight, but I think there’s room for a book out there to speak to men about this topic as well due to the standards put on them as well. Many of us are passed the sexy status of “dad bod”.
Overall, this was an incredible book and I highly recommend it.
I’ve been overweight for most of my life but put on the most weight during my drug addiction over a decade ago, and it’s been a struggle to shed the pounds. There are so many myths and misconceptions about overweight people, and Kate’s book is one of the first books I’ve read that actually left me feeling good about myself. One of the reasons is that she does an excellent job explaining how overweight people internalize fatphobia.
Kate’s book covers just about everything I’d want covered. She discusses the rise of fatphobia, the moral philosophy around the topic, and many studies that show that fat doesn’t always mean unhealthy. If I had one critique it’s that the book is largely through the lens of women, which makes sense, but it’d be nice if one of these books spoke to men more as well. Women have it rough when it comes to weight, but I think there’s room for a book out there to speak to men about this topic as well due to the standards put on them as well. Many of us are passed the sexy status of “dad bod”.
Overall, this was an incredible book and I highly recommend it.
January 16, 2024
I really wanted to like this more. The topic is incredibly important and one I've spend the last few years studying very closely, mostly to work through my own shit but also as a way to re-frame my impact as an adult who works closely with adolescents.
Let's break it down this way, into pros and cons:
Pros:
1. The most effective parts of this book are where Manne shares her own stories of vulnerability. Absolutely. Hands down. Relatable in every uncomfortable way.
2. Her ATTEMPT to draw a clear line connecting fatphobia to racism and misogyny. (The actual delivery? Not so great. Approaches misogynoir. Okay, so that's a con.)
3. The flowers she gave to other writers who have preceded her in this field (Aubrey Gordon, Tressie MC, etc)
Cons:
1. The many pages spent on retelling the original Gaslight story/play. WE GET IT.
2. Her writing voice wavered a lot, being stuck in academic mode (makes sense considering she IS a career academic in philosophy) and trying to connect SO MUCH to her course of study she's spend a lifetime with.
3. Making it overtly political. Who is the audience for this book? Who does she want it to be? Fatphobia impacts so many people, regardless of political belief. How do we get ourselves to work together for change? I'm not sure Manne believes it's possible, and that's just....sigh.
Let's break it down this way, into pros and cons:
Pros:
1. The most effective parts of this book are where Manne shares her own stories of vulnerability. Absolutely. Hands down. Relatable in every uncomfortable way.
2. Her ATTEMPT to draw a clear line connecting fatphobia to racism and misogyny. (The actual delivery? Not so great. Approaches misogynoir. Okay, so that's a con.)
3. The flowers she gave to other writers who have preceded her in this field (Aubrey Gordon, Tressie MC, etc)
Cons:
1. The many pages spent on retelling the original Gaslight story/play. WE GET IT.
2. Her writing voice wavered a lot, being stuck in academic mode (makes sense considering she IS a career academic in philosophy) and trying to connect SO MUCH to her course of study she's spend a lifetime with.
3. Making it overtly political. Who is the audience for this book? Who does she want it to be? Fatphobia impacts so many people, regardless of political belief. How do we get ourselves to work together for change? I'm not sure Manne believes it's possible, and that's just....sigh.
January 21, 2024
I inhaled this book after just finishing another one by Kate Manne (Down Girl). As a [big] fat person myself who has covered a lot of the authors that Manne references, I think she provides some fresh perspectives on pre-existing explorations of Fatphobia and also posits new insights (with a wealth of scientific references and examples - not to mention personal experience too - making all her points so well-argued). I also feel like the language/style of writing of this book was more easy to consume than Down Girl.
I was left feeling a bit like something was missing which is why I couldn't stretch to the full five stars. It might just be that I needed more exploration of the body reflexivity concept (perhaps to come, as the author mentioned, this is all still being figured out even for herself). I literally just finished the book this evening so I might need some time to reflect on this.
For those who haven't spent years piecing together writings on Fatphobia by the many sources referenced in this book (I was aware of most of the points made by them), it would save them the trouble and provide them all in one place - which made me think how wonderful it would be for this book to be required reading in schools (to at least make people think critically about Fatphobia, whatever they might think of it and themselves).
I was left feeling a bit like something was missing which is why I couldn't stretch to the full five stars. It might just be that I needed more exploration of the body reflexivity concept (perhaps to come, as the author mentioned, this is all still being figured out even for herself). I literally just finished the book this evening so I might need some time to reflect on this.
For those who haven't spent years piecing together writings on Fatphobia by the many sources referenced in this book (I was aware of most of the points made by them), it would save them the trouble and provide them all in one place - which made me think how wonderful it would be for this book to be required reading in schools (to at least make people think critically about Fatphobia, whatever they might think of it and themselves).
July 10, 2023
Kate Manne's Unshrinking is an incisive polemic that brilliantly dissects fatphobia, the way it encroaches upon our lives, and how, ultimately, we can, if we are willing, do the challenging work of unlearning damaging ideas about fatness, health, and happiness. Manne is a beautiful writer with a consummate research ethic. The depth of her knowledge and how she synthesizes it is clear from the first page to the last and she deftly navigates personal narrative and cultural examination to demonstrate that the personal truly is political, particularly when you live in a fat body. What elevates Unshrinking is the keen awareness that there is no universal experience of fatness and that fatphobia, like everything else, is affected by the intersections of the identities we inhabit. Unshrinking is required reading for everyone who lives in an unruly human body. In Unshrinking, Manne has crafted an elegant, fierce, and profound argument for fighting fat oppression in ourselves, our communities, our culture.
November 28, 2023
This book was a very well-crafted examination of the problems with society's idea of health, weight and size. We all can easily see the fatphobia in every aspect of daily life, regardless of one's shape and this book points out how we fall incredibly short of health being the goal. From the doctors who write off serious symptoms to the anonymous online troll and the even the structure of seating at events, planes and theaters, the book points out the hypocrisy of wanting to "help" people to be healthier while ignoring actual health and wellness. This book also shows not only how damaging this is to the overweight person but society at large. The author shares personal anecdotes as well as well researched fact to back her premise. It is a deep, insightful read that it well worth your time. Thank you to Netgalley and Crown for an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
January 22, 2024
This is why we need more women (and genderqueers) in philosophy. (The book explains why we don't have more women and genderqueers in philosophy.)
You may have already read quite a bit about fatphobia from some luminary fat activists of recent times. So why this book? Kate Manne deploys her philosophy training and adds extra insight over and above what others have already said.
What Manne says about fatphobia applies more widely to other marginalised identities. For example, I see much in common between fatphobia and anti-asexual sentiment.
I've noticed some reviewers already saying that the book is 'biased', presumably because a self-identified fat person is writing about fatness.
This is the precise bigotry anyone with any marginalised identity whatsoever has to contend with when we talk and write about our own lives.
***
Anytime Jordan Peterson gets a deserved burn is cathartic and appreciated. (Will this finally shut the fool up? Doubt it.)
You may have already read quite a bit about fatphobia from some luminary fat activists of recent times. So why this book? Kate Manne deploys her philosophy training and adds extra insight over and above what others have already said.
What Manne says about fatphobia applies more widely to other marginalised identities. For example, I see much in common between fatphobia and anti-asexual sentiment.
I've noticed some reviewers already saying that the book is 'biased', presumably because a self-identified fat person is writing about fatness.
This is the precise bigotry anyone with any marginalised identity whatsoever has to contend with when we talk and write about our own lives.
***
Anytime Jordan Peterson gets a deserved burn is cathartic and appreciated. (Will this finally shut the fool up? Doubt it.)
January 3, 2024
I'm not exactly sure who the intended audience is - fairly certain few thin people will read it, and not clear on what fat people will learn, as we already have our lived experience. I did learn a few more shocking things, like that some med schools will not accept heavier bodies for cadaver donation. I already sort of knew this from reading about donating bone marrow. it's still in 2024 extremely unclear why a certain BMI (which is garbage) should prevent someone from being able to donate. anyway, there were some good points, but it just seemed to me a bit repetitive and not that illuminating to someone who already deals with weight stigma in the world.
June 11, 2023
I was lucky to get this book early, as I'm a big fan of Kate Manne and her impeccably researched writing. This book made me feel validated about the anti-diet stance, even though I am generally not affected by fatphobia. It's important to me to support those who are and to call it out when I see it. The intersectionality of Black and brown bodies, food deserts, and the savior complex of the thin and white are all covered here. Manne pulls in references from her own experience, popular culture, and science for a thorough and thought-provoking read.
January 5, 2024
This book is genius. Kate Manne looks directly at the phenomenon of fatphobia, describes it clearly, shows us how it works in the world, and who it hurts (answer: all of us). Her book couldn't be coming out at a better time, when body-shrinking drugs are the hottest on the market, contributing to the delusion that thin is better, smarter, healthier, more capable and more desirable. Nonsense. Thank you, Kate, for opening your heart, personal story and sharp mind to us in this important book.
January 17, 2024
Fascinating, smart, and timely book on all the ways fatphobia (and anti-fat bias) intersect with all the other forms of bias in our world to make a toxic sludge of discrimination, hate, and general discomfort with the natural diversity of human bodies. A few especially brilliant points to highlight: how Manne actually takes the time to unpack and understand how gaslighting works (instead of just relying on pop-psych jargon) and illustrate how diets gaslight us into believing that diets do work (spoiler alert - they don't). Manne also brings home the point that "health" and "healthy living" are often dog whistles for anti-fat bias in a way that reminds me of scientific racism and seemingly compassionate eugenics. Her analytical ear is finely tuned for these manipulations of language that often seem commonplace and acceptable, but actually deserve close analysis.
I loved this book and wholeheartedly recommend for anyone interested in learning more about anti-fat bias or fatphobia. I also recommend for anyone who inhabits a lived human body (which, yes, is everyone) because we all have to deal with these issues as they permeate our culture so thoroughly, fat or thin or anywhere in between.
I loved this book and wholeheartedly recommend for anyone interested in learning more about anti-fat bias or fatphobia. I also recommend for anyone who inhabits a lived human body (which, yes, is everyone) because we all have to deal with these issues as they permeate our culture so thoroughly, fat or thin or anywhere in between.
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