The Oppression of Fat People in AmericaFat does not mean lazy; fat is not synonymous with evil; fat is not the same as eating too much; fat does not equal ugly. Fat oppression is something so prevalent in our society, yet Americans refuse to acknowledge it as a problem or even an issue. After listening to an amazing woman named Nomy Lamm speak this weekend, I could no longer let this issue go ignored. (Lamm is a fat oppression activist and has been published in Ms. magazine). Fat oppression exists in this society and we all need to recognize the harm it does to everyone, especially fat people. Fat is not a bad word. I use the word fat just like I would use the words short, tall, or blond. The only thing wrong with the word fat is the way it is used by most people in this society. My friends involved in fat oppression use the word fat as a means of reclamation (a la “queer”) and I choose to do the same. The central problem with fat oppression stems from the way we Americans are taught to look at people. Everywhere we look - TV, movies, magazines and so on - thin people are depicted as charming and fashionable. Diet encouragement is terribly widespread and the diet market grosses billions of dollars every year. Our society is obsessed with fat and fat loss. The irony is that the majority of Americans are fat by national standards. More than 90 percent of women do not conform to dietary standards developed by insurance companies in the 1960s. The media creates the need to lose weight because they realize that most Americans are not statistically thin. By creating a standard of what is "normal" and then creating the need to achieve this normality, an addiction industry is born - diet addiction pr... middle of paper...re lets this address the problem? First, be aware that discrimination exists and try to address it when it arises. Don't believe the beauty myth that is so pervasive in this society and don't support the organizations that continue to perpetuate it (Calvin Klein, the new ASUW safe sex posters, etc.). Ask clothing stores to stock more plus size clothing and criticize them for price increases for fat people. But the truth is, treat fat people just like you would any other person. Recognize that fat people have to work incredibly hard both mentally and physically to do the same things that a thin person takes for granted (e.g., going to the beach, flying on a plane). Excuses will no longer be enough. People should be judged by the actions they take and the opinions they hold, not by the body they were born into.