Weighing In: Coping with Stigmatization through the Fat Acceptance Movement and Weight Loss Surgery

This study investigates the social movement, Fat Acceptance, and the personal experiences and discourse of members in online forums that discuss topics such as advocacy and personal struggles, as well as the personal experiences and discourse with members of online groups that went through, or are about to go through, weight-loss surgery. Five interviews with individuals from both groups were conducted for the study and allow for a more in-depth view into the individual experience, supplemented with observations from online blogs and forums. I found that the Fat Acceptance Movement and the WLS (weight loss surgery) community generally opposed discrimination of people of size in society and mirrored each other\u27s arguments over issues of sizeism in the media and daily interactions