I have thought long and hard about the word Fat – I’ve blogged about the word and up to very recently I rarely used it to describe myself. Even though I am fat. I am very fat – meaning these things: I have a lot of adipose tissue on my body, I weigh a lot, I am wide, thick, heavy, large, big, etc.
Reclaiming the Word FAT
When others call me fat, it is usually said with disdain and they attach other meaning like: disgusting, lazy, shameful, smelly, stupid, ugly, unlovable, unworthy, not capable, not good enough, damaged, diseased, close to death, etc.
Do you see why I may not have liked to use the word to describe myself?
I’ve decided to take it back. Just like so many people who have taken back slang terms that are used to keep them opressed… there is power in using a word knowing that you are referring to the literal definition, not the emotional connotations that ignorant people like to attach. There is just no arguing that I am fat. I am a fat woman. My fat really isn’t about you, I promise.
Here are some well known offensive words with literal definitions taken straight from dictionary.com:
FAG = to tire or weary by labor; exhaust (often followed by out ): The long climb fagged us out.
BITCH = female dog: a female dog, or the female of another related animal such as a fox, or of another carnivore such as a ferret. SHIT = feces. See my point? Just the sight of words can bring up emotional reactions, can’t it? Especially if it is a word people have used against you with intention of causing you emotional pain. But I must remind you, these are words with meanings that are quite literal, and you can allow them to cut you down, you can brush them off, or you can even reclaim them as your own. Does this mean that I think it’s okay that other people call me fat? It depends… Perhaps I will mind a lot less if they see they can’t take away my power by using the word against me. If I reclaim my fatness, and proudly own that the literal definition does indeed describe me – and if I show that fat can be, and is; beautiful, intelligent, witty, warm, sexy, and capable – how can anyone hurt me with it any further? I know one thing for sure; claiming the word “fat” for myself and accepting its literal meaning, while rejecting the multitude of implied meanings, is fabulously freeing. Fat IS where it’s at. Even if I lost 200lbs., someone would try to use the word against me – so screw them (I had to throw one more example in there) I’m taking fat back!
