Reclaiming the word “FAT”
Reclaiming the word “FAT”
The other day, I watched the new America’s Next Top Model documentary and Whitney Thompson, who was the first plus size winner of ANTM was on there discussing how her size 6 body was too fat for the modeling industry. I chuckled hearing that and immediately it brought me back to my 11 year-old self. I used to sit directly in front of the tv waiting to watch the next episode of ANTM but was wishing I saw someone like me. Someone who was black and fat. That cycle of the show was truly when I started to notice that my body type was not accepted by society.
This was also the first time, when my family started making remarks about my body. For the longest, I didn’t even know I was fat until the topic of weight started showing up in tv shows, family gatherings and the occasional school bully who pointed out every flaw I had. Here and there kids would tease me and say I was fat but where I’m from fat doesn't just mean fat, it also meant ugly.
It’s funny to me now, but then it was not funny. For a long time the word fat felt like the worst thing someone could call me. And I’m sure we all know a thesaurus of words no one wants to be called lol. Being fat meant I was the butt of every joke and used as a warning to others as what you should never become. Growing up, quickly I learned that “fat” was supposed to be something shameful, something to avoid, deny and apologize for.
So, like many people, I spent years trying to distance myself from the word. Using phrases like
“I’m big boned” or “I’m just a little thick” and I could keep going lol.
I was out here saying anything and everything but fat.
It wasn’t until recently, or at least after a few therapy sessions, did I wonder why that word carried so much power over me in the first damn place.
Fat is just a Description Word!
At its core, fat is simply a descriptor, like tall, short, or thin. It describes a body size. Yet society has loaded the word with judgment, morality, and assumptions about who fat people are supposed to be.
Lazy.
Undisciplined.
Unhealthy.
Unattractive.
Those assumptions say more about society’s biases than they do about the people living in fat bodies. For many people, reclaiming the word “fat” is about taking the sting out of it. When I say I am fat, I’m not insulting myself. I’m naming my body without shame. I’m refusing the idea that my size is something I have to hide behind softer language.
Reclaiming the word doesn’t mean loving your body every single day. It doesn’t mean pretending the world suddenly treats fat people fairly.
What it means is refusing to carry shame that was never ours to begin with.
How do I reclaim the word?
You must first realize that you have to stop giving people and words power. You're going to have people talk about you, and honestly so fucking what.
When I was growing up, my mom used to tell me that people are going to talk about you regardless, people look for flaws in others to make themselves feel better. So how they feel about you has nothing to do with you.
You are the first person you see every morning, why are you listening to people tell you about you? You looked in the mirror and saw your body first before they ever could. Love what you see and acknowledge what you see. Nobody can tell you or hurt you with anything you already know and say about yourself. This is not me giving you permission to say or joke about yourself because you want to beat others to the joke. Remain kind to yourself always but acknowledge that there is nothing wrong with being fat, babe.
So, when fat people say the word openly, confidently, and without apology, something shifts.
The word loses its ability to be used as a weapon. It becomes neutral again.
Reclaiming “fat” is about more than language, it’s about ownership. Ownership of our bodies, our stories, and the space we take up in the world. And for me, saying the word fat without flinching is a small but powerful act of freedom.
Reclaiming the word fat doesn’t magically change how the world treats fat bodies. It doesn’t erase bias or undo years of messaging about what bodies are “supposed” to look like. But it does something powerful on a personal level. It takes away the shame that word once carried. Because for me, saying I am fat is no longer an insult, it’s simply the truth. And the truth doesn’t have to be something I hide from.
When I say the word fat now, I’m not using it as an insult. I’m using it as a declaration that my body does not need to be softened, disguised, or apologized for. I am allowed to exist exactly as I am, which is fully, visibly, and without shrinking myself for anyone’s comfort.
I hope this resonates with you and I would love to hear your thoughts. So please send them in. Also be sure to subscribe so you get notified on my next post.
With love Kearris. 🩷
