Massive Failure: Fat Failed Subjectivity and the Unlivable Fat Life Open Access

Abstract

As the rates of overweight and obesity continue to rise throughout the developed and developing world the fat body bears an increasing burden of stigma. In this project I explore this stigma and its impact on fat identity by analyzing the unspoken cultural knowledge of the fat subject that circulates across a variety of contexts. I move between epidemiological and genetic research on the etiology of fatness, representations of fatness and weight loss on reality television, and the discourse on a weight loss support web site in order to capture the broadness of this disavowed but harmful knowledge. Using Lauren Berlant's notion of the intimate public sphere, wherein citizenship is comprised of intimate, domestic behaviors such as sexuality, consumption and family life, I argue that across these three registers fat people are constructed as failed citizens and indeed failed subjects. Further, I argue that dieting practices reinforce the construct of the fat failed subject by continually disavowing life in the fat body. Ultimately the massive failure associated with fatness and the shaming and ineffective process of dieting lock the fat person in an untenable, unlivable subject position.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Chapter 1: Knowing Fatness: Obesity in the Sciences. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Chapter 2: Un/fit Subjects: Citizenship and Subjectivity in Weight Loss Reality
Television. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Chapter 3: Unbecoming Fat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Works Cited . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Appendix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

About this Honors Thesis

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School	Emory College
Department	Women's Studies
Degree	BA
Submission	Honors Thesis
Language	English
Research Field	Women's Studies
Keyword	Citizenship Fat
Committee Chair / Thesis Advisor	Wilson, Elizabeth, Emory University
Committee Members	Roy, Deboleena, Emory University Bliwise, Nancy, Emory University

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