Hung Up: Queering Fat Therapy

Abstract

The pathologization of fat bodies, and the anti-fat attitudes that are (re)introduced and (re)enforced through such pathologies, present a barrier in the relationship between therapist and fat client. Previous literature confirms that therapists are more likely to predict negative prognoses for fat clients than for thin ones and to make generalized assumptions about fat clients. These anti-fat attitudes interfere with fat clients receiving bias-free, evidence-based care. Therapists can recognize and address their anti-fat attitudes and consume fat-positive material produced by fat people. Shifting these beliefs, attitudes, and practices may be difficult; in this way, queering, as a framework, becomes quite useful.

Keywords:

• Fat studies
• feminist therapy
• queering

Notes

1 Obese and overweight are used to acknowledge the language, framework, and parameters of the research being reviewed.