Fatness and Fertility: A Feminist Therapist Perspective

ABSTRACT

Fat women experiencing infertility are often stigmatized; they are told by doctors that their fatness is to blame for their trouble conceiving and are refused medical treatment. However, researchers are finding that the evidence for refusing such treatments may be based more on stigma than science. Because fat women experiencing infertility often feel disempowered, using feminist family therapy to help fat women and their partners is explored as a beneficial approach for treatment. This paper will address the many issues fat women with infertility face and the resulting implications for feminist family therapists.

KEYWORDS:

• Fatness
• feminism
• feminist family therapy
• infertility
• obesity
• women