"DOING IT UTTERLY AND COMPLETELY WRONG": CRITICALLY ANALYZING PERSPECTIVES OF FAT BODIES

Abstract

Weight stigma is a set of negative assumptions and beliefs around people living in larger bodies (Meadows & Calogero, 2018). The variables contributing to weight stigma in counseling are incredibly complex. Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness (van Hoeken & Hoek, 2020). According to The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), one of the criteria for eating disorders is an intense fear of weight gain. Few studies investigate the impact of weight stigma in counselling interventions. De-stigmatizing the pathological view of fatness could be a key component in effectively treating eating disorders. Using a critical discourse analysis (CDA) and an inductive thematic analysis, the purpose of this study is to examine the societal context and use of language to answer the research question: “What are the responses of an opinion piece article of accepting a fatter body as part of healing from an eating disorder?”