Fat - A Fate Worse Than Death?: Women, Weight, and Appearance

by Ruth Raymond Thone, Esther D Rothblum, Ruth R Thone, et al.

Book Overview

Despite the gains of the women's movement, women are still judged by what they look like--and men, by what they do. Fat--A Fate Worse Than Death? offers hardy resistance to the narrow, random, and irrational appearance standards set for American women through an approach that is personal, eclectic, courageous, and funny. If you are interested in giving up your diet, throwing out your scales, and concentrating on who you are on a deeper level, this...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1560239085
• ISBN13: 9781560239086
• Release Date: August 1997
• Publisher: Routledge
• Length: 228 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.0" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

Not for people who don't want to listen

I have read a number of books on the subject of fat oppression, and this is easily one of the most valuable experiences. The author intelligently and deliberately lays out the problem of weight-based oppression, and offers a coherent response. If you are resistant to the notion that it can be okay to be fat, you won't like this book. It challenges those prejudices with no apology. The looks-based oppression of women has been given a supposed validity under the guise of health, but Thorne works to show the absurdity of such claims. It is possible to be fat and happy and healthy, but there is much standing in the way. She doesn't pull her punches, and that is bound to put off some resistant minds. So often we see pundants decry to oppression while refusing to challenge the foundation and justification for the bigotry and prejudice. You won't see that here. Admittedly, the book moves at a somewhat uninspired pace and does not make for a good introduction to the problem of fat prejudices. If it is a topic of interest for you, however, I'm sure you will find this to be an interesting read.