"You Just Need to Lose Weight": And 19 Other Myths About Fat People

by Aubrey Gordon Narrated by Aubrey Gordon

Overview

A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
AN INDIE BESTSELLER

“One of the great thinkers of our generation . . . I feel fresher and smarter and happier for sitting down with her.”-Jameela Jamil, iWeigh Podcast

The co-host of the Maintenance Phase podcast and creator of Your Fat Friend equips you with the facts to debunk common anti-fat myths and with tools to take action for fat justice

The pushback that shows up in conversations about fat justice takes exceedingly predicable form. Losing weight is easy-calories in, calories out. Fat people are unhealthy. We're in the midst of an obesity epidemic. Fat acceptance “glorifies obesity.” The BMI is an objective measure of size and health. Yet, these myths are as readily debunked as they are pervasive.

In “You Just Need to Lose Weight,” Aubrey Gordon equips readers with the facts and figures to reframe myths about fatness in order to dismantle the anti-fat bias ingrained in how we think about and treat fat people. Bringing her dozen years of community organizing and training to bear, Gordon shares the rhetorical approaches she and other organizers employ to not only counter these pernicious myths, but to dismantle the anti-fat bias that so often underpin them.

As conversations about fat acceptance and fat justice continue to grow, “You Just Need to Lose Weight” will be essential to ensure that those conversations are informed, effective, and grounded in both research and history.

Editorial Reviews

June 2023 - AudioFile

Aubrey Gordan's clear, assertive performance gives power to her careful arguments against the shaming and social rejection of fat people in American culture. She's a former community organizer who sounds at home talking about issues involving conflict; the authority in her voice is respectful rather than belligerent. Listeners will be familiar with many of the 20 myths she discusses. From judgments about willpower and unhealthy choices to medical norms that say fatness is unhealthy, there is no shortage of blaming and institutional bias against fat people. The author's detailed takedown of these myths and her intelligent grasp of social dynamics make this an illuminating audiobook on how to reprogram our stereotypes about those who are visibly different from what we may believe to be "normal." T.W. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine

Publishers Weekly

10/03/2022

Podcaster Gordon (What We Don’t Talk About When We Talk About Fat) interrogates misperceptions about fatness in this helpful handbook for those “struggling to interrupt moments of anti-fatness in their daily lives.” Among other myths, Gordon debunks the notions that fatness is a choice, that obesity is the leading cause of death in the U.S., that fat acceptance “glorifies obesity,” that weight loss “is the result of healthy choices and should be celebrated,” and that “fat bodies are not to be seen, discussed, observed, or embraced.” Many sections conclude with a short list of questions for reflection, designed to help people of diverse body types recognize and combat anti-fat bias—for example, by not offering unsolicited weight-loss compliments. Gordon also highlights the links between anti-Blackness and anti-fatness and exposes the biases implicit in “body positivity” advertising campaigns by Dove and other corporations. Throughout, Gordon interweaves personal reflections on her own experiences as a self-described “fat lady” with sharp cultural and scientific analysis to make a persuasive case that “our bodies are neither reflections of our character nor comeuppance for bad actions.” The result is a lucid and impassioned guide to combatting negative stereotypes about body size. (Jan.)

From the Publisher

Will appeal to anyone interested in discrimination based on body size and other similar forms of systemic oppression.”
—Library Journal, Starred Review

“An excellent tool for those working to end anti-fat bias. Perfect for fat and thin readers alike, ‘You Just Need to Lose Weight’ is smart and informative—and will spur many important conversations.”
—Shelf Awareness, Starred Review

“Gordon tackles pervasive myths about fatness and provides the truth about them and the people they impact…[the book] couldn't have come at a more apt time.”
—Teen Vogue

“A crucial handbook for living in a culture that is dedicated to shaming and punishing fatness…This book should be stocked in every school library and should sit in a place of honor in every doctor's office waiting room—and of course, your bookshelf.”
—Glamour

“Gordon interrogates misperceptions about fatness in this helpful handbook for those ‘struggling to interrupt moments of anti-fatness in their daily lives.’ . . . [A] lucid and impassioned guide to combatting negative stereotypes about body size.”
—Publishers Weekly

“[T]his thought-provoking treatise on fatness will give readers of all sizes plenty to think about.”
—Booklist

“Sharp, stinging commentary…The message of this book is perennially important.”
—Self

“It’s challenging to find books, like Gordon’s, that intelligently and empathetically talk about modern wellness culture in a positive, and, well, real way.”
—Allure

“Chatty and insightful, this book is sure to make readers reflect on their own biases.”
—425 Magazine

“[Gordon] brings skillful analysis, acute understanding and a sense of humor to her work.”
—The Seattle Times

“The book offers actionable steps you can take to help push back against weight bias in your own life, particularly if you’re witnessing it as someone with a smaller body.”
—Insider

“Opens the door for nuance, while shutting it on harmful, prevalent myths.”
—Portland Mercury

“Required reading for anyone who’s ever been tempted to give—or has gotten tired of receiving—weight loss advice.”
—The Skimm

“Gordon has personally laid out structured ways to disrupt and combat anti-fatness. Providing tangible steps and methods on how to do the personal and political work of addressing anti-fatness in social, familial, and cultural settings also allows for the hopeful and foundational work to build a new world founded on the grounds of fat justice.”
—Fat Studies Journal

“The author’s detailed takedown of these myths and her intelligent grasp of social dynamics make this an illuminating audiobook on how to reprogram our stereotypes about those who are visibly different from what we may believe to be ‘normal.’”
—AudioFile Magazine

Library Journal

★ 01/27/2023

As the cohost of the Maintenance Phase podcast and a columnist for Self magazine, Gordon (What We Don't Talk About When We Talk About Fat) has established herself as one of the loudest and most influential voices working to dismantle anti-fatness structures. Her second book will appeal to anyone interested in discrimination based on body size and other similar forms of systemic oppression. It's a valuable tool to navigate the space one's body occupies and to understand what that means for oneself and for others. The book is structured around prevalent myths, all debunked by the author, about people with obesity. This is not a series of rants. Instead, chapters are infused with calls for social justice and personal anecdotes, all of which achieve Gordon's goal for the book, which is to inspire readers to dig and think more deeply about this topic. The book includes a clear overview of terminology (e.g., anti-fatness, diet culture, and straight-sized clothing), documentation from sources ranging from popular magazines to scientific journals, and Gordon's signature voice, which moves seamlessly from caustic wit and sarcasm to erudition and emotion. VERDICT This book may not always be easy to digest, but it is powerful, necessary reading.—Emily Bowles

Product Details

BN ID:	2940175644112
Publisher:	Penguin Random House
Publication date:	01/10/2023
Series:	Myths Made in America
Edition description:	Unabridged

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