Lexington Books Fat Tactics: The Rhetoric and Structure of the Fat Acceptance Movement

This book explores and analyzes the ways fat acceptance activists have advocated through language and tactical action. Using Anthony Giddens' concept of Structuration in the make-up of ideology, the book identifies how fat acceptance activists use signification, domination, and legitimation to strengthen their cause. Thus, their actions are both rhetorical and tactical. Fat-considered a descriptor and not a negative label among activists-is highly stigmatized for arbitrary reasons in various areas of life ranging from the fashion industry to health care. This books shows how fat acceptance activists work to remedy this situation. Review In this slender volume, Smith (rhetoric, York College) offers readers an overview of fat activism, understanding, acceptance, and discrimination, as well as challenges to traditional European whiteness and gender. He reviews medical issues, social issues, and ideologies as they relate to standards, activism, normalization, and intersectionality. Smith's approach focuses especially on language and rhetoric; issues addressed include the fat acceptance movement (and its critics), fat as a feminist issue, fat studies, language, and the issue's inclusion with civil rights and disability rights (all contentious issues). Smith confronts the medical community and discourse with its war on fat as the last acceptable form of discrimination, and challenges the reader's notions of fat and fatness. Importantly, he also outlines groups, websites, and activism that relates to ideology, discourse, and structuration--all of which offer avenues for further study to the interested reader. This book brings to light many important issues in an area that is often overlooked. Summing Up: Recommended. Advanced undergraduates through faculty and professionals.-- "Choice"To help bring fat activism into the fold, Fat Tactics serves as an important tool for fat studies scholars and activists who wish to take this work, such as personal stories, social media campaigns or other online representations of fatness, and situate it within broader contexts to further the political and legal status of fat people. Smith beautifully describes the intangible spirit of fat community. . . . Fat Tactics reignites the enthusiasm for the important, necessary, and thoughtful fat activist work that aims to strategically infiltrate normative discourses to achieve tangible success.-- "Fat Studies: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Body Weight and Society"A comprehensive and thoroughly researched journey into the intricacies of the fat acceptance movement. As a leader in the Health at Every Size(R) (HAES(R)) movement for the past 2 decades, I found the work to be compelling and illuminating, particularly in helping to connect the work that we do in HAES with a deeper understanding of the intersectionality and privilege involved.--Jon Robison, Michigan State University About the Author Erec Smith is associate professor of rhetoric at York College of Pennsylvania.