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1 - I’m Too Fat

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 January 2024

Stanley Ulijaszek
Affiliation:
University of Oxford
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Summary

I have met few adults who are happy with their own bodies, at least in Western societies. But even in non-Western societies, many people are unhappy with their bodies. The exact nature of this unhappiness varies, but what overwhelmingly dominates is the thought, whether objectively true or not, that they carry too much weight, and following that, the thought that they really should lose weight. I have met very few people who actively want to put on weight, and they have almost all been of athletic disposition, and the weight gain sought is usually (but not always) in terms of muscle. Some people are entirely ‘fat-phobic’ and not persuaded that some types of body fat might actually be good, healthy even. Many people don’t know that there are different types of fat deposit, and that some deposits of fatness carry limited or no negative health consequences – around the buttocks, hips and thighs, for example. Body fatness is a ‘hot potato’ issue for many people; I like hot potatoes.

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Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2024

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  • I’m Too Fat
  • Stanley Ulijaszek, University of Oxford
  • Book: Understanding Obesity
  • Online publication: 04 January 2024
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009218184.003
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  • I’m Too Fat
  • Stanley Ulijaszek, University of Oxford
  • Book: Understanding Obesity
  • Online publication: 04 January 2024
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009218184.003
Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • I’m Too Fat
  • Stanley Ulijaszek, University of Oxford
  • Book: Understanding Obesity
  • Online publication: 04 January 2024
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009218184.003
Available formats
×