What We Don't Talk About When We Talk About Fat
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wish list failed.
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
What We Don't Talk About When We Talk About Fat
Buy Now for $23.31
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Samara Naeymi
-
Written by:
-
Aubrey Gordon
About this listen
From the creator of Your Fat Friend and co-host of the Maintenance Phase podcast, an explosive indictment of the systemic and cultural bias facing plus-size people.
Anti-fatness is everywhere. In What We Don’t Talk About When We Talk About Fat, Aubrey Gordon unearths the cultural attitudes and social systems that have led to people being denied basic needs because they are fat and calls for social justice movements to be inclusive of plus-sized people’s experiences. Unlike the recent wave of memoirs and quasi self-help books that encourage listeners to love and accept themselves, Gordon pushes the discussion further towards authentic fat activism, which includes ending legal weight discrimination, giving equal access to health care for large people, increased access to public spaces, and ending anti-fat violence. As she argues, “I did not come to body positivity for self-esteem. I came to it for social justice.”
By sharing her experiences as well as those of others - from smaller fat to very fat people - she concludes that to be fat in our society is to be seen as an undeniable failure, unlovable, unforgivable, and morally condemnable. Fatness is an open invitation for others to express disgust, fear, and insidious concern. To be fat is to be denied humanity and empathy. Studies show that fat survivors of sexual assault are less likely to be believed and less likely than their thin counterparts to report various crimes; 27 percent of very fat women and 13 percent of very fat men attempt suicide; over 50 percent of doctors describe their fat patients as “awkward, unattractive, ugly and noncompliant”; and in 48 states, it’s legal - even routine - to deny employment because of an applicant’s size.
Advancing fat justice and changing prejudicial structures and attitudes will require work from all people. What We Don’t Talk About When We Talk About Fat is a crucial tool to create a tectonic shift in the way we see, talk about, and treat our bodies, fat and thin alike.
©2020 Aubrey Gordon (P)2020 Beacon PressYou may also enjoy...
-
"Prisons Make Us Safer"
- And 20 Other Myths About Mass Incarceration
- Written by: Victoria Law
- Narrated by: Melissa Moran
- Length: 5 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall0 out of 5 stars 0
-
Performance0 out of 5 stars 0
-
Story0 out of 5 stars 0
The United States incarcerates more of its residents than any other nation. Though home to five percent of the global population, the United States has nearly 25 percent of the world’s prisoners - a total of over two million people. This number continues to steadily rise. Over the past 40 years, the number of people behind bars in the United States has increased by 500 percent.
Written by: Victoria Law
-
Fearing the Black Body
- The Racial Origins of Fat Phobia
- Written by: Sabrina Strings
- Narrated by: Allyson Johnson
- Length: 7 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 36
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 31
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 30
There is an obesity epidemic in this country, and poor Black women are particularly stigmatized as "diseased" and a burden on the public health-care system. This is only the most recent incarnation of the fear of fat Black women, which Sabrina Strings shows took root more than 200 years ago.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Brilliant
- By I Graham on 2021-07-08
Written by: Sabrina Strings
-
The Wellness Trap
- Break Free from Diet Culture, Disinformation, and Dubious Diagnoses, and Find Your True Well-Being
- Written by: Christy Harrison
- Narrated by: Christy Harrison
- Length: 9 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 5
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 4
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 4
“It's not a diet, it's a lifestyle.” You've probably heard this phrase from any number of people in the wellness space. But as Christy Harrison reveals in her latest book, wellness culture promotes a standard of health that is often both unattainable and deeply harmful. The Wellness Trap delves into the persistent, systemic problems with that industry, offering insight into its troubling pattern of cultural appropriation and its destructive views on mental health, and shedding light on how a growing distrust of conventional medicine has led ordinary people to turn their backs on science.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
GAME CHANGER
- By Kara Bowers on 2023-07-23
Written by: Christy Harrison
-
Fat Talk
- Parenting in the Age of Diet Culture
- Written by: Virginia Sole-Smith
- Narrated by: Virginia Sole-Smith
- Length: 11 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 9
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 7
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 7
Fat Talk argues for a reclaiming of “fat,” which is not synonymous with “unhealthy,” “inactive,” or “lazy.” Talking to researchers and activists, as well as parents and kids across a broad swath of the country, Sole-Smith lays bare how America’s focus on solving the “childhood obesity epidemic” has perpetuated a second crisis of disordered eating and body hatred for kids of all sizes. She exposes our society’s internalized fatphobia and elucidates how and why we need to stop “preventing obesity” and start supporting kids in the bodies they have.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Well researched and inspiring
- By Finnigaroo on 2023-08-08
Written by: Virginia Sole-Smith
-
Food Isn’t Medicine
- Written by: Dr Joshua Wolrich
- Narrated by: Dr Joshua Wolrich
- Length: 5 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 65
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 58
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 56
Food Isn't Medicine wades through nutritional science (both good and bad) to demystify the common diet myths that many of us believe without questioning. If you have ever wondered whether you should stop eating sugar, try fasting, juicing or 'alkaline water', or struggled through diet after diet (none of which seem to work), this book will be a powerful wake-up call.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
the book EVERYONE needs to read or Listen to!!
- By Amazon Customer on 2021-05-28
Written by: Dr Joshua Wolrich
-
Shrill
- Notes from a Loud Woman
- Written by: Lindy West
- Narrated by: Lindy West
- Length: 6 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 136
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 118
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 117
Shrill is an uproarious memoir, a feminist rallying cry in a world that thinks gender politics are tedious and that women, especially feminists, can't be funny. Coming of age in a culture that demands women be as small, quiet, and compliant as possible - like a porcelain dove that will also have sex with you - writer and humorist Lindy West quickly discovered that she was anything but. With inimitable good humor, vulnerability, and boundless charm, Lindy boldly shares how to survive in a world where not all stories are created equal.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
If you're a fat woman, you need this book.
- By jcooop on 2020-12-14
Written by: Lindy West
-
"Prisons Make Us Safer"
- And 20 Other Myths About Mass Incarceration
- Written by: Victoria Law
- Narrated by: Melissa Moran
- Length: 5 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall0 out of 5 stars 0
-
Performance0 out of 5 stars 0
-
Story0 out of 5 stars 0
The United States incarcerates more of its residents than any other nation. Though home to five percent of the global population, the United States has nearly 25 percent of the world’s prisoners - a total of over two million people. This number continues to steadily rise. Over the past 40 years, the number of people behind bars in the United States has increased by 500 percent.
Written by: Victoria Law
-
Fearing the Black Body
- The Racial Origins of Fat Phobia
- Written by: Sabrina Strings
- Narrated by: Allyson Johnson
- Length: 7 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 36
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 31
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 30
There is an obesity epidemic in this country, and poor Black women are particularly stigmatized as "diseased" and a burden on the public health-care system. This is only the most recent incarnation of the fear of fat Black women, which Sabrina Strings shows took root more than 200 years ago.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Brilliant
- By I Graham on 2021-07-08
Written by: Sabrina Strings
-
The Wellness Trap
- Break Free from Diet Culture, Disinformation, and Dubious Diagnoses, and Find Your True Well-Being
- Written by: Christy Harrison
- Narrated by: Christy Harrison
- Length: 9 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 5
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 4
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 4
“It's not a diet, it's a lifestyle.” You've probably heard this phrase from any number of people in the wellness space. But as Christy Harrison reveals in her latest book, wellness culture promotes a standard of health that is often both unattainable and deeply harmful. The Wellness Trap delves into the persistent, systemic problems with that industry, offering insight into its troubling pattern of cultural appropriation and its destructive views on mental health, and shedding light on how a growing distrust of conventional medicine has led ordinary people to turn their backs on science.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
GAME CHANGER
- By Kara Bowers on 2023-07-23
Written by: Christy Harrison
-
Fat Talk
- Parenting in the Age of Diet Culture
- Written by: Virginia Sole-Smith
- Narrated by: Virginia Sole-Smith
- Length: 11 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 9
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 7
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 7
Fat Talk argues for a reclaiming of “fat,” which is not synonymous with “unhealthy,” “inactive,” or “lazy.” Talking to researchers and activists, as well as parents and kids across a broad swath of the country, Sole-Smith lays bare how America’s focus on solving the “childhood obesity epidemic” has perpetuated a second crisis of disordered eating and body hatred for kids of all sizes. She exposes our society’s internalized fatphobia and elucidates how and why we need to stop “preventing obesity” and start supporting kids in the bodies they have.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Well researched and inspiring
- By Finnigaroo on 2023-08-08
Written by: Virginia Sole-Smith
-
Food Isn’t Medicine
- Written by: Dr Joshua Wolrich
- Narrated by: Dr Joshua Wolrich
- Length: 5 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 65
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 58
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 56
Food Isn't Medicine wades through nutritional science (both good and bad) to demystify the common diet myths that many of us believe without questioning. If you have ever wondered whether you should stop eating sugar, try fasting, juicing or 'alkaline water', or struggled through diet after diet (none of which seem to work), this book will be a powerful wake-up call.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
the book EVERYONE needs to read or Listen to!!
- By Amazon Customer on 2021-05-28
Written by: Dr Joshua Wolrich
-
Shrill
- Notes from a Loud Woman
- Written by: Lindy West
- Narrated by: Lindy West
- Length: 6 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 136
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 118
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 117
Shrill is an uproarious memoir, a feminist rallying cry in a world that thinks gender politics are tedious and that women, especially feminists, can't be funny. Coming of age in a culture that demands women be as small, quiet, and compliant as possible - like a porcelain dove that will also have sex with you - writer and humorist Lindy West quickly discovered that she was anything but. With inimitable good humor, vulnerability, and boundless charm, Lindy boldly shares how to survive in a world where not all stories are created equal.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
If you're a fat woman, you need this book.
- By jcooop on 2020-12-14
Written by: Lindy West
-
Reclaiming Body Trust
- A Path to Healing & Liberation
- Written by: Hilary Kinavey MS LPC, Dana Sturtevant MS RD
- Narrated by: Hilary Kinavey MS LPC, Angela Braxton-Johnson, Mx. Nicky Endres, and others
- Length: 9 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 6
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 5
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 4
Have you ever felt uncomfortable or not “at home” in your body? In this book, the founders of Body Trust, licensed therapist Hilary Kinavey and registered dietician Dana Sturtevant, invite listeners to break free from the status quo and reject a diet culture that has taken advantage and profited from trauma, stigma, and disembodiment, and fully reclaim and embrace their bodies.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Ouvrage essentiel!
- By Isabelle Lavoie on 2024-01-22
Written by: Hilary Kinavey MS LPC, and others
-
Belly of the Beast
- The Politics of Anti-Fatness as Anti-Blackness
- Written by: Da'Shaun L. Harrison, Kiese Laymon - foreword
- Narrated by: Da'Shaun L. Harrison
- Length: 3 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 9
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 7
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 7
To live in a body both fat and Black is to exist at the margins of a society that creates the conditions for anti-fatness as anti-Blackness. Hyper-policed by state and society, passed over for housing and jobs, and derided and misdiagnosed by medical professionals, fat Black people in the United States are subject to socio-politically sanctioned discrimination, abuse, condescension, and trauma.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Must read
- By Suzanne Pothier on 2023-03-11
Written by: Da'Shaun L. Harrison, and others
-
Anti-Diet
- Reclaim Your Time, Money, Well-Being, and Happiness Through Intuitive Eating
- Written by: Christy Harrison
- Narrated by: Christy Harrison
- Length: 9 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 238
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 192
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 186
Sixty-eight percent of Americans have dieted at some point in their lives. But upwards of 90 percent of people who intentionally lose weight gain it back within five years. And as many as 66 percent of people who embark on weight-loss efforts end up gaining more weight than they lost. If dieting is so clearly ineffective, why are we so obsessed with it? The culprit is diet culture, a system of beliefs that equates thinness to health and moral virtue, promotes weight loss as a means of attaining higher status, and demonizes certain ways of eating while elevating others.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
The best book about intuitive eating
- By melissa on 2020-09-21
Written by: Christy Harrison
-
I'm Afraid of Men
- Written by: Vivek Shraya
- Narrated by: Vivek Shraya
- Length: 1 hr and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 106
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 95
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 96
Vivek Shraya has reason to be afraid. Throughout her life she's endured acts of cruelty and aggression for being too feminine as a boy and not feminine enough as a girl. In order to survive childhood, she had to learn to convincingly perform masculinity. As an adult, she makes daily compromises to steel herself against everything from verbal attacks to heartbreak. Now, with raw honesty, Shraya delivers an important record of the cumulative damage caused by misogyny, homophobia, and transphobia, releasing trauma from a body that has always refused to assimilate.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
amazing, must read feminist text
- By Anynomous on 2018-09-04
Written by: Vivek Shraya
-
The Body Is Not an Apology, Second Edition
- The Power of Radical Self-Love
- Written by: Sonya Renee Taylor
- Narrated by: Sonya Renee Taylor
- Length: 5 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 152
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 121
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 120
Humans are a varied and divergent bunch with all manner of beliefs, morals, and bodies. Systems of oppression thrive off our inability to make peace with difference and injure the relationship we have with our own bodies. The Body Is Not an Apology offers radical self-love as the balm to heal the wounds inflicted by these violent systems. World-renowned activist and poet Sonya Renee Taylor invites us to reconnect with the radical origins of our minds and bodies and celebrate our collective, enduring strength.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
I already love it.
- By Amy Nicole Thibodeau on 2021-04-14
Written by: Sonya Renee Taylor
-
More than a Body
- Your Body Is an Instrument, Not an Ornament
- Written by: Lexie Kite, Lindsay Kite
- Narrated by: Lexie Kite PhD, Lindsay Kite PhD
- Length: 9 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 45
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 36
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 35
Our beauty-obsessed world perpetuates the idea that happiness, health, and ability to be loved are dependent on how we look, but authors Lindsay and Lexie Kite offer an alternative vision. With insights drawn from their extensive body image research, Lindsay and Lexie—PhDs and founders of the nonprofit Beauty Redefined (and also twin sisters!)—lay out an action plan that arms you with the skills you need to reconnect with your whole self and free yourself from the constraints of self-objectification.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A must read for everyone with a body.
- By Jessica Coady on 2023-01-08
Written by: Lexie Kite, and others
What the critics say
“Everyone who has a fat family member, friend, acquaintance, or coworker should read this insightful book.”
—Library Journal, Starred Review
“Gordon provides candid storytelling and critical analysis in this validating and inclusive read.”
—Ms. Magazine
“Writing from a personal and cultural perspective, Gordon goes beyond cosmetic complaints to undress the depths of anti-fat bias and discrimination, ultimately rallying for a social justice movement to form and broaden the scope of the conversation.”
—CultureShift
What listeners say about What We Don't Talk About When We Talk About Fat
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 2021-04-21
Everyone with a body needs to read/listen to this
My review title really says it all. If you have a body or know anyone with a body... you should read this. For anyone who has been concerned for the health of someone who is fat, you should read this.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- AC
- 2021-06-15
Insightful and thought-provoking
I love Aubrey on the Maintenance Phase podcast, so while I missed her voice as the narrator, Samara did an excellent job of bringing life and emotion to the book. The candid recollections of experiences (and their lasting impact) coupled with science and statistics made for a compelling listen... it was over too soon!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- G
- 2022-01-12
Love Aubrey!
Aubrey Gordon is a wonderful writer. I am a frequent listener of her podcast Maintenance Phase, and this book didn’t disappoint. At times heartbreaking; these are important stories and I would recommend to anyone and everyone. This book, as well as her other writing, has completely changed the way I view fat people and weight stigma.
My only critique would be that I wish Aubrey had narrated the book, since she is an excellent speaker. But the narrator is still quite good.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story4 out of 5 stars
- Britney
- 2021-01-16
One for the home shelf
Aubrey Gordon has written a book that everyone (especially straight sized people) should read. This book vulnerably tells the story of so many fat people while also introducing ways to stand up for body justice.
Samara Naeymi does a brilliant job of narrating and gives Gordon’s words life in each page. These two make a great team!
I am incredibly grateful for this book’s existence and so thankful that Aubrey Gordon had the courage to write it.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Aura
- 2022-06-27
Refreshing
It's so clear when you look at society that "wellness culture" (née diet culture) is a 4.5 Trillion dollar scam that harms everyone it touches. The science is telling us that the medical assumptions so often used as weapons are not just wrong but actively opposed to their supposed goal.
I enjoyed this thoroughly while also getting both sad and angry at the state of things.
Great narrator but I wish Audrey Gordon had narrated it herself. (Hint hint, publisher.)
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Sierra Jamerson
- 2022-04-01
Heart wrenching
Anyone who has ever struggled with their body image, difficult diets and not feeling good enough will resonate with the message in this book. I’m not entirely sure about the science the author suggests is most accurate about obesity, but the ethical and emotional impact is profound.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- ken
- 2022-05-23
Excellent and check out Maintenance Phase!
Excellent narration and writing with a message I wish everyone would try to understand.
Aubry's "Maintenance Phase" is my all time favourite podcast!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Kindle Customer
- 2021-07-14
this was good for me to hear
Great book, I love how Aubrey offered actual reasonable, possible solutions to end fat stigma. I'll be a little more gentle with myself for being fat today. thank you Aubrey.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amy
- 2021-08-21
Compelling, well-researched, enlightening
Insightful, at times heart wrenching, Aubrey Gordon paints a very well researched picture of life as a fat person, reflective of my own experiences as well as nuanced about others as well.
It was also well narrated, easy to understand and listen to, and incredibly compelling. A must listen for anyone trying to unlearn structural and societal anti-fatness.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 2023-02-28
I loved it
As a black woman, this book brought me a deeper understanding of how i’ve felt in my body and another pov as to why! I enjoyed it.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!