Ah, the media. The deluge of public health material on the perils! (ee!) dangers (oooo!) and costs of all us hideeoutiotious fatties ruining America usually come accompanied with de-headed images of stomachs. Big Butts. It’s the adult, modernist media equivalent “Fatty, fatty boo blatty”, and it’s dehumanizing. It’s also been very bad for public policy and public health.
So Stocky Bodies is an online archive of images of fat people just doing stuff to create images of fat people as actual human bodies for media outlets to use. And those pictures are fat people…working and making contributions, like, doing stuff like other people.
Here’s their lingo:
The ‘Stocky Bodies’ image library was created in response to the stigmatised representations of overweight and obese people in the media and popular culture.
Such depictions tend to dehumanise by portraying subjects as headless, slovenly or vulnerable and reinforce stereotypes by presenting subjects as engaged in unhealthy eating practices or sedentary conduct.
Our library of stock photos was created to provide positive and diverse representations of the lived experience of fat that begin to break down the typecasting that heightens weight stigma. This is an important objective as research has strongly associated weight prejudice with widespread social and material inequalities, unfair treatment and heightened body esteem issues.
The photographs for the image library are the outcome of an interdisciplinary project between Dr Lauren Gurrieri of the Griffith Business School and Mr Isaac Brown of the Queensland College of Art. The participants are everyday people who are involved in fat-acceptance communities and keen to see change in the representation of fat bodies.
Our images challenge oversimplified and demeaning representations of weight prejudice by showing subjects engaged in everyday activities, such as bike riding, shopping for fashionable clothes and performing their jobs. The documentary imagery to be shown through the library is a non-stigmatising view of what it is to be fat and live an affirmative life.
‘Stocky Bodies’ is a free resource that can be used by the media, health professionals, social marketers, educators and others.
WHAT? You mean treating people like shit is no way to get them to invest in their health? SHOCKING.
If this website had an conscious they would illustrate a fat person eating an ice cream cone and driving an SUV while picking up her welfare check and feeding Pespi to her grubby baby! Jeez. The next thing you know people will start thinking fat people contribute to society now and then instead of just leeching off it.
What is the world coming to????