Food Psych #195: Why Fatphobia Hurts All of Us with Sofie Hagen
Comedian, author, and fellow podcaster Sofie Hagen joins us to discuss her new book, Happy Fat; how fatphobia affects people of all sizes; why health isn’t a matter of individual responsibility (and why framing it as one is oppressive); how science often gets twisted by diet culture and the media, and so much more! Plus, Christy answers a listener question about how to define “health” outside of diet culture.
Sofie Hagen is a stand-up comedian, author, podcaster, fat activist and blogger. A modern legend in her native Denmark, Sofie burst onto the British comedy scene by winning Best Newcomer at Edinburgh Festival 2015. Her 2016 follow-up, Shimmer Shatter, was a second total sell-out, which followed again with another sellout show in 2017, Dead Baby Frog. Sofie has spoken to millions as host of her successful Made of Human podcast, as well as Secret Dinosaur Cult and Comedians Telling Stuff. Her first book, Happy Fat, is published in the UK by 4th Estate on May 2, 2019. Find her online at SofieHagen.com.
We Discuss:
The many factors that contributed to Sofie’s negative relationship with food growing up
Why fat people are resilient, not weak
The different levels of fatphobia, and how they relate to thin privilege
The discomfort of acknowledging our privileges and biases
How we all have a role to play in social justice
Sofie’s history of depression and binge-eating disorder
Sofie’s and Christy’s experiences in therapy
Why the “individual responsibility” narrative is oppressive
How body positivity has been co-opted by diet culture
Sofie’s rebellious nature as a child
How she was introduced to feminism and body liberation
Her new book, and what it was like to share it with people around her
Responding to people who are indifferent or opposed to body liberation
The parallels between The Wellness Diet and how Hitler talked about health
The history of diet culture and weight stigma
Fatphobia in progressive spaces
Why fat jokes are cheap and harmful forms of comedy
How fatphobia affects everyone
Jes Baker’s body currency theory
How diet culture and American culture reinforce the harmful belief that we all can be “above average”
Science and research, and how it’s often twisted by diet culture and media
Corporate sponsorship of “o-word” research
Resources Mentioned
Some of the links below are affiliate links. Affiliates or not, we only recommend products and services that align with our values.
Submit your questions for a chance to have them answered on the podcast!
My online course, Intuitive Eating Fundamentals
Help spread the anti-diet message by subscribing to the podcast
Sofie’s Made of Human podcast
The 3 Levels of Fatphobia (and author Virgie Tovar’s Food Psych® episodes: #45, #100, #184)
Andrea Storgaard Brok’s work
How Nazis Use Fat to Excuse Violence by Kivan Bay
Food Psych #130: How to Fight Fatphobia in Woke Spaces (and guest Melissa Toler’s work and first Food Psych episode)
Why People Hate Tess Munster (and Other Happy Fat People) (Jes Baker’s blog post on Body Currency, and her Food Psych episodes: #112 and #154)
Actual Causes of Death in the United States (CW: Death/mortality, specific numbers, o-words, some healthist language)
Happy Fat by Sofie Hagen
Sofie’s new podcast, Secret Dinosaur Cult
Sofie’s previous podcast, Comedians Telling Stuff
Listener Question of the Week
How is “health” defined in the Health At Every Size® paradigm? How are fitness level and health related? Is it possible to be healthy without being fit? What is the difference between “having health” and “being healthy?” What is the difference between diet culture’s and HAES®’s versions of health? Is it possible to be fit and not in good health? Can people with chronic conditions have health? What are some of the factors that contribute to a person’s health? What are social determinants of health, and how much do they contribute to health?
(Resources Mentioned: