The NAAFA Chronicles reflect a piece of fat acceptance/fat activist history. In the September 1986 issue you will find: an FDA investigation of the gastric bubble is discussed, information on what happened to NAAFA's proposed name change, media and publicity, aerobics for large-sized people, and more.

Each month, we will be featuring educational resources on the NAAFA Community Voices Blog. This month, we focus on Women’s History Month 2022 and Black women that everyone should know. The breadth of the contributions of Black women to the U.S. is immeasurable. There are too many to recognize in this compilation, so here are just a few.

In this piece for Women’s History Month 2022, Barbara Altman Bruno PhD gives us a glimpse into why she felt “driven” in working to end fat stigma and toward fat liberation. Dr. Bruno conveys some of the history of the fat acceptance/fat liberation movement from her perspective, the beginnings of Health At Every Size and her work in preserving our history for the future.

For the latest information and research on fatness, check out the Media and Research Roundup. This issue features: how far we have gone and how far we need to go to change the pervasiveness of the "ideal body" in teen magazines, don't weight me cards, body neutrality, and more!

The NAAFA Chronicles reflect a piece of fat acceptance/fat activist history. This month is the August 1986 issue of the NAAFA Chronicles featuring a settlement in a health spa lawsuit, activism committee report, a book review and more.

Decolonizing Wellness Book Giveaway!
Dalia Kinsey (Nonbinary|No Pronouns) is a queer, small fat, Black Registered Dietitian, the creator of the Body Liberation for All podcast, and author of Decolonizing Wellness: A QTBIPOC-Centered Guide to Escape the Diet Trap, Heal Your Self-Image, and Achieve Body Liberation. Dalia and publishers are giving away a free copy of the book to someone in our NAAFA community. Read the blog post to enter the giveaway! Enter by 2/28/22.

Each month, we will be featuring educational resources on the NAAFA Community Voices Blog. Some resources will be historic information about systemic racism. Others will be resources on doing the internal work of understanding ourselves and how we play a part in that system. There will also be actions that can be taken to directly oppose racism. This month, we focus on Black History Month 2022 whose theme is Black Health and Wellness.

A personal reflection on Black History Month and a look at today’s questions surrounding Black leadership in NAAFA and fat liberation spaces from NAAFA’s Board Chair, Tigress Osborn.

“We see fat Black leadership in other social justice movements at the time of NAAFA’s founding. What does whiteness have to do with why we don’t see Black leadership, or even much Black participation, in early NAAFA? What does anti-Blackness have to do with it? Is there simply more urgency of other issues for Black folx (then? now?), or is there discomfort in these spaces for Black people (then? now?), or are Black people simply not interested in NAAFA (then? now?). The questions feel rhetorical, but they’re not.

If you’re wondering how we got from my first grade memory of Black History Month to the difficult questions NAAFA and other fat lib spaces have to answer about lack of intersectionality in the history of fat community, here’s how…”

For the latest information and research on fatness, check out the Media and Research Roundup. This issue features: a travel article featuring Chubby Diaries travel blogger, Jeff Jenkins; a podcast interview; long term risks associated with WLS; Jessamyn Stanley shows how fitness instructors can become a fat ally and more!

Medical avoidance was the norm after my teenage years. The loathing and judgement from medical systems was too much. Avoidance put me in the hospital twice. I could not bear the thought of going to the doctors. I would cry at the thought of it. If for some reason I had to go, the entire time was panic-inducing.

Fast forward to 2020 and my forties. I was a few years into learning about Health at Every Size (HAES), weight biases, and Fat Liberation. I decided to take the leap and sought after a weight-neutral doctor. After researching in my area, I found one.

Each month, we will be featuring educational resources on the NAAFA Community Voices Blog. Some resources will be historic information about systemic racism. Others will be resources on doing the internal work of understanding ourselves and how we play a part in that system. There will also be actions that can be taken to directly oppose racism. This month, we focus on being an Ally.

Our 2022 Ally Week explores the meaning of allyship in fat community -- how others show up for us and how we show up for others. We know thin people have a lot to learn about how to be allies to fat folx; we also know that fat folx with other privilege have a lot to learn about how to center marginalized people in fat community and how to show up as allies for other oppressed groups. NAAFA volunteers, guest speakers, special bloggers, and others have worked together to create programming about being allies; how we operate in our relationships of all kinds; how we invest our time, energy, and money; and more.

All events are free. Most are open to everyone, but our Fat Fridays Virtual Social Club is an affinity space limited to fat people. If you don’t understand why, our Intro to Allyship workshop will include discussion of safe spaces and why sometimes not showing up is an important part of allyship.

We're excited to introduce you to Janet Conroy-Quirk, who is taking on the role of Blog Editor of the NAAFA Community Voices Blog. Janet will work with our communications team to grow readership and build relationships with new writers. Welcome Janet!

NAAFA wrapped up 2021 with a very successful board search. We are thrilled to welcome the six new fat community leaders to our Board of Directors! Join us in welcoming them to the NAAFA Board of Directors.

Their bios and pics were provided by each new board member and featured in this posting.

The NAAFA Chronicles reflect a piece of fat acceptance/fat activist history. This month is the July 1986 issue of the NAAFA Chronicles featuring the 1985 NAAFA Convention Photo Special Edition!

For the latest information and research on fatness, check out the Media and Research Roundup. This issue features: Fat myths, Bo-Po vs fat acceptance, healthism and ableism attitudes, traveling while fat, sharing fat history in an archive and more!

The NAAFA Chronicles reflect a piece of fat acceptance/fat activist history. This month is the June 1986 issue of the NAAFA Chronicles and discusses the right to be different in the U.S., media and publicity watches, seatbelt updates and more!

The Dr. Paul Ernsberger research scholarship fund was established through the generous gift of one of Dr. Ernsberger’s colleagues. In this blog post, Dr. Richard Koletsky, who was Dr. Ernsberger’s research partner for many years at Case Western Reserve University, gives us more insight into their work and why it’s essential that Paul’s approach be carried on by the next generation of researchers.

Each month, we will be featuring educational resources on the NAAFA Community Voices Blog. Some resources will be historic information about systemic racism. Others will be resources on doing the internal work of understanding ourselves and how we play a part in that system. There will also be actions that can be taken to directly oppose racism. This month’s Anti-Racism Resources focus on some of the various Winter Celebrations.

During emergencies like the COVID-19 pandemic, when hospitals are overwhelmed with the number of people needing help, they turn to “care rationing.” Care rationing means medical providers limit the types of care they provide to certain people.

Sometimes care rationing means that people will be denied life-saving care and instead will only receive care to help them be more comfortable. When care rationing happens on the basis of certain characteristics, it can be unlawful or wrong. Because COVID precautions often mean patients are without their usual support systems, care rationing can happen behind closed doors without input from family members, friends, support workers, or community. It is important to share stories of discrimination so that all people receive fair treatment.