Media & Research Roundup - August 2024
[Image Description: A photo of a laptop, mobile phone, keyboard, camera lens, and cords on a desk.]
By Bill and Terri Weitze
CONTENT WARNING: Some articles featured in the Media & Research Roundup may refer to stigmatizing events or use stigmatizing language.
July 22, 2024: Although Kate Cohen still struggles with loving her body, she renounces the idea of a beach body. At the beach she sees all kinds of bodies enjoying the soothing water and sky.
July 24, 2024: Ever hear of “plunge for distance”? Long gone from the Olympics, in this sport, competitors were not the usual athletic specimens because being fat and buoyant was an advantage.
August 2024: Katie Kadan sings ”Without You”. You’re going to love her!
August 2, 2024: Currently the leader in accommodating fat travelers, Southwest Airlines is planning on discontinuing its open-seating policy, possibly making it more difficult for passengers to be able to claim a complimentary second seat when necessary. The two previous links cover NAAFA’s efforts to persuade Southwest to continue to value customers of size. Learn more about the campaign and sign the petition to add your voice and experience to the message NAAFA is sending the airline.
August 5, 2024: A Special Issue of Frontiers in Psychiatry is planned about the mental health impact of weight stigma. Organizers are looking for manuscript summaries, which are due 14 October 2024. More information is available here.
August 5, 2024: Anecdotally, some healthcare professionals are seeing an uptick in eating disorders in patients using weight loss drugs like Wegovy or Zepbound and are hoping for better information on this trend.
August 8, 2024: The Boston Globe offers a delightful profile of local fat activism and community organization Bigger Bodies Boston, who are working closely with NAAFA and the Campaign for Size Freedom on passing a Massachusetts bill to ban discrimination based on size.
August 12, 2024: Great Britain’s Olympic medalist Emily Campbell, a weightlifter with a plus-size body, is refusing to endorse sportswear companies that don't have inclusive sizes as she cannot find clothing that fits her or makes her feel confident while working out.
August 12, 2024: Sara Milliken is National American Miss Alabama 2024; she’s beautiful, charming, and fat. Sara never gave up on her message of body positivity and self-expression in the face of naysayers who judge her based solely on her size.
