Activists Organize Fat Beach Day to Combat Weight Stigmatization

Many people believe that plus-size individuals are not discriminated against. This view is incorrect, as activists whose bodies do not fit into the standard size range continually prove. To fight stigmatization, activists in the USA organize special beach events for plus-size individuals.

Summer means beach outings, pool visits, and lake relaxing. The warm season can be a nightmare for plus-size individuals - chafing thighs, fear of wearing shorts or dresses, judging glances, and comments. Some larger-bodied people even sit on the beach in overly large, concealing clothing to avoid criticism.

In the United States, "Fat Beach Day" events are increasingly being organized, allowing plus-size individuals to enjoy the pleasures of the beach without any reservations. On Saturday, June 22, "Fat Beach Day" occurred in Far Rockaway. The event organizer, Jordan Underwood, told The Guardian:

"We are going through something cultural that impacts us every day on an individual and systemic level. We strive to open a space where people can be themselves."

Jordan Underwood is a model and artist who understands weight-based bullying all too well. At the age of 12, she started a blog to share her issues related to hate speech. Underwood collaborates with the vintage store Berriez to organize Fat Beach Day in Jacob Riis Park. The store owner, Emma Zack, told The Guardian:

I'm very insecure at the beach and am never among people who look like me. I'm excited that we have created this space for people with bigger bodies to have fun

Researchers from KFF indicate that one in eight Americans has undergone treatments with weight-loss drugs such as Ozempic or Mounjaro. Celebrities boast of "magically losing weight," which motivates ordinary people to resort to radical measures. Jordan Underwood points out that fatphobia has existed in culture for years and how, in the 2000s, there was a strong anti-fat, intense cultural shift that parallels what we are going through now.

Emma Zack adds: "It's a tough time, not only on the internet but also in society, to be fat, and in many aspects, it seems brutal. You'd think it wouldn't be such a big deal because New York is so open, and you dress the way you want. I always say that I never realised how much people hate fat people until I went on TikTok."