Critique: Fat and Happy: In Defense of Fat Acceptance

Critique: Fat and Happy: In Defense of Fat Acceptance


In her article, “Fat and Happy: In defense of Fat Acceptance,” Mary Ray Worley makes many well-supported points through explaining her personal experience of living her life as a fat person. Americans have been told for so many years that it is unattractive and unhealthy to be fat. Worley claims, “We’re so accustomed to this way of thinking that many of us never considered an alternative.”
Attending the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance (NAAFA) in San Diego, Worley had a life changing experience. It was here that she learned how deeply her body shame affected her life. She became more educated and aware of the many misconceptions society (herself included) has about being fat. She also became aware of some alternative thinking.
One major element of Worley’s argument is the experience she enjoyed at the NAAFA convention. Worley’s account of her experience at the...