Jacqueline Clark, sociology, publishes blog about fat shaming

Jacqueline Clark, associate professor of sociology and chair of the department, wrote a guest blog for Sociological Images, published Oct. 7, 2015.

In “Fat shaming. It’s a thing,” Clark cites Nicole Arbout’s youtube video, “Dear Fat People,” which mocks obese people, says they deserve to be ridiculed and treated poorly, and claims that “fat shaming” doesn’t exist.

However, Clark says, research finds that obese people continue to face prejudice and discrimination in a wide variety of ways, in the educational system, the workplace and in healthcare. Arbour’s video “perpetuates longstanding beliefs about overweight and obese people, legitimates the unfair treatment that they face on a daily basis, and proves that, yes, fat shaming is a thing.”