THE WEIGHT OF OPPRESSION

The Weight of Oppression
By Tina Sawicki

When I woke up this morning, I felt good, felt I could conquer the day. Being within myself, I am satisfied, comfortable. Regarding myself in the mirror, I am okay. I look well. I am healthy in mind and body. Gathering my belongings, I am distant from the articles I am holding; a swimsuit, towels, halter top and goggles. I enter the outer world, still smiling, feeling good. I have confidence in my step. I begin my trek to the pool, where I will partake in my regular exercise of choice. I have been told I am brave to join the healthy bodies, pumping their bodies in the cool water. Mind over matter, I say. I enter the hallway leading to the change rooms, beginning to falter in my confidence, fighting to maintain. The change room is busy. I block out the slim bodies gearing up for work out and force myself to begin changing. I am ready. I am okay. "Look at how fat that girl is! Ooo!", a comment from two children, dressing after their swim. How can I do this? I want to stop, go home, be alone. I can't, I won't, I will swim. I gather my wits and successfully complete my swim. My confidence is gone. My smile is gone.
* * *
It may seem unfair but children are not the only violators of a fat individual's confidence. Whether ignorant of the pain they have inflicted or not, one can wonder where the children have learned their manners. Unfortunately, this is not a difficult question to answer. Society and history have taught these children to feel disgust against the extra flesh the majority of women carry.

Fat Oppression, the fear and hatred of fat people. One of the last, truly accepted prejudices left. It is difficult to believe being "natural" has become such a sordid way to be. History reveals incredibly fluctuating ideals centered around women and their bodies. Fleshy, curvatious women, in the 1500's were considered goddesses' of fertility. Their beauty was forthcoming and portrayed in early forms of art. The 1800's brought with them "the cult of the lady" and the "Steel Engraving Lady"(Mayer, 1983,pg 22). These depicted the delicacy, gentility, slenderness and etherealness of women. (By today's standards, these beauties only had thin waists.) By the 1850's this image became unpopular and the more voluptuous form, emphasizing the importance of fertility was temporarily the rage. The end of the era introduced the "Gibson Girl." Tall and athletic looking was the only way to be. This extended into the early 1900's, which brought about the hourglass figure and the use of corsets. Being thin became the symbol of success, freedom from hard labor. Medical bias, in the early 1900's, was declaring your figure an indication of character as well as your health. The 50's brought with them a concentration of bra size. Bigger was better. There was no preoccupation or obsession with food. Eating disorders were rare. Food was commonplace, not forbidden. The magazines women of the time read were not filled with weight loss and control issues. "The huge bosomed figure, exemplified by Jane Russell or Jayne Mansfield, was the one to which women aspired. These `mammary goddesses' were the feminine ideal"(Meadow and Weiss, 1992,pg 95).

It was not truly until the 60's, with the beginnings of women's movements that the standards of beauty drastically changed. With the change in roles brought about by this movement, came change with body ideals. With the demands of equality between men and women, a more androgynous body image emerged. "Emphasis on rounded curves and voluptuous, milk producing breasts gave way to a more slender boyish look"(Meadow and Weiss, 1992,pg 97). The "Twiggy" image was the aspired look of the early 60's.

Television and magazines in the 60's began to communicate the requirement for women to become slender and "healthy". Slimness symbolized economic success and fatness represented a lack of control. Unfortunately, this fad brought us into the 70's with an abundance of eating disorders and illnesses. The 80's evolved us into an almost panic regarding body image. Medical practices pushed exercise, those who could not possibly live up to these images were offered surgical means to deal with the offending flesh.

To me and many other women, these methods of surgery became patriarchal wounds. Intestinal and gastro bypasses, stomach stapling, body binding and jaw wiring are a few of the hideous actions inflicted on women in the 80's and are still being practiced today. It seems that regardless of the side effects or pain involved in becoming that "perfect you", women would rather suffer at the hands of men, than bear the suffering of being fat in today's society. Shadow on a Tightrope portrays this relationship at the hands of man in the essay, Fat Illusion by Vivian Mayer.

Usefulness(sex-appeal) is the only virtue; pain is irrelevant. The relation between doctors and fat women is sado-masochistic. Believing that she is inadequate to manipulate herself as a sex object, the fat woman finally gives up her power to the doctor to manipulate (mutilate) her. Her jaws get wired shut. Her guts get cut apart."She obtains the illusion that she is in control"(pg. 10).

For many of us, it is difficult to admit the real reasons behind our obsession with our bodies. Women today are still obsessed with their appearance whether they are "looking for a husband" or that perfect job. It seems almost a necessity to adapt our personal image to that of our patriarchal society in order to obtain success.

Society tells us through the use of the media that we are not adequate the way we are. That we must "improve" ourselves constantly. Every where one looks there is a reminder of our deficiency within our selves. Magazines advertise using the thinnest, tiniest models available. They are white, bony and flawless. These are the images we as women are forced to look at and compare ourselves to, unbeknownst to us that only approximately 1% of today's women are naturally that way. Television uses only beautiful women; they sell, their only excuse. Programs such as Baywatch, Beverly Hills 90210 and Melrose Place use actors and actresses of perfection. Bodies and features without a fault. People magazine two years ago, posted an advertisement for Fox Television referring to Melrose Place. There were two boxes. In one there were the "beautiful" faces of the women on the show and in the other were two women who were overweight, wearing bathing suits from a different era. The slogan read: Which would you rather be watching? . Our younger generations believe these are the role models to use to lead them in the future. They begin to adopt troubled eating issues and self esteem problems as a consequence of their feelings of inadequacy. "They fear going out of control by becoming fat and ruining their chances for love and career, because being thin in our society is equated with being successful, competent and loveable"(Meadow and Weiss, 1992,pg 1).

Sunday, October 23, 1994, the Toronto Sun did a special report on Body image. They concluded that:
The average North American fashion model is 5-foot-8 and 115 pounds, yet the average North American woman is 5-foot-3 and 144 pounds. A study of women who were Playboy centrefolds over a 20-year period showed their body weights and shapes getting smaller while the average North American woman was getting larger. (pg. 3)

Collectively with this essay, I have conducted a survey with a small sample of University students of varying ages. The results for what influences them, in regards to the media were staggering. Television was said to influence 84% of them, as well as Peers influencing 84% of them as well. Magazines were second, rating 76%, while education was at 58%. Newspapers and the radio fell at 44%. There were no answers of None. Looking at these results, we realize the shocking implications of them. Men control the media, with most high powered executives being male and the media is directed by this authority, leaving the feminine ideal in their hands. When asked what their satisfaction level was with their own body image, the results were as follows. 38% disagreed that they were satisfied, 14% strongly disagreed, while 34% agreed and 10% strongly agreed they were satisfied. 4% did not know. The most surprising results were 78% answered they were not on a diet of any sort. This is a wonderful indication of changing times and the realization of the negative side effects of dieting. Of the 22% that were on a diet 36% said their diet was average in comparison to the Canadian Food Guide. Only 10% said their diet was not at all any good in comparison. When asked if they agreed that body image has a factor in the following things in their lives; career, love, success, self esteem, happiness, moods, and behavior, 36% strongly agreed that it did and 42% agreed, while 17% disagreed and 5% strongly disagreed, a very sad indication of how strong an influence body image can be, whether negative or positive. When asked what they believed to be their weight it was answered, 52% were average to normal, 44% said slightly overweight, 2% underweight and 2% extremely overweight. The strongest opinion was the belief there was definitely a problem with body image in society, 90%, while only 10% said somewhat. These results definitely speak for themselves and tell us something must be done!

A major factor geared toward fat oppression involves the behavior, Lookism. "Lookism is the standardization of a look (body image) and the discrimination against those who do not meet or conform to the [prescribed] image"(Mayer, 1983,pg 7). It is this behavior which beautiful natural women must deal with on a daily basis in order to survive the day.
Restaurant owners follow this discrimination with the designing of booths and chairs in which we do not fit, movie theaters believe we all come in one size, buses forget that we need to take the bus too. The embarrassment of squeezing into a bathroom stall or change room is enough to make you have to lose weight to be able to do ordinary things in public. Personal experience has taught me that even the universities have yet to conform to natural women, as when I come to learn, I cannot fit into the space given to me to sit in. "Fat women are oppressed by lookism, radical women still see fat as a personal sickness: abnormal, undesirable, lamentable, and curable"(Mayer, 1983,pg 4).

A woman is expected to give up many luxuries that others couldn't live without; delectable foods, and abandonment under the covers. We have an abundance of diet foods and exercise equipment thrown into our faces even as we walk down the street, relax in our own home or attend the theater. To sit and enjoy certain foods with reckless abandon leads to depression and guilt or even a label of gluttony. Employment itself becomes a difficult hurtle to jump. Most employers are seeking the trim, well dressed individual they see on successful television shows or on the cover of magazines. Yet we are forced to deal with "denied employment, laughed at when they complain about discrimination, ridiculed throughout media, rejected as friends and as lovers"(Mayer, 1983,pg 9).

The desire to exercise can be a difficult task to fulfil as fat women. We are laughed at and stared at when we try to jog, dance or swim. It almost begins in public school. The uniforms are never made large enough, once again forcing you to reform. We are made to feel uncomfortable in our workout clothes by the sizes made available to the public. One size fits all, right!

It is not only the men in society who reject and repress fat individuals, our own kind has taken to turning and sneering in disgust, "every time we draw back from a woman because she's fat, every time we choose a sexual partner on the basis of patriarchal beauty standards"(Meadow and Weiss, 1992,pg 50), we are doing damage to our own cause. It seems we are being ridiculed because of all the time and effort you have put into lessening the space you occupy. We are visible, so therefore we are bad and ugly. When asking if their opinion of others was influenced by the other's body image the results were 4% strongly agreed, 20% agreed, 32% disagreed, 34% strongly disagreed and 10% didn't know. It has been said about dieting, "The less space we take up, the less power we have"(Hues, 1996,pg 38). It can't be that by emphasizing beauty in today's society, men are actually being allowed to take our power as women?

All women have been dissatisfied with a feature of their body. A majority of us have been on diets and have shared the never ending cycle of taking it off and putting it back on again. Dieting itself can have some serious side effects. Not only do 90-95% of dieters diet and lose weight but in the end, they end up gaining back the weight they lost and then some. This yo yo dieting tends to become a never ending cycle and leads to eating disorders and slower metabolism. Eating disorders are a common horror to many women. "Every pang was a spiritual agony atoning for my imagined sin of gluttony and bringing me one step closer to being a "normal" woman"(Mayer, 1983,pg 6). The fear of being fat is so severe they would rather starve or purge themselves into sickness. Compulsive overeating has also become a popular disorder among modern women. It is one of the leading problems amongst women, causing severe depression and binges which can emotionally disable the individual. The cycle is something with which we should not be fighting, we should be allowing ourselves to be comfortable with whom we are. We are oppressed into feeling uncomfortable with ourselves as well as our appetite. Whether you are ten pounds overweight or 200, "fat oppression is a threatening idea to most women, regardless of their size"(Schoenfielder and Wieser, 1983,preface xix).

Even making the attempt to conform to these standards as a normal woman, I struggle daily with the feelings of desolation because of my size and yet I also feel the need to be accepting of myself at the size I am. The acceptance I desire for myself is necessary to completely eradicate this oppression I feel every day of my life. It seems truly unfair, this battle I face every day as a natural woman, this need for acceptance from myself as well as from society.

When seeking therapy, a woman is labeled as once again being inadequate. Her need to seek assistance with living is a sign of weakness and inability. The therapy itself is geared toward men by men. Historically speaking the majority of therapy has been developed by men with male views and experiences. When a woman seeks help, she has to conform to the "cure" brought about by men. "Women who are not living up to the expectations of patriarchal capitalism are sent to the psychiatric family where they are infantilized and their behavior corrected"(Burstow, 1992, pg 33). There has recently been a welcomed introduction of feminist therapy. With feminist therapy, as outlined by Marylou Butler from the Handbook of Feminist Therapy, there is different criterion used for women in therapy. Firstly, it is recognized that the issues women bring to therapy are the results of a sexist society. Feminist therapy is used as a journey to a deeper understanding on the part of the client. In traditional therapy, the therapist has always been the expert, the client secondary. With feminist therapy, the client is the expert, she and only she is the expert of her issues. Along with these guidelines is to teach the client to belief in herself, to stop blaming herself, to learn to perceive herself as a person of strength. Feminist therapy is a way in which to empower the woman and with the use of group therapy to allow her to break free of her isolation.

Even our doctors have the ability to oppress us as fat. When consulting medical professionals, we are subjected to our weight being the cause of most of our ailments. When asking about weight loss, we get pills thrown at us, told "we'll deal with the addiction later, after you have lost the weight." With no regard for the horror of the addicting side affects, it is pointed out to us that the weight is much more of a serious problem. It is such a struggle when your own doctor is telling you, you are not healthy and right the way you are.

It has been pointed out to me by a friend that a survey has been released stating that the amount of women smokers has increased in the past few years and the reason for their smoking has become popular; to lose weight or curb the appetite. It is becoming less difficult to fathom this necessity to actually do something even more dangerous to our health than to be overweight and take up space.

The issue of sexual appeal is another disturbing aspect to women who are overweight. Many men and women are concerned about society's reactions toward fat. They are ashamed to be with overweight women even when they are attracted to them. For the woman, the fear of being totally natural in front of their mate is overwhelming. The dread of one or more imperfection being pointed out is so uncontrollable. The choice is darkness and a loss of abandonment under the covers. This once again can enforce the urge of the necessity to lose weight. No one truly likes to be alone.

The fear of fatness can be found in children as young as six. Women and children involved in such activities as ballet, skating, gymnastics are pushed to present themselves to "emphasize leanness to enhance performance or appearance"(Garner and Kearney-Cooke, 1996,pg 55). Daytime talk shows have presented these problems to their viewers with the introduction of guests as young as six, who are more aware of what they are putting in their mouths than most adults. The majority of eating troubles can be found in such children and develop from such a young age.

Based on a study done on Harvard students on chronic dieting in 1992 versus 1982, it was found that more women are eating three meals a day and on average are five pounds heavier(Garner and Kearney-Cooke, 1996,pg56). Is this an indication of a new image? Are we allowing ourselves to be more "natural" and accept ourselves the way we are?

The movie industry has taken it upon itself to begin to address these issues. With the release of movies such as, The Difference Between Cats and Dogs and What's Eating Gilbert Grape, are evidence that possibly things may change. Television has been focusing on the ordeals women have gone through, battles with anorexia, bulimia and beauty standards. Vogue magazine (the British branch, mind you) has taken a step in the right direction by using heavier, more natural models on their covers and within their pages. Campaigners, calling themselves Ad-busters and the like, are reversing the implications of some the most harshest and most difficult to swallow advertisements seen today. I have included a picture of one of their ads against Obsession. They feel the use of such thin models is an advertisement for eating disorders. Their slogan is: "The Beauty Industry ...... is the Beast". Is it possible that there may be an answer by using the media to slowly convert our attitudes and outlooks?

It has become commonplace to have a disability, to be blind or scarred. It has taken many years for people to accept individuals of another colour but it has been done. Will I ever feel comfortable the way I am walking into a crowd of people with a bathing suit on? Will the day come when I can ride a bike on a busy street and not be told I look like I am swallowing the seat? Will I be allowed to love and accept myself for who and what I am and receive the same pleasures thinner people receive? The only people who can answer these questions are you. It is up to all of us as a society to unite and change these ideals so we can all live a happy, healthy life.