Powerful Photo Series Challenges Society’s Perception Of The Obese

Society might demean and bully those who are overweight or obese, but that doesn’t detract from the fact that approximately 60-70% of the population in the U.S. carries excess weight. Largely a result of sedentary lifestyles and poor dietary choices, the bombardment of stress, as well, contributes to people having a larger physique than that which is promoted to be ‘ideal’ by the advertising and beauty industries.

Not only are fat-shaming messages detrimental to peoples’ psyches, they’re also a contributor to the epidemic of being overweight and/or obese. Excess stress increases cortisol levels in the body and can trigger cravings for high-fat, high-sugar foods to cope with the anxiety and to balance blood sugar. Furthermore, the psycho-spiritual component relays that people put on excess weight to protect themselves from other peoples’ overwhelming negativity; in a way, fat acts as a buffer between one’s ‘self’ and the outer world. Considering the state of the planet at present, this last theory might be worth some attention.

Regardless of one’s physical apperance, all people are worthy of love and respect. Unfortunately, the fat-shaming which is prevalent – especially in first-world nations – causes many individuals who retain excess weight to view themselves differently. That’s what the photo series (below), created by Kaitlyn Hunter, seeks to address. The activist wrote on Bored Panda: 

“I make performance-based sculptures that play with our cultural perception of the obese and what it means to be a monster.”

The images certainly are thought-provoking, and may provide some needed insight on the detrimental effects of shaming others because of how they look.

 

Not Everyone Gets To Be Pretty