Fat, Stigma and the positive effect of Tumblr

Here is an extract from the introduction to my dissertation:

A 2010 Mintel report reveals that a quarter of UK women are now a size 18 or above but retailers are not matching demand and the plus size market is being shut out and facing not just market place ignorance but stigmatization for their weight.

We’re not allowed to have fat as part of our identity, yet at every turn; we are reminded that we are fat.  Every day, we see and hear hundreds of negative messages about weight in the world around us, from the news story about the “obesity epidemic”, magazine covers about some celebrity’s latest weight loss or gain, advertising for weight loss products or diet foods, to public service announcements about living a “healthy lifestyle” which always imply that healthy = thin.

Society needs to recognise the social problems that stigmatization is causing, such as oppression amongst individuals and communities resulting in marginalization. Overweight people are being treated in a similar way that Black, Irish and Gay people were being treated until something was done to stop it, yet there is little done to stop stigmatisation of the overweight

I turned online, to blogs advocating fat acceptance and showing that big can be beautiful. Through this virtual community I want to explore how the plus size e-tribe overcomes stigmatization and what the tribe means to its members.