These Malaysians say 'No' to fat discrimination

Public awareness is important to highlight the issues that fat people face - such as discrimination and lack of access to facilities. Photo: Pixabay

'Lazy, unproductive, unhealthy, unmotivated.' These are but a few of the common stereotypes against fat people which leads to them being bullied and discriminated against. The stigma against fatness can have severe consequences even though it may go unseen. For example, restaurants and even education institutions often do not have seating that caters to fat people. Even hospitals don't have facilities that can accommodate fat people.

Social initiatives like the fat liberation and fat acceptance movements endeavour to raise awareness about the challenges fat people encounter on a daily basis. In Malaysia, fat liberation group My Fat Squad was formed in 2019 to build a community for fat people. And while the group aims to provide a solid support structure for the fat community (including compiling data for services and facilities that are fat friendly), they are looking for allies who can advocate for fat people to be protected and given the same rights as other non-fat people, whether it is in healthcare or even finding comfortable seats in spaces such as restaurants, universities, hospitals or clinics.