Fat Talk Free Week

Published October 20, 2009 @ 07:41AM PT

The thin ideal of beauty effects all of us. And we don't just see it in magazines and on TV. We hear it from our coworkers, friends and family. We hear it in our own heads, echos of a culture that prizes being skinny over being happy and healthy. How many times have you heard something like the following from friends, family or colleagues?

"She's too big for that dress."

"I'll feel better when I weigh 5 pounds less."

"You look great, did you lose weight?"

It's time to stop this stream of body hatred. It's time to enjoy beauty at every size and embrace a healthy ideal. Make a commitment to eliminate fat talk from your life this week, from October 19 to 23rd.

Fat Talk Free Week is an international campaign to draw attention to body image issues and the damaging impact of the thin ideal. It is also an opportunity to reach out to the women you love, including your self, and develop a more positive dialogue.

To support the movement and receive a motivational challenge email every day this week, sign the Fat Talk Free promise:

"Today I promise to eliminate Fat Talk from conversations with my friends, my family and myself. Starting now, I will strive for a healthy ideal, which I know looks different for every woman, and focuses on health, not weight or size. I will celebrate the things about myself and the women in my life that have nothing to do with how we look. I decide to end Fat Talk NOW!"

Want to take a stand on the social web? Become a fan of Fat Talk Free Week on Facebook follow @endfattalk and join the Fat Talk Free conversation on Twitter with hashtag #FTFW.

You can watch a video about the campaign here:

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Comments (4)

I'm a big girl and I know how difficult it is living in a society that demands "perfection". And I know everyone will be much happier once we all realize there is no such thing as "perfection" and that what the media and Hollywood, along with our own family, friends, colleagues, are saying and doing is what's killing us. Being fat is not the epidemic, the taunting and 'fat jokes' are the true epidemic and the people who keep spreading them.

Posted by Sarah McConnaughey on 10/20/2009 @ 01:32PM PT
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I agree...

Let us embrace those who are less than the "ideal" of beauty and make them the ideal...

I still prefer women with a few extra pounds.

Posted by Thomas McHugh on 10/21/2009 @ 05:05PM PT
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This is really great!!! I think people need to realize that these kinds of comments that me make about ourselves are not just personal comments. They are poison to the minds of people around us, especially young people. The way in which we treat ourselves is very important to our community!

Posted by J C on 10/25/2009 @ 10:07PM PT
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Indeed...

Words can build up or they can tear down...

I prefer to build women up.

Posted by Thomas McHugh on 10/26/2009 @ 08:18PM PT
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Author

Julie is a web editor and freelance writer with a master's degree in journalism. A recovering bulimic and anorexic, she is especially interested in the relationship between body image, pop culture and the media.