University of Illinois Chicago says the word ‘obesity’ should be banned because it’s ‘rooted in racism’

Never ones to let facts get in the way of their arguments, social justice warriors are plowing ahead toward Orwellian Newspeak setting their sights on removing “obesity” from the lexicon because “weight stigma” is a social justice issue.

The University of Illinois Chicago’s (UIC) School of Public Health is one of many woke institutions now promoting the narrative that “fatphobia” is the last condoned form of discrimination, and unsurprisingly in the age of critical race theory, that it is “rooted in racism.” In an UIC health brief authored by registered dietician Amanda Montgomery, the term “larger bodies” is introduced to supplant obesity as a case is made against the stigmatization of fatness.

“Fatness [was] used as a marker of ‘uncivilized behavior’ while thinness was ‘more evolved.’ This idea was maintained throughout the United States in the 19th and 20th centuries, as a way to justify slavery, racism and classism, and control women through ‘temperance,'” Montgomery wrote. “This ideology has perpetuated Desirability Politics-where thinness and whiteness are given more access to social, political and cultural capital.”

She also argued, “The public health field has not taken a critical look at this research, focusing on the narrative that weight is controllable and a personal responsibility. If the goal is to find the most ethical and effective strategies to achieve optimal public health, there needs to be an alternative to ‘obesity’ and weight-focused approaches and a shift in understanding of weight stigma as a social justice issue.”

However, throughout her claims, Montgomery appeared to demonstrate that her research may have been based more on the kvetching of similarly afflicted peoples in chat rooms than actual comprehensive studies as she failed to differentiate between causality and correlation.

Rather than health issues stemming from the consequences of obesity, she claimed, “Decades of research have shown that experiencing weight stigma increases one’s risk for diabetes, heart disease, discrimination, bullying, eating disorders, sedentariness, lifelong discomfort in one’s body and even early death.”

In fact, Montgomery claimed the exact opposite case of causation and said, “Higher weight is not causal to worse health outcomes…” because of other “factors often experienced by folks in larger bodies.”

The brief didn’t completely decry a healthier lifestyle. But, itt did further the argument that racism was a determining factor in achieve that end, “Though lifestyle factors such as nutrition and exercise are important, it is essential to note the historical racism and injustices within our current food environment. As presented by Soul Fire Farm, the U.S. food system is built on stolen land using stolen labor from Black and Latinx indigenous people. Not only has this created a large scale food apartheid and trauma for people indigenous to this land, it has cause a disconnection of indigenous people from their cultural practices and identities.”

UIC isn’t the only institution to be presenting these arguments as the University of Texas Medical Branch recently held a lecture that addressed “Gender, Race, and Weight Stigma” by observing fatphobia as misogynoir, misogyny specifically directed at black women.

Amherst College also held a lecture titled “Unpacking Fatphobia: Learning to Love Your Body” to explain the “difference between the Body Positivity and the Body Neutrality Movements.”

As a Johns Hopkins University study found more than half of college age Americans are overweight or obese, this appears like another attempt by the left to marginalize a voting block toward their ideology.

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24 thoughts on “University of Illinois Chicago says the word ‘obesity’ should be banned because it’s ‘rooted in racism’

  1. I would say the word “dumbass” should be banned, but it describes the left too well!!

  2. Obesity is racist? So I guess big fat, Golden Corral buffet eating national champion is completely out of the question?

  3. the term “larger bodies” is introduced to supplant obesity
    A rose by any other name…

  4. Frightening to see just how ignorant these schools are. They could find racism in a desk, just because they feel it’s true. Doesn’t make it true. This is just more insulting gibberish to play to the crowd. Mind boggling these people teach, it’s no wonder the younger generation is so brain washed. Go back to teaching real subjects, not lies.

  5. M akes us realize that our Universities are …..well…..not universities anymore. Not the teaching kind anyway…..just self-proclaimed experts on….well….nothing apparently.

  6. I’ll tell you something ELSE that is “Racist” – THE TRUTH!! And the TRUTH about obesity is IT’S BAD FOR YOU AND SOCIETY!! SO now the libers are saying that blacks are FAT?? I’ve seen some skinny ones – heck, I’ve seen some Fat WHITE WOMEN and MEN!!

  7. Obesity is not racism by a long shot. I drive a truck for a living, and I have seen just as many Caucasians that must have tipped the scales at 300+ as I have seen non-caucasians.

  8. I think they meant to say, “Obesity is rooted in ~~ Fat, lack of will=power, and effort!

    1. I want to reply to this one, I’m a chunky white broad, who is 68. I’ve been listed as “obese” even when I was 150 lbs. I’m now 200 and walk an average of 30 miles a week and have a lot of muscle built up. I don’t eat that much but the weight is still there. I had one week (very proud of this one) where I did 60 miles. Some of us are just heavy no matter what we do.

  9. “Fatness [was] used as a marker of ‘uncivilized behavior’ while thinness was ‘more evolved.’ The absurdity of this claim can be seen in painting of 100-200 years ago. Beautiful or successful people were generally not thin. In a time when food was not as
    easily obtained, the “Rubenesque” figure was more attractive, denoting a person of some
    success, i.e., able to procure more food. Thinness was a sign of poverty, not beauty.

  10. Here’s another school to avoid if you’re interested in a good education.

  11. Joe Biden opposed integration because he didn’t want his kids to go to school in a jungle.

  12. Using the criteria given, the Democrat Party should be abolished because it was rooted in slavery and racism.

  13. The word obesity merely means unhealthily over-weight. No racism here. Now two words that are absolutely based in racism and that is the Democrat Party. Maybe it should be eliminated.

  14. The now rudderless SS Woke takes on water faster than a fat man at a pie eating contest, and the best they can do is call racism on “obesity”? I can’t wait til Election Day. 😄

  15. “it is “rooted in racism.””

    I would have thought the root cause would be too many calories and too little exercise.

  16. So, The University is saying Black people are FAT? sure sounds like it, but they are a commie U so maybe so,

    1. That’s what went thru m mind as well,at least they are not lying this time,,,,,,,,FJB,,,,,,,
      sympl1

  17. WOW… Lets test some words here, and see if any other words are racist…..
    Stupid ….Lazy…Ignorant…Aw to easy for any race baiter, BUT those are JUST WORDS…
    We have lost our collective minds IF we continue to accept complete and total B.S. like this from the halls of higher education…
    I’m done CARING anymore, as anything that is said, thought , written , or implied is ” racist ”
    It’s reality that some people are FAT… not racism.
    Obesity is a MEDICAL term, not a racist term.. IF you are fat , or obese it is an individual problem, nothing to do with race.
    Had enough yet America ?

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