Reviewed by Dr. Eric Helms, CSCS
About a year ago, a plus-size yoga teacher caused a minor scandal.
Specifically, Gatorade ran a series of ads featuring Jessamyn Stanley, a well-known yoga instructor, author and body positivity advocate.
The backlash was brutal.
People are making waves on social media, arguing that someone with so much body fat is a bad choice for an “athlete,” let alone a “healthy” person.
On the other side of the debate are those who say Stanley’s size has no bearing on her overall health. Some of them suggest we do away with medical categories like “overweight” and “obese,” which they say underlie anti-fat bias and stigma.
Who is right?
As our infographic shows…
When it comes to body fat, the truth about its effects is high meticulous—and high personal.
Before you dive in, we want to confirm a few things.
As with most health topics, the connection between body fat and overall health is complex.
As body fat levels rise, so does the risk of metabolic disease.At the same time, you can become healthier No Lose weight or body fat – Just like you can lose weight or body fat No Become healthier.
Weight stigma is real.
And, it’s rampant in the fitness and nutrition industry. It’s likely because of this anti-fat bias that the body fat discussion has become so heated. Larger people are stereotyped as lazy, weak, lacking in willpower, and mentally retarded.
It’s harmful and just plain wrong – and it gets in the way of real, fact-based debate.
Shame helps no one.
“Shame is not a motivating factor on an individual or social level,” said Dr. Eric Helms, an exercise physiology and nutrition researcher at Auckland Institute of Technology and co-founder of the MASS Research Review.
Far from helping with weight loss, anti-fat stigma is linked to eating disorders, emotional eating, increased calorie intake, and weight cycling. 1, 2, 3
Everyone deserves respect.
You can love yourself no matter what your body shape is. You can also engage in health-related activities (such as improving nutrition or increasing exercise) without changing your body.
We can and should talk about body fat, just like we can and should talk about cholesterol, blood pressure, and other health topics. Understanding the truth about body fat can give you the wisdom you need to make important health decisions.
(If you want to estimate your Body fat percentage, our Free body fat calculator can help. )
No matter how you feel about body fat, we encourage you to view this infographic with an open mind.
(Alternatively, download it to print or save to your device.)
Want to share this with family, friends and clients? Click here to download the infographic and print it or save it to your device.
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refer to
Click here to view the sources cited in this article.
1. Tomiyama AJ, Carr D, Granberg EM, Major B, Robinson E, Sutin AR, et al. How and why weight stigma contributes to an obesity ‘epidemic’ and harms health. BMC Medicine. 2018 Aug 15;16(1):123.
2. Wetzel KE, Himmelstein MS. Stay alert at all times: Effects of weight stigma, vigilance, and internalization on maladaptive eating behaviors.healthy psychology. 2023 Oct;42(10):712–22.
3. Major B, Hunger JM, Bunyan DP, Miller CT. The ironic effects of weight stigma. J Exp Soc Psychol. 2014 Mar 1;51:74–80.
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