The Burden of "Invisible" Bias: How Weight Discrimination Shapes Our Lives
I am a history buff, a passion I picked up from my father. I figured all families spent road trips stopping at every historical marker. I read every book I could find, including encyclopedias. Growing up in Virginia fed this love with Monticello, Ashlawn, Mt. Vernon, Gunston Hall, and Montpelier, all within driving distance.
In 1979, the mini-series Backstairs at the White House debuted. It told the true story of a mother and daughter working at this famed residence through eight administrations. The story provided an exceptional and provocative insight into the experience of African Americans during this time and their perceptions of each first family. How much did this series impact me? I remember much of it over 45 years later.
It starts with the election of William Howard Taft. He took over the presidency after the enormously popular leadership of Teddy Roosevelt. Teddy handpicked Taft to be his successor. He had already been envoy to the Philippines, Secretary of War, solicitor general, and a federal judge. In the series, our protagonists recall Taft being an adoring husband and doting father. His wife, Nelly, is a Washingtonian hero responsible for the beautiful cherry blossom trees around the tidal basin. During his term, she suffered a stroke. Taft was by her side as much as he could.
After he failed to win reelection, he became a law professor at Yale University. Nearly a decade after his presidency, he was picked for the job he had always wanted: Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. He passed away in 1930 at the age of 72.
If you google William Howard Taft, the first tidbit about him is how fat he was. HE HAD A SPECIAL TUB INSTALLED BECAUSE HE WAS SO BIG!!! HE’S OUR FATTEST PRESIDENT!!! LOOK AT THIS PICTURE OF HIM PLAYING GOLF WHILE BEING FAT! That is, to most people, his legacy—an obese president with a giant tub.
Sure–looking up fun facts about historical figures is fun as a kid: John Adams and Thomas Jefferson died on the same day, Abraham Lincoln likely had Marfan’s Syndrome, and Alexander the Great was….up for anything.
Fun facts should fade away as we learn more about the person's substance.
I bring this up because, about ten years ago, I read an article about President Taft and his largeness in Sports Illustrated. (I have searched for it but, with their recent struggles, only some archives are available.) Lots of critical commentary about how fat he was, the tub mentioned earlier, and anecdotes about his tailors' struggles clothing him. There is little mention of his professional and personal accomplishments. Nor did they note that the average life expectancy of a man in 1930 was 58. Taft crushed the curve despite his size.
I know what you’re thinking right now. Why on earth is she talking about William Howard Taft? I talk about him because he is the perfect example of how weight bias. Yes, he was a large man. And any measure of success would measure him far above the baseline: lawyer, envoy, President, Supreme Court justice, adoring husband, and father. He lived actively and died well beyond the average life expectancy of the age. Presidents Woodrow Wilson, Teddy Roosevelt, and Calvin Coolidge, Taft’s contemporaries, died at 67, 60 and 60 respectively.
Science has shown over and over again you can be fat and healthy. Don’t believe me? Here is one report. Here is another. And another. Excess weight can be an indicator of other conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes, metabolic disorders, and others. But the key word doing all the work here is ‘can.’ It’s not absolute. These same conditions also lend themselves to thin, short, tall, and everything in between people. (See: W. Wilson, T. Roosevelt, C. Coolidge.)
But the bias shown towards fat people does take a psychological toll.
Most recently, philosopher Kate Manne writes in her book Unshrinking that there is “considerable evidence of the adverse health effects” of being subjected to social stigma and having “high internalized weight bias.” She cites research that says, “Those effects include high blood pressure, blood glucose and triglycerides, abnormal cholesterol, and heightened levels of inflammation and cortisol." Translation: the mental cost of being heavy takes a physical and emotional toll on your body due to the bias you face.
This bias is a burden. It’s an anchor that drags people down emotionally and psychologically, which, in turn, causes physical damage. Overweight people face it every day: in the gym, store, workplace, restaurants, and even minding their own business while taking a walk. And yet–those commentators who feel like they have the right to comment on someone else’s existence don’t know jack about that person’s life.
The next time you have an assumption or hear/see someone making some uninformed comment about a person’s weight, think of William Howard Taft. And remember his remarkable life, not the forking tub.
#weightbias
#fatshaming
#fullyupaologetic
#fatandhealthy
#socialstigma
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About the Author:
Shannon Malone-deBenedictis (she/her) is a two-time Emmy award-winning documentary filmmaker, creative consultant, speaker, and facilitator. From writing her first play at age 10 to executive producing documentaries for Disney+, Netflix, and others, she's always loved telling stories. Learn more about Shannon’s speaking topics and creative services at padlincreative.com.
