Abbie Clark English 102 Summary Response Essay February 9, 2016 Feminist Issue or Excuse
“Feminism argues that being fat represents an attempt to break free of society’s sex stereotypes” (449). In the article “Fat Is a Feminist Issue,” Susie Orbach argues why she believes obesity in women is a feminist movement. In the article, Orbach creates at least three incorrect claims: main goals of women consist of beauty and fitness, obesity of women is a result of inequality, and women use compulsive eating as a defense mechanism. To summarize, in this article Orbach explains her reasons for believing that obesity in women has become a feminist issue. She argues that when a woman becomes fat she is choosing to rebel against society (448). This point continues in her article and remains the focus for the duration of her writing. Orbach goes on throughout the article explaining that women being overweight is not only a “social disease,” but a way for women to protect themselves and set boundaries (449). Throughout Orbach’s piece, she chooses to compare the social expectations placed on all women to look a specific way. The article progresses while Orbach explains the pressure society puts on women and why rebellion by becoming fat is a natural response. As her first point, Orbach argues that a woman’s main goal is to look beautiful. According to Orbach, “Physical fitness and beauty are every woman’s goals” (448). This statement stereotypes all women. The majority of women have goals to accomplish much more than beauty. To say that beauty is the main goal for all women is to insinuate that all women are vain. It is this type of thinking that generalizes women and creates many more hurdles for a woman to surpass in order to have a successful career outside of the beauty industry. As a woman, I understand that beauty trends can be intriguing, but it would be better to have lasting goals. Beauty fades, and the love of family and friends does not. In my experience, any woman would be more accomplished by having good family and friends than to dream only vain dreams. As her next point, Orbach explains that women will choose to gain weight because they feel as if they are not held as equals to men. In Orbach’s view, “[Becoming fat] is a response to the inequality of the sexes (449). This point is unsound. There have been no studies that prove this idea to be true. Obesity in America for men and women come from a multitude of causes ranging from fast food diets to a lack of exercise. Blaming “inequality” for a lack of care for a person’s personal health seems uneducated. If members in society believe that they can take this issue and call it a feminist problem, obesity will become an even bigger dilemma than it already is because women will feel that they have an excuse not to take care of themselves. It would stand to reason that if a woman felt as if she was unequal to a male coworker or other men in society, she would be motivated to work harder in order to be seen as a strong competent woman, not gain weight in order to become a statistic. As her final point, Orbach concludes that being fat is a form of a defense mechanism. Orbach herself writes, “For many women, compulsive eating and being fat have become one way to avoid being marketed or seen as the ideal woman” (452). This point, just like many other in her article, is nothing more than an excuse. When any person chooses to live an unhealthy lifestyle, they must own up to their choices. Although I recognize that eating disorders are a serious problem, I do not see the correlation between social pressures and an increase in a woman’s body weight. Orbach’s claim that a woman putting on weight is done purposefully in order to push people away is threatening to young women; if young women start to believe that any excuse can cause them to live an unhealthy lifestyle the number of obese women will be astounding. It is this type of thinking that is offensive to women with mental issues and eating disorders. When a woman claims she has an eating disorder even though is has not been diagnosed, it appears to society that that specific disease is not as detrimental as it really is. If people continue to claim that they have an eating disorder when, in fact, they do not, it could legitimize the way society looks at mental health issues. The theme throughout “Fat Is a Feminist Issue” has been that as a “sex object” women are lead to rebel by becoming obese. Susie Orbach wrongly argues that the main goals of women consist of beauty and fitness, obesity of women is a result of inequality, and women use compulsive eating as a defense mechanism. Do women overeat on purpose? Can obesity be a form of retaliation? Would a woman consciously become fat to protect herself from society?
Works Cited Orbach, Susie. "Fat Is a Feminist Issue" They Say I Say With Readings. By Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkenstein. Ed. Russel Durst. 2E ed. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2012. 448-452. Print