Fat Pride: Obese Women Rally in the '70s

By: 60 Minutes Overtime Staff
Topics: 60 Rewind

Cookies, eggnog, candy canes- who doesn't partake in a little holiday excess? Most of us hate ourselves for it later, but for a group of overweight women Mike Wallace interviewed in 1978, gaining a few more pounds wasn't the worry.

For them, it was the daily cruelty and discrimination they faced.

"I want to be respected, I want to be acknowledged, and I want to be loved for who I am," one woman told Wallace. "And I don't want to walk down the street and have people turn around and make fun of my package."

And who can blame her? It was the 1970s. Back then, it was even OK for a famous correspondent to tell one plus-sized lady: "I feel sorry for you."

WALLACE: I consider you, Jenny, a very attractive young woman, and--and, forgive me, I feel sorry for you.

JENNY: You shouldn't. Would you hire someone like me?

WALLACE: You know, I'm asking--I'm asking myself this as I--as I have my consciousness raised here today.

Now that the holiday is done and we all face the new number on our bathroom scales, it's a good time to watch Wallace get his "consciousness raised" by a group of spunky ladies from the National Association to Aid Fat Americans, an outfit that's still working for Fat Rights today.

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by TheWizardofBOD April 9, 2012 12:24 PM EDT: Wow this was shot in the late 70's and the same issues are still around. Shows a lot has progress sideways. I have a solution, instead of everyone pointing fingers and complaining about unjust treatment; why don't everybody do what they can for the plus size / fat person. Do whatever you do, but with a bit more zest and zeal so as to get attention to oneself.

It seems this fat issue will always be around, because America is not getting smaller.

Well in the meantime we here at BODacious will continue to represent fat people forever.

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/Bodacious/; Reply to this comment


by tlc123456 January 8, 2012 2:03 AM EST: i know that nothing has changed other then the clothing and still the only stores are related to lane bryant avenew catherens are all related to lane bryant stores just wish there was more and not cost as much you know little people can by a t-shirt for $20 you can't get that in 4 or 5x and like they where saying men like big women but still don't want to be seen with us and the money or diet stuff is still like they said cost and don't work lol but i am a large lady and i don't care what you thank of me i am a person just like you just bigger then you god bless the people that judge us and don't even get to know us; Reply to this comment


by pammmmmm January 7, 2012 7:21 PM EST: I love food! I like to eat stuff that tantalizes my taste buds! I am overweight and I dislike it very much!! I like to exercise because it makes me feel awesome but, I get lazy too and that is why I get fat!
If people make comments about my size that is their privilege, we live in a free society. I know that I need to lose weight and they are right if they say that I need to. So suck it up and accept the fact that fat is not where its at and try to combat it!; Reply to this comment


by earthgrrl64 January 5, 2012 4:46 PM EST: Ditto to what kitchenlib says. It is amazing that this 60 minutes story is still so timely. This issue is worse now than ever.

I grew up with a mother who was constantly dieting. Up and down her weight went. I learned from her and the media how to hate my body and how to diet.

I have struggled my whole life with an eating disorder and body hatred.
Bravo to NAAFA and now the HAES movement.

Someday maybe sizism will be a thing of the past. We are still in the dark ages here as we are with many issues. Let us keep fighting the good fight!; Reply to this comment


by kitchenlib January 3, 2012 1:06 PM EST: When you have a fat son or daughter, their weight is not your problem, your attitude is their problem" at 8:23 Brilliant, and you could switch out "weight" for so many things.

Maybe this is part of the reason that I (and many queers) feel such a kinship to people who have this particular struggle, despite never having been fat. The emotional reality of growing up as a child whose core self is not accepted by family and culture is really painful and destructive.

It breaks my heart the way our society frames our growing health crisis in terms of size. Every time I hear the words "childhood obesity" used as some sort of measure of our success or failure as a culture, it hurts, and that should hurt us all. Why would we do this to anyone?

Fat kids and adults are not the problem, and losing weight is not the answer. We don't need to wage a war on fat kids to give all kids a shot at a healthy, happy life. We don't need to weigh and measure them to know whether we've succeeded.
http://theliberatedkitchenpdx.com/basics/weight-loss-is-not-the-answer; Reply to this comment

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