Plus-size activists organize "Fat Beach Day" to fight stigma

Many people believe that plus-size individuals are not discriminated against. This belief is incorrect, as activists whose bodies do not fit the size canon prove at every turn. To combat stigmatization, activists in the USA organize special beach outings for plus-size individuals.

Summer means beach outings, visits to pools, and relaxation by the lake. For plus-size individuals, the warm season can be a nightmare—chafing thighs, fear of wearing shorts or dresses, judging looks, and comments. Some people with larger bodies even sit on the beach in oversized, concealing clothes to avoid criticism.

In the United States, "Fat Beach Day" events are increasingly organized, allowing plus-size individuals to enjoy the pleasures of the beach without restraint. On Saturday, June 22, "Fat Beach Day" occurred in Far Rockaway. The event's organizer, Jordan Underwood, said in an interview with "The Guardian": "We're going through something culturally that is impacting us every day on an individual level and a systemic level. We’re really trying to open up a space for people to be themselves."

Jordan Underwood is a model and artist who knows better than most what it means to be persecuted because of weight. At 12, she started a blog where she shared her problems related to hate speech. Underwood collaborates with the vintage store Berriez to organize Fat Beach Day in Jacob Riis Park. The store's owner, Emma Zack, said in an interview with "The Guardian": "I’m so self-conscious at the beach, and I’m never around people that look like me. I’m so excited we’ve created this space for other folks with bigger bodies to have a good time."

Researchers from KFF indicate that one in eight Americans has undergone treatment with drugs intended to promote weight loss, such as Ozempic or Mounjaro. Celebrities boast about "magically losing weight," which motivates ordinary people to take radical measures. Jordan Underwood notes that fatphobia has existed in the culture for years: "In the 2000s, there was a strong anti-fat, intense cultural shift that parallels what we're going through now."

Emma Zack adds: "It’s a really shitty time, not just on the internet but in society, to be fat, and it feels really violent in a lot of ways. You’d think it wouldn’t be such a thing because New York is so open, and you dress however you want. I always say I never realized how much people hate fat people until I got TikTok."