We all want to belong, to know that who we are matters. Belonging is a basic biological need, with threats to our social connections registering in our brains in much the same way we experience physical pain, lighting up the same structures and circuitry.
It’s hard to feel like you belong in a culture that is hostile to your existence. There are so many ways to not feel as if you belong, whether you’re not white enough, young enough, rich enough - or thin enough. Larger people experience this unbelonging unrelentingly, as if their sexuality, intelligence, and moral character are erased or demeaned with every body check they are subjected to. The experience is nuanced as other identities intersect; Black women taking up space, for example, marked by the “angry Black woman” trope, or economically disadvantaged people labelled lazy or undisciplined. Stigma and discrimination against larger people are heightened by damaging and wrong-minded health narratives and within the healthcare community.
- How do we change the conversations around weight?
- How do we create safe space, where all feel seen, valued, and respected for who they are?
- How do we heal from a culture of othering?
Whether you’re a “person of size” or know someone who is (hint: this means you!), you’ll get valuable insight from this provocative talk. Linda Bacon weaves together story and science, answering these questions and more and setting the tone for the “radical belonging” we all hope to foster and experience.
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