Toward a Fat Pedagogy: A Study of Pedagogical Approaches Aimed at Challenging Obesity Discourse in Post-Secondary Education

Abstract

Over the last 15 years, a growing body of literature has found that dominant obesity discourse has led to significant increases in weight bias within social institutions, such as universities. Some critical fat scholars have articulated the need for more research on effective pedagogical strategies to address weight-based oppression in the post-secondary classroom. Interviews with 26 academics who challenge “obesity” discourse in university classrooms, identify four main themes, namely: framing, layering, connecting, and teaching. Building on insights from critical and feminist pedagogy, this paper offers insights into an emerging fat pedagogy.