Reflections from the field: Anti-fat bias in social work

Abstract

Social work is grounded in social justice and advocacy, equity, dignity, and the worth of all people. Despite this, it has overlooked an important area of oppression and discrimination: fatness and anti-fat bias. This omission and lack of acknowledgment have resulted in the perpetuation of anti-fat bias within the profession, which reinforces harmful systems that stigmatize and marginalize fat individuals. Anti-fat bias is a form of oppression that is closely linked to the neoliberal values that dominate the healthcare system, which emphasize individual responsibility for health, ignoring critical social determinants of health. Additionally, this discrimination is compounded by the intersection of anti-fat bias with other forms of oppression, such as racism, sexism, and ableism. This paper examines the importance of the social work profession in confronting its internalized anti-fat bias. Scholars like May Friedman (2012) and Charlotte Cooper (2016) contribute to this, critiquing social work’s role in sustaining anti-fat bias and its ongoing participation in the moral regulation of bodies. By adopting a trauma-informed, anti-oppressive lens, social workers can take actionable steps to dismantle these oppressive frameworks and ensure ethical, equitable, and empathetic care for clients in larger bodies. Ultimately, this reflection calls for a transformation in social work’s philosophical and structural approaches, urging the profession to move beyond anti-fat frameworks and align more closely with its mandate of promoting social justice and challenging systemic oppression.