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589
June 17, 2016

Tell Me I’m Fat

The way people talk about being fat is shifting. With one-third of Americans classified as overweight, and another third as obese, and almost none of us losing weight and keeping it off, maybe it’s time to rethink the way we see being fat. A show inspired by Lindy West’s book Shrill.

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A painting by Fernando Botero, photographed by Edgar Zuniga, Jr.

Note: The internet version of this episode contains un-beeped curse words. BEEPED VERSION.

Prologue

Host Ira Glass interviews Lindy West about her experience “coming out” as fat. (5 minutes)

By

Ira Glass
Lindy West
Act One

The Day the Scales Fell from Her Eyes

Lindy West tells us how she went from being ashamed of her fatness to embracing it, and reads from her book, Shrill. The book has been adapted into a TV show on Hulu, starring Aidy Bryant. (18 minutes)

By

Lindy West

Song:

“I Don’t Want to Get Thin” by Sophie Tucker
Act Two

It’s a Small World After All

Elna Baker lost a lot of weight, 110 pounds. When she was fat, she wasn’t able to get a job or a boyfriend and sometimes thought, “I wonder if it’s my weight.” She figured no, that’s a bad attitude, paranoia. When she lost the weight she discovered it was ALL because of her weight. A book Elna discusses in this story is Dietland by Sarai Walker. (19 minutes)

By

Elna Baker
Act Three

How Are You Doing with Sizes?

Obesity in America affects a higher percentage of black people than white people. Roxane Gay talks about being black and being fat with host Ira Glass. Gay is the author of Bad Feminist. (5 minutes)

By

Roxane Gay
Ira Glass
Act Four

Cross Trainers

Fat is seen by so many people as a kind of moral issue. They think you’re fat because you’re weak and can’t get control of your own life. One subset of that is the Christian weight loss movement. Reporter Daniel Engber tells the history of a particularly extreme moment in that movement. (13 minutes)

By

Daniel Engber

Song:

“Physical Fitness” by Betty Ford Boys
Act Five

An Immodest Proposal

We close the show with one more excerpt from Lindy West’s book, Shrill. (2 minutes)

By

Lindy West

Song:

“Big Boned Girl” by Charlie Dore

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