Ramanpreet A. Bahra, M.A, PhD (A.B.D)

This research comes from the dissertation project entitled ‘Feeling Fat,’ ‘Feeling Brown’: The Lived Experience of Fat South Asians, completed for my PhD under the supervision of Dr. Barbara Hanson at York University.

This research project, titled “Feeling Fat, Feeling Brown: The Lived Experience of Fat South Asians,” explores the experiences of fatness within the South Asian diaspora in Canada. The study examines how individuals who identify as fat experience and navigate fatphobia. By recognizing the body as a site of social oppression, this research investigates the intersections of fatphobia, the so-called “obesity epidemic,” and medical racism.

As a fat feminist sociologist, I conducted interviews to document the lived experiences of my participants and provide a critical, historical, and social analysis of the interplay between fat and racial oppression. This research expanded the limited literature on South Asian fat studies and contributed to broader conversations about body politics and social justice. Additionally, it affirmed participants’ experiences by creating space for their voices to be heard and valued.

The following text is the epilogue from the dissertation titled “A South Asian Fat Manifesto: Fat Wisdom from the Brown Fatty to the Reader.” It presents a raw and unedited compilation of responses from 17 participants to the final interview question: “What does it mean to love your body?” Additionally, if you were to offer advice on this topic, what would you say?

View the file here. Please do not share.

Comment Prompt:

What does it mean to ‘love your body’ to you? If you were to give advice to someone on ‘loving your body,’ what would it look like?