Weight bias is a relatively new cultural phenomenon: Just 200 years ago, excess weight was a sign of affluence, Dr. [Fatima Cody] Stanford says. (It's no accident that artists Rembrandt and Rubens portrayed the ideal woman as voluptuous and round.) But that began to change in the middle of the 18th century during the rise of the slave trade, when colonizing Europeans weaponized size and skin color against Africans by claiming that a slender, white body is indicative of self-control and, thus, racial superiority, Sabrina Strings, PhD, [assistant professor of sociology], at the University of California, Irvine, told NPR in July 2020. In fact, weight bias and racism remain deeply intertwined to this day.

For the full story, please visit https://www.livestrong.com/article/13768530-fatphobia-weight-bias/.