The lack of size inclusivity stems from a long-standing bias against fatness in Western cultures. The history of fatphobia can be traced back to the trans-Atlantic slave trade, according to Sabrina Strings, sociologist and author of "Fearing the Black Body: The Racial Origins of Fat Phobia." … "The fashion industry has long maintained a size bias, and in the early years, they used scientific racism — that is, Anglo-Saxon women are 'naturally' thin — and notions of Protestant temperance to justify their positions," [UC Irvine associate professor] Strings said.

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