UC Irvine sociology [Chancellor’s Fellow and associate] professor Sabrina Strings points out that there have been many times in history when curves were celebrated. “We have so many paintings, and there are even books that were written during the Renaissance, that make it very clear fatness is beautiful,” she says. But Strings, who wrote a book on the topic called “Fearing the Black Body: The Racial Origins of Fatphobia,” says it all changed toward the end of the 18th century when the slave trade was booming in America. … Fatphobia really took off in America in the 19th century partially due to fashion, Strings says.

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