Femininity, weight stigma and well-being: the lived experiences of ‘fat’ women in an extended Muslim Indian South African family.

Abstract

Being overweight or ‘fat’ (a reclaimed term used by scholars working in the fat feminism field) negatively affects the physical, psychological, and social well-being of individuals. Challenges with physicality is a direct consequence of excess weight, while weight stigma is an indirect consequence that many ‘fat’ people face. Most women face stricter societal beauty standards, and therefore, often deal with a higher level of weight discrimination. However, weight discrimination and lived experiences may differ from one ‘fat’ woman to another depending on other intersecting identities such as race, culture, religion, and nationality. There is a scarcity of studies on weight perception and beauty standards amongst ‘fat’ Indian Muslim South African women. To address this gap, this MA research study investigated the lived experiences of ‘fat’ women (used in the fat feminist sense) in an extended Muslim Indian South African family. South African Muslim Indians were chosen as the researcher of this study is a member of this community and has firsthand experience of socio-cultural weight perceptions and expectations targeted towards women of this cultural group. This research study focused on their intergenerational experiences; including how and why older women in the study participant’s family teach younger women certain viewpoints and values regarding body size and image. It also delved into the physical and psycho-social consequences of these weight perceptions for women in the family of this study’s participants. Furthermore, it considered whether there has been any change over time in terms of the research participants’ experiences. It utilised qualitative research design methods in conjunction with autoethnography, fat feminism, intersectionality, and social constructionism. Finally, it drew on in depth interviews with six considered ‘fat’ Indian Muslim South African women from one family and a reflexive journal was kept by the researcher, thereby totalling seven participants. The findings of this study highlight that thinness is a vital beauty ideal for both men and women in the Muslim Indian South African community. However, adverse consequences, such as decreases in marriageability were highlighted for ‘fat’ women only. There are also common physiological causes of weight gain, such as cultural food choices and Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), and psychological causes, including stress, emotional eating, and anxiety in relation to public exercising. Further, this study found that Islamic dressing is shown to alleviate some weight-related worry and self-consciousness. There are inconsequences to the weight stigma in this community; for instance, the women interviewed, including myself, reported experiences of psychological distress, body insecurity and engaging in yoyo dieting. This research study thus recommends awareness to help combat ‘fat’ phobia, and to increase the well-being of ‘fat’ individuals, especially in the Muslim Indian South African community. Future studies could include larger samples of women from this community and focus more on weight perceptions and weight stigma amongst men in this community.