Is "Fat" Politically Incorrect?

published 24 June 2010

First of all, it's summer: Suddenly there's a lot more skin being flaunted on NYC's sizzling-hot sidewalks, which always makes us more body-conscious. But issues around size seem to be taking up more room — sorry, lame joke — in the media world these days. The response to our Big Girl in a Skinny World columnist Ashley Falcon has been incredible, for example, and we're seeing lots more plus-size beauties on the cover of magazines across the newsstand. And this post on Fit Bottomed Girls — about whether the use of the word "fat" is a good or bad thing — got us thinking, too.

Is "fat" on its way out of our collective vocabulary? If so, what will replace it? What about the so-called "fat activists" who are reinventing the word and promoting greater acceptance for people in every dress size? How do you even define "fat" anymore, in a country where two-thirds of us are overweight or obese?

There's definitely been a backlash against the skinny-model — also known as, "please feed me, my vertebrae are showing" — look over the past few years, with countries like Spain and Italy stepping in to regulate runway-model BMIs. And thank God for that! But, despite all this, should "fat" become the latest four-letter word?

Tell Marie Claire: How do you feel about the word "fat?" Share your story in the Comments section below!