War on fat in postwar Finland: A history of fat-shaming

Abstract

By the twenty-first century, obesity has become a focus of medical concern, moralizing statements, and most significantly, alarmist rhetoric. As a case in point, the Finnish people were in danger to turn into a fat nation already in the early 1950s – or that was the claim of the anti-fat activists organized as the Association to Combat Obesity [ACO] (Liikalihavuuden vastustamisyhdistys). Founded in 1950, the ACO’s aim was principally educational. However, the association did much more than spread ostensibly unbiased information – in fact, we argue that they became opinion leaders at the forefront of fat-shaming. In this article, we examine the interconnectedness of health education and fat-shaming in postwar Finland. As the ACO was started by the initiative of one man, the attack on fat seemed personal. The ACO’s anti-fat activism also left a controversial legacy. The history of the ACO hence shows how the stigmatization of fat people and personal reactions to it change over time to reflect prevailing cultural climates and social and political environments.