The Fat Kid: A Sociological Perspective on Being Fat in Singapore.

• Main Author: Lim, Kia Luck
• Other Authors: Teo You Yenn
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2017
• Subjects: DRNTU::Humanities
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/70044
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

The experience of fat is often a negative one due to stigmatization that comes with the fat label. Society values a thin body which is the ideal, while imposing sanctions on those without. Thinness is a cultural stereotype associated with the Asian identity. The negative societal reaction towards fat individuals causes them to develop a fat identity which affects their concept of self, internalising this social role which sometimes lead to a self-fulfilling prophecy of their deviant identity. In Singapore, social institutions actively propagate fat labelling, shaming the overweight and obese. 22 in-depth interviews with Singaporean young adults aged between 21 to 26 were conducted to understand the experience of being fat in Singapore, how the fat label affected their lives and influenced their sense of self. Findings revealed noticeable difference between women and men in their experience. The implications of being fat also changes along the life course.