I believe that fat folks need to be centered, listened to, and invited into spaces that would normally overlook us.
And, I also believe that we need non-fat folks deeply invested in fat liberation so that we can come together to challenge diet culture norms and dismantle anti-fat systemic barriers.
Which is why I’m so happy to share Debbie Saroufim (she/her) with you all! Debbie and I connected over the Fat Joy podcast and have gotten to know each other quite well. She’s a body acceptance coach, is doing great work in her school system to shine a light on where diet culture shows up in curriculum, and most recently, she’s written a beautiful book called Fat and Beautiful: a book about why you can be both.
On one of our calls, Debbie literally read her picture book to me, and I felt the tears pooling in my eyes as I fervently wished my mom had been able to read me a book like this when I was a kid.
Not only are the illustrations stunning (and Debbie shares more about the artist in our conversation), but the main character is someone I want to be friends with as she helps her family see her fat body as beautiful…and not needing to change.
Please enjoy my conversation with Debbie!
You can connect with Debbie on her Instagram. Also, Debbie does a weekly Meal Support live on Instagram every Wednesday at 1:30 PM PST. She and another eating disorder survivor (also named Debbie) get together every week and talk about how challenging it is to feed yourself in a world that tells us there is a “correct” way to have a body. They do real-time coaching for anyone struggling to eat, and all body sizes are welcome. The segment is called Dining With Debbies.
On Being Fat And Beautiful