(80)Things No One will tell Fat Girls by Jes Baker

Monday, November 23, 2015


For many being fat is a shameful fact worthy of embarrassment. For Jes Baker her weight is just a fact that does not define her.  She is proud of who she is, rolls and all.   And Jes should be proud, her blog The Militant Baker is a destination site for women of a certain size.   Jes doesn't have a "woe is me" attitude about her weight like some with a similar platform.  No, Jes is an empowered, intelligent woman on a mission to help millions of women feel positive about their body.  In her book Things No One Will Tell Fat Girls sets out to empower women of all sizes with her sage advice.   With chapters about  taking ownership of your health (including ways to find a doctor who is "fat friendly"),  finding people to follow in your social media feeds that will empower you (diversify your social media), and of course fat-fashion Jes Baker shows no fear.   Her call to action for women include sitting in a booth the next time they go to a restaurant, fly without fear, and go to the nearest park to swing make Things No One Will Tell Fat Girls is a manifesto for women all over the world.

The thing that surprised me about Jes Baker and Things No One Will Tell Fat Girls is just how damned smart she is and how well she shared that intelligence with her readers.  Now, maybe that sounds like I stereotyped Jes Baker, and that is not true.  I had no doubt she was intelligent, but I was expecting more of a memoir-type of book.  Not a book that was thoroughly researched and is full of facts and stats, like only five percent of women naturally possess the body type often portrayed by Americans in the media.  Her advice is thoughtful, researched, and sound.  She doesn't tip-toe around the fact that some fat women need seat belt extenders while flying or even the word "fat" itself.  It is a fact.  Like her shoes are black, there is no reason to use terms like "fluffy" or "curvy" because the word is fat.  You do need to know that Jes is not one to hide her personality and that means f-bombs galore.  It just adds to her authenticity, but some might find it offensive.   I think my favorite part was when she took on Abercrombie & Fitch for the double-standard of having XL & XXL clothing for men, but only going up to L for women. I wanted to wave my book in the air and say "You Go Girl!"

Bottom line - Things No One Will Tell Fat Girls is truly one of the most empowering books I have ever read.  The advice in the book is certainly advice all fat women should read. The message of body-positive acceptance is a message that all women need to hear, no matter what their size.

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