Schooled on Fat

Schooled on Fat, winner of the Reader Views Literary Award in Societal Issues and the Reviewers Choice Best Non-fiction Book of the Year, Specialty Awards, delves into the intricate connections between body image, social status, fat stigma, teasing, food consumption behaviours, and exercise practices as experienced by adolescent girls and boys.

Based on nine months of fieldwork at a high school near Tucson, Arizona, the book draws from social, linguistic, and theoretical contexts to showcase how teens navigate the complex realities of body image. This is set within a high school culture that reinforces widespread beliefs regarding body size as a matter of personal responsibility, despite offering limited opportunities for exercise and an abundance of fattening junk foods.

Nicole Taylor also examines policy efforts to highlight our current national approach to tackling childhood obesity and provides practical strategies that schools and parents can implement to promote teen wellness.

The book is a valuable resource for courses focused on the body, fat studies, gender studies, language and culture, school culture and policy, public ethnography, deviance, and youth culture.