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Fat Girls in Black Bodies: Creating Communities of Our Own
Combatting fatphobia and racism to reclaim a space for womxn at the intersection of fat and Black
To be a womxn living in a body at the intersection of fat and Black is to be on the margins. From concern-trolling–“I just want you to be healthy“–to outright attacks, fat Black bodies that fall outside dominant constructs of beauty and wellness are subjected to healthism, racism, and misogynoir. The spaces carved out by third-wave feminism and the fat liberation movement fail at true inclusivity and intersectionality; fat Black womxn need to create their own safe spaces and community, instead of tirelessly laboring to educate and push back against dominant groups.
Structured into three sections–“belonging,” “resistance,” and “acceptance”–and informed by personal history, community stories, and deep research, Fat Girls in Black Bodies breaks down the myths, stereotypes, tropes, and outright lies we’ve been sold about race, body size, belonging, and health. Dr. Joy Cox’s razor-sharp cultural commentary exposes the racist roots of diet culture, healthism, and the ways we erroneously conflate body size with personal responsibility. She explores how to reclaim space and create belonging in a hostile world, pushing back against tired pressures of “going along just to get along,” and dismantles the institutionally ingrained myths about race, size, gender, and worth that deny fat Black womxn their selfhood.
To be a womxn living in a body at the intersection of fat and Black is to be on the margins. From concern-trolling–“I just want you to be healthy“–to outright attacks, fat Black bodies that fall outside dominant constructs of beauty and wellness are subjected to healthism, racism, and misogynoir. The spaces carved out by third-wave feminism and the fat liberation movement fail at true inclusivity and intersectionality; fat Black womxn need to create their own safe spaces and community, instead of tirelessly laboring to educate and push back against dominant groups.
Structured into three sections–“belonging,” “resistance,” and “acceptance”–and informed by personal history, community stories, and deep research, Fat Girls in Black Bodies breaks down the myths, stereotypes, tropes, and outright lies we’ve been sold about race, body size, belonging, and health. Dr. Joy Cox’s razor-sharp cultural commentary exposes the racist roots of diet culture, healthism, and the ways we erroneously conflate body size with personal responsibility. She explores how to reclaim space and create belonging in a hostile world, pushing back against tired pressures of “going along just to get along,” and dismantles the institutionally ingrained myths about race, size, gender, and worth that deny fat Black womxn their selfhood.
192 pages, Paperback
First published September 29, 2020
44 people are currently reading
732 people want to read
About the author
Joy Arlene Renee Cox
2 books14 followersJoy Arlene Renee Cox is an ordinary person who has been given an extraordinary opportunity to share stories about people much more fabulous than herself. She is a Philadelphia native, born on the blessed thirty-first day of December. Joy is a claircognizant Capricorn that thrives through connection and love, rooting for the underdogs in life to take their rightful place as overcomers. She is also a doctor, receiving her PhD from Rutgers University-New Brunswick in 2018. Her field of work is centered on fatness, identity, and social change.
Reflective of the name she bears, Joy has the cheeks to out smile her detractors. Reflective of her work in print, she has the research to back up her claims. While the spotlight has never been a position she'd prefer to stand in, Joy does believe in speaking up and advocating for what's right. She is the author of Fat Girls in Black Bodies: Creating Communities of Our Own, published through North Atlantic Books, and the host of the pro-fat, pro-Black podcast Fresh Out the Cocoon.
Joy has been featured in articles by the Huffington Post and SELF magazine. Joy has also been on several podcasts, such as Positive Nutrition with Paige Smathers and Food Psych with Christy Harrison. Dr. Cox is simply a conduit through which love, wisdom, and justice flow. Her pride is in her people and her values. Her strength is in her disposition and her intuition.
Reflective of the name she bears, Joy has the cheeks to out smile her detractors. Reflective of her work in print, she has the research to back up her claims. While the spotlight has never been a position she'd prefer to stand in, Joy does believe in speaking up and advocating for what's right. She is the author of Fat Girls in Black Bodies: Creating Communities of Our Own, published through North Atlantic Books, and the host of the pro-fat, pro-Black podcast Fresh Out the Cocoon.
Joy has been featured in articles by the Huffington Post and SELF magazine. Joy has also been on several podcasts, such as Positive Nutrition with Paige Smathers and Food Psych with Christy Harrison. Dr. Cox is simply a conduit through which love, wisdom, and justice flow. Her pride is in her people and her values. Her strength is in her disposition and her intuition.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
April 3, 2021
This was as personal and as educational as I needed it to be on both fronts.
Fat Girls in Black Bodies possesses what a lot of books surrounding the same subject matter contains. However, it's the delivery that sets them apart. Sometimes you don't realize how much you've needed something said in a specific way, until you've read it expressed in that particular way. I found myself in that headspace with every page turn in this book. It's crazy how much of our lives is tied to white supremacy, from the beauty standard down to where we choose to vacation, it's always high time to liberate our perspectives and turn ourselves towards the realities of our own culture, good and bad.
I consider this read as an essential part of the FUBU cannon for Black women and girls. Don't listen to me tho, listen to Dr. Joy Arlene Renee Cox:
Couldn't have said it better myself. Liberation in your thinking and actions begin at home. Integrity, in my humble opinion, is when you can be the same person you are, in your fullness and truth, everywhere. That is not always the reality for women, black people or fat people. Responsibility and self awareness is when you understand what it is that makes you you, and carve out that space to find love and happiness in the beauty of your personhood. That is carving out the space to revel in the beauty of your Blackness, yes your Womanhood and yes your Fatness. Add in whatever else makes you you.
Joy Arlene Renee Cox is a gifted writer and has created something remarkable with this book. No liberation in any format can exist without it being intersectional. Fat Black Women are a lot of the times the ones on the front lines doing a shit ton of work for the community in more ways than one. I hope this book is taught everywhere and I hope that the information Dr. Cox presents serves as a light and a pillar in the Black community surrounding fat acceptance for the mental, physical and spiritual wellbeing of our sisters, mothers, aunties and daughters and for all Black women and girls.
Fat Girls in Black Bodies possesses what a lot of books surrounding the same subject matter contains. However, it's the delivery that sets them apart. Sometimes you don't realize how much you've needed something said in a specific way, until you've read it expressed in that particular way. I found myself in that headspace with every page turn in this book. It's crazy how much of our lives is tied to white supremacy, from the beauty standard down to where we choose to vacation, it's always high time to liberate our perspectives and turn ourselves towards the realities of our own culture, good and bad.
"White supremacy is a double-edged sword, cutting as it enters and departs. White supremacy has cut the psyches of White folk, having them believe that their mediocrity is supreme, while chipping away the excellence of Black folk to have us believe that our best will never be good enough. White bodies have become the standard, leaving Black bodies to fight for the scraps of validation within our own communities, when we could easily define a new standard." — 21% in 'Fat Girls in Black Bodies' by Joy Arlene Renee Cox, Ph.D.
I consider this read as an essential part of the FUBU cannon for Black women and girls. Don't listen to me tho, listen to Dr. Joy Arlene Renee Cox:
"The Black community does not have to follow in the footsteps of White folks’ leadership. Especially when we are dealing interpersonally with one another. What need do we have for White-supremacist ideas in our intimate gatherings? Can we not carve out a sacred place for us to dwell away from the bullshit so we can run a new community in spite of the oppression happening around us?" - 66% in 'Fat Girls in Black Bodies' by Joy Arlene Renee Cox, Ph.D.
Couldn't have said it better myself. Liberation in your thinking and actions begin at home. Integrity, in my humble opinion, is when you can be the same person you are, in your fullness and truth, everywhere. That is not always the reality for women, black people or fat people. Responsibility and self awareness is when you understand what it is that makes you you, and carve out that space to find love and happiness in the beauty of your personhood. That is carving out the space to revel in the beauty of your Blackness, yes your Womanhood and yes your Fatness. Add in whatever else makes you you.
"Change within these microstructures would do wonders for us fat Black girls! We could breathe better, sleep better, and be fat in peace. Research studies detail that weight stigma is more harmful than weight itself." — 67% in 'Fat Girls in Black Bodies' by Joy Arlene Renee Cox, Ph.D.
Joy Arlene Renee Cox is a gifted writer and has created something remarkable with this book. No liberation in any format can exist without it being intersectional. Fat Black Women are a lot of the times the ones on the front lines doing a shit ton of work for the community in more ways than one. I hope this book is taught everywhere and I hope that the information Dr. Cox presents serves as a light and a pillar in the Black community surrounding fat acceptance for the mental, physical and spiritual wellbeing of our sisters, mothers, aunties and daughters and for all Black women and girls.
"There is a magic in being able to respond to one another in love. One right response can heal decades of wrong ones." — 67% in 'Fat Girls in Black Bodies' by Joy Arlene Renee Cox, Ph.D.
May 22, 2023
Loved the writing style, the content was smart and approachable, and the intersectionality here is super important. I appreciated the author pulling from their own experience, and I thought one of the strongest chapters was the one on religion, as that is often not a topic covered in other books I've read in fat liberation. I did feel sometimes the narrative didn't entirely feel cohesive to me, and I think this was a bit more of a memoir than I'd been expecting--I think (for me) this may have worked better if it either leaned harder into the memoir aspect, or if it did so less and instead called on excerpts/experiences from more fat Black women and non-men. She does so occasionally, but usually quite briefly. Still, a relatively minor quibble and I thought this was a really good and informative read.
June 17, 2022
Refreshing.
January 31, 2021
This is an intelligent and raw must-read.
While it is not my place to “review” Joy’s book, as I’m less educated on the subjects she’s made it her life to research and as a white woman, I cannot speak on experiences of Black folks, I am grateful to have read it.
As a fat woman who seeks to make community and do the work necessary to dismantle diet-culture and society’s fatphobia, this book helped me see an extra layer in intersectional fat experiences.
I’ve also go a list of people to add to who I follow and look to in the fatosphere!
While it is not my place to “review” Joy’s book, as I’m less educated on the subjects she’s made it her life to research and as a white woman, I cannot speak on experiences of Black folks, I am grateful to have read it.
As a fat woman who seeks to make community and do the work necessary to dismantle diet-culture and society’s fatphobia, this book helped me see an extra layer in intersectional fat experiences.
I’ve also go a list of people to add to who I follow and look to in the fatosphere!
September 24, 2020
I wasn't altogether sure how to approach a review for this book because I felt conflicted as to its overall message; or, at least, the ways it attempts to convey the message intended.
On the one hand, it's certainly about embracing a woman's body, at any size, as long as it's healthy--mentally and physically. However, it also (at least at times) seems to come dangerously close to denying science and promoting obesity.
On the whole, I agree with Cox's observations surrounding the stigma of being fat in a weight-conscious, patriarchally-influenced, society; the standards of European beauty were forced on Black women long ago and, as a result, the parameters for what's acceptable are clear: a curvy figure is preferred only if the curves are in the right place and "fat" is okay only if said "fat" is better interpreted as "thick".
The dietary and fitness industries exacerbate matters by only showing the ideal images of "beauty"; images that don't include that of "fat" Black women; women like that are relegated to "other"--not even important enough to be included in the conversations of those women labeled as "plus-sized".
From magazines, to television ads, to the numerous diets and dietary supplements thrown our way, we are bombarded with images of what the ideal body should look like, as well as instructions on how best to get it.
For those labeled "obese" or--as Cox would say--"fat", the messages are even more negative; usually geared toward more intensive body-shaming and fatphobia.
Cox takes issue with this for one simple reason: not every "fat" body is necessarily an "unhealthy" one.
I don't disagree.
I spent several years as a personal trainer and knew "skinny" women who couldn't climb a flight of stairs without experiencing shortness of breath, as well as "fat" women who were able to complete half-marathons.
The scale, Body Mass Index (BMI), measuring tapes, etc. are all tools of the trade--for trainers and health officials--but they cannot give tell you all you need to know about a person's ability or overall health.
A total approach needs to be taken when evaluating "fat" women and part of that approach needs to start with said "health professional" being open-minded enough to understand the physical make-up of a person does not always portend to their being unhealthy or at-risk for conditions like Type 2 Diabetes, High Blood Pressure, High Cholesterol, etc.
The above is the message Cox spends the better part of the book trying to convey. In essence, stop the fatphobia and be more accepting of the right of "fat" women to live their best lives without having to contend with your negative opinions.
Again, I don't disagree.
However, I also don't feel exchanging one extreme for the other is a good idea either.
Cox mentions the possibility of health officials introducing more "weight neutral"* possibilities, as opposed to focusing on weight loss as the only means of obtaining a healthy lifestyle--basically, stop obsessing over making the body "smaller" and focus on making it healthier instead.
There are a lot of good points made in this book and it certainly made me more aware of the challenges of those living and moving in world where so much of your acceptance is based on what the scale has to say.
End of the day, I didn't agree with everything Cox had to say--much of it felt too extreme for me--but I am certainly on-board with rethinking the way we view health within the Black community; healthy bodies come in all shapes and sizes; we would ALL do well to be more accepting--and infinitely less judgmental and negative--to those simply trying to live their best lives.
Thank you to North Atlantic Books for the early ARC. Opinion is my own.
[*"The weight-neutral approach to health is based on the following key tenets: A person's health status, risk level, or quality of life cannot be assumed based solely on a number on a scale. Bodyweight is not as directly and linearly related to higher quality of life and reduced risk of disease as is commonly thought."]
On the one hand, it's certainly about embracing a woman's body, at any size, as long as it's healthy--mentally and physically. However, it also (at least at times) seems to come dangerously close to denying science and promoting obesity.
On the whole, I agree with Cox's observations surrounding the stigma of being fat in a weight-conscious, patriarchally-influenced, society; the standards of European beauty were forced on Black women long ago and, as a result, the parameters for what's acceptable are clear: a curvy figure is preferred only if the curves are in the right place and "fat" is okay only if said "fat" is better interpreted as "thick".
The dietary and fitness industries exacerbate matters by only showing the ideal images of "beauty"; images that don't include that of "fat" Black women; women like that are relegated to "other"--not even important enough to be included in the conversations of those women labeled as "plus-sized".
From magazines, to television ads, to the numerous diets and dietary supplements thrown our way, we are bombarded with images of what the ideal body should look like, as well as instructions on how best to get it.
For those labeled "obese" or--as Cox would say--"fat", the messages are even more negative; usually geared toward more intensive body-shaming and fatphobia.
Cox takes issue with this for one simple reason: not every "fat" body is necessarily an "unhealthy" one.
I don't disagree.
I spent several years as a personal trainer and knew "skinny" women who couldn't climb a flight of stairs without experiencing shortness of breath, as well as "fat" women who were able to complete half-marathons.
The scale, Body Mass Index (BMI), measuring tapes, etc. are all tools of the trade--for trainers and health officials--but they cannot give tell you all you need to know about a person's ability or overall health.
A total approach needs to be taken when evaluating "fat" women and part of that approach needs to start with said "health professional" being open-minded enough to understand the physical make-up of a person does not always portend to their being unhealthy or at-risk for conditions like Type 2 Diabetes, High Blood Pressure, High Cholesterol, etc.
The above is the message Cox spends the better part of the book trying to convey. In essence, stop the fatphobia and be more accepting of the right of "fat" women to live their best lives without having to contend with your negative opinions.
Again, I don't disagree.
However, I also don't feel exchanging one extreme for the other is a good idea either.
Cox mentions the possibility of health officials introducing more "weight neutral"* possibilities, as opposed to focusing on weight loss as the only means of obtaining a healthy lifestyle--basically, stop obsessing over making the body "smaller" and focus on making it healthier instead.
There are a lot of good points made in this book and it certainly made me more aware of the challenges of those living and moving in world where so much of your acceptance is based on what the scale has to say.
End of the day, I didn't agree with everything Cox had to say--much of it felt too extreme for me--but I am certainly on-board with rethinking the way we view health within the Black community; healthy bodies come in all shapes and sizes; we would ALL do well to be more accepting--and infinitely less judgmental and negative--to those simply trying to live their best lives.
Thank you to North Atlantic Books for the early ARC. Opinion is my own.
[*"The weight-neutral approach to health is based on the following key tenets: A person's health status, risk level, or quality of life cannot be assumed based solely on a number on a scale. Bodyweight is not as directly and linearly related to higher quality of life and reduced risk of disease as is commonly thought."]
May 2, 2025
Sometimes clients ask me to review books for them to see if they're providing accurate information and worth their time. This one definitely passed the vibe check. Great mix of research and narrative. Very accessible and kind of felt like just talking to one of your girls. Appreciate the vulnerability shared and I know this text has/will help a lot of people.
January 10, 2021
For enjoyment level of reading this book, I would give this book 4 stars. However, rereading the title if someone wants to learn about how to actually get into fat liberation activism in black spaces this book is the one to read! The author mentioned tons of resources and it is well researched which I loved. I will be thinking further over representation vs structural change which was thought provoking.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 13, 2021
“In bringing life to others, I was actually saving my own.”
The resounding theme that I took away from reading Fat Girls in Black Bodies: Creating Communities of Our Own by Joy Arlene Renee Cox is centered on empowerment for others leads to greater empowerment of self. Dr. Cox takes us on a journey from her childhood forward discussing and grounding the reader in her experience of being identified as “other” due to her weight early in her childhood and the impacts on her identity along with her acceptance of self through her maturation to adulthood.
She doesn’t delve too deeply in some of these other areas of her experience; but does touch on how colorism, religion, family relationships/dynamics, feminism, intersectionality, and diet/healthism all affected her and influenced her perceptions of self. The experiences ultimately fueled her desire to study fatness, identify, and social change at Rutgers in her PhD program. This also led her to her passion project around giving a voice and using/creating a platform of advocacy for other fat, black girls and women.
There were several areas that I connected with in reading her work, some that I didn’t but do respect as that was her experience and mostly was left with the feeling that I learned more concepts and skills to add to my ability to be an advocate for myself, as well as an advocate and ally for others.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The resounding theme that I took away from reading Fat Girls in Black Bodies: Creating Communities of Our Own by Joy Arlene Renee Cox is centered on empowerment for others leads to greater empowerment of self. Dr. Cox takes us on a journey from her childhood forward discussing and grounding the reader in her experience of being identified as “other” due to her weight early in her childhood and the impacts on her identity along with her acceptance of self through her maturation to adulthood.
She doesn’t delve too deeply in some of these other areas of her experience; but does touch on how colorism, religion, family relationships/dynamics, feminism, intersectionality, and diet/healthism all affected her and influenced her perceptions of self. The experiences ultimately fueled her desire to study fatness, identify, and social change at Rutgers in her PhD program. This also led her to her passion project around giving a voice and using/creating a platform of advocacy for other fat, black girls and women.
There were several areas that I connected with in reading her work, some that I didn’t but do respect as that was her experience and mostly was left with the feeling that I learned more concepts and skills to add to my ability to be an advocate for myself, as well as an advocate and ally for others.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
February 4, 2023
This book is simply a must read. My highlighter worked overtime on this one.
Cox leads us in an important journey, detailing what it’s like to be Black and fat. She talks about concern trolls, family history, fat prejudice in the church, doing the work of activism, finding acceptance, and so so so much more.
In the activism chapter I found myself smiling from ear to ear. I loved getting to learn more about Cox’s journey in her master’s and doctorate degrees. It felt like watching a victory montage in a movie and I wanted to CHEER for her success! Seeing someone find their community is empowering.
Several times when I was reading this, I thought of Eating While Black, which really delves into prejudices against food. These books dovetail so well together! Also, I must recommend This Body Is Not An Apology for continued learning.
I am a fat person, but I am white, which comes with hosts of its own privileges. I believe it’s important to support marginalized groups and learn more about their lives and points of view. Let’s listen.
“The willful blindness to acknowledge that living in a fat Black body has difficulties and barriers all its own not only devalues the movement for fat acceptance, but also builds opposition to progress in minority communities.”
Cox leads us in an important journey, detailing what it’s like to be Black and fat. She talks about concern trolls, family history, fat prejudice in the church, doing the work of activism, finding acceptance, and so so so much more.
In the activism chapter I found myself smiling from ear to ear. I loved getting to learn more about Cox’s journey in her master’s and doctorate degrees. It felt like watching a victory montage in a movie and I wanted to CHEER for her success! Seeing someone find their community is empowering.
Several times when I was reading this, I thought of Eating While Black, which really delves into prejudices against food. These books dovetail so well together! Also, I must recommend This Body Is Not An Apology for continued learning.
I am a fat person, but I am white, which comes with hosts of its own privileges. I believe it’s important to support marginalized groups and learn more about their lives and points of view. Let’s listen.
“The willful blindness to acknowledge that living in a fat Black body has difficulties and barriers all its own not only devalues the movement for fat acceptance, but also builds opposition to progress in minority communities.”
Read
September 5, 2025I’ve had the privilege of meeting Joy Cox back when we were both attending WVU, and now I can say I’ve had the privilege of reading her book and everything she has to share in it. Fat Girls in Black Bodies blends together Joy’s personal stories from her life, interviews with fellow activists, and academic research on fat phobia, specifically regarding fat black womxn. She elaborates on how this stigma against fat black womxn shows up all different settings - church, elementary school, academia, fitness studios, clothing brands, doctor’s visits, and airplane travel. The book also addresses acceptance of oneself, resistance to the negative messages society and people may give you, and the importance (and also how to) of finding a community of like-minded people who will build you up and support you.
As someone who works in a hospital in a diverse city, I’ve found this book to personally reiterate to me the importance of practicing Health At Every Size for all my patients, especially fat black womxn. I appreciated the sections of the book that referenced healthcare for this reason. I also loved the sections on Joy’s upbringing, experience in the church, and her trip to Senegal.
Thank you Joy for writing this book and sharing your life and knowledge with others!
As someone who works in a hospital in a diverse city, I’ve found this book to personally reiterate to me the importance of practicing Health At Every Size for all my patients, especially fat black womxn. I appreciated the sections of the book that referenced healthcare for this reason. I also loved the sections on Joy’s upbringing, experience in the church, and her trip to Senegal.
Thank you Joy for writing this book and sharing your life and knowledge with others!
June 20, 2023
Fat Girls in Black Bodies by Arlene Renee was truth. I could relate to some of her struggles being a black girl. Hearing people say “girl mature faster than boys” I knew it was a scam. Girl “mature faster” because you teach us to. If we all know boys are “naturally immature, absolute terrors” why don’t we hone in teaching them to be young men like we teach our young women. Boys can go outside with no shirts, but god forbid my shorts are too short, or my shirt isn’t long enough. Society so often ridiculed women for wearing what they felt comfortable in, then use it as excuse to rape them. But back to being a fat girl in a black body. Children are taught to hate fat people. Though I’m not fat I too felt the need to suck and tuck in my premature body. She talked about wearing tights and underwear to since her in. I liked hearing how she chose to love herself and stand in the light as a healthy fat black women. I also appreciated the feature of her sister, being in the queer community. I do kinda wish the book followed more stories, instead of the discussion kind of format.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 2, 2021
There were so many familiar things within the this book that I recognized even as a midsize person. There is so much internalized hatred and fear of fatness and I know that I often struggle with resisting that fatphobic voice, while still be captive to it and at times perpetuating it. It helped me to realize all the fatphobic things that I had heard or experienced from family, friends, doctors and even the church at times... It was great to learn about the many fat, Black womxn who are creating communities for themselves while also leading to better outcomes for all Black womxn. This was a great read to remind myself of all the ways that my body and the bodiese of other people are fine as they are and do not need to be minimized in the metaphorical or literal sense.
December 2, 2021
Definitely a book everyone should read, whether they're fat, black or a cis woman. It had a great impact on my life and I'll be thinking of this whenever I encounter fatphobia (which is all the time unfortunately).
April 12, 2022
As a non-black and non-fat indivisual, this book has helped me realise of a lot of problems I may help create when I judge my own body, give other free advice and also how much media and cinema make them feel like an anomaly instead of part of a larger diversity.
February 20, 2023
This read like sitting down with a friend and just talking about similar experiences. I love how there's wit written throughout this book, but it still leaves with a deep, thoughtful impression. As a fat, black, femme, I truly appreciate this book and I'm glad I picked this up.
January 21, 2021
Yes, yes and YES.
March 19, 2022
It hit very personally I definitely appreciated the approach and perspective
May 9, 2023
A beautifully written book. Cox speaks of her own experience while successfully incorporating the voices of other fat Black women. A great addition to the body liberation movement.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews