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The Body Liberation Project: How Understanding Racism and Diet Culture Helps Cultivate Joy and Build Collective Freedom
From author and wellness personality Chrissy King, an exciting, genre-redefining narrative mix of memoir, inspiration, and activities and prompts, with timely messages about social and racial justice and how the world needs to move beyond body positivity to something even more exciting and body liberation.
When Chrissy King first joined a gym, she had one goal in to “get skinny.” In pursuit of this goal, she fell into the all-too-common cycle of “not enough-ness”; no matter what she achieved, there was always something she felt she needed to change about her body, her appearance, herself. This made her realize the most liberating truth of She was not the problem. Diet and fitness industries rooted in white supremacy were the problem; Eurocentric and carefully manufactured beauty standards were the problem; discourses telling her that her happiness was directly tied to her physical appearance were the problem. So she created an actionable method to redefine the relationship we have with our bodies, thereby achieving a sense of self-worth that is completely separate from how we look.
The Body Liberation Project is about finding actual freedom in our bodies by discovering strength and aspects of fitness, movement, and eating that work for YOU. It’s about realizing that the goal is not to look at our bodies and love everything we see; it’s to understand that at our essence we are so much more than our bodies. But it’s also about recognizing the harsh realities that prohibit people in marginalized bodies from being able to do so. Society constantly bombards those who fall outside Eurocentric standards of beauty (think Black, fat, trans, etc.) with the message that they are less attractive, and part of the journey toward body liberation is examining your own privilege, acknowledging the harm you may be causing others, and mourning your old ideas about what a body “should” look like.
Recognizing that none of us are free until all of us are, Chrissy King shares the wisdom, the tools, and the inspiration to motivate readers to find body liberation and, even more important, to pass it on.
When Chrissy King first joined a gym, she had one goal in to “get skinny.” In pursuit of this goal, she fell into the all-too-common cycle of “not enough-ness”; no matter what she achieved, there was always something she felt she needed to change about her body, her appearance, herself. This made her realize the most liberating truth of She was not the problem. Diet and fitness industries rooted in white supremacy were the problem; Eurocentric and carefully manufactured beauty standards were the problem; discourses telling her that her happiness was directly tied to her physical appearance were the problem. So she created an actionable method to redefine the relationship we have with our bodies, thereby achieving a sense of self-worth that is completely separate from how we look.
The Body Liberation Project is about finding actual freedom in our bodies by discovering strength and aspects of fitness, movement, and eating that work for YOU. It’s about realizing that the goal is not to look at our bodies and love everything we see; it’s to understand that at our essence we are so much more than our bodies. But it’s also about recognizing the harsh realities that prohibit people in marginalized bodies from being able to do so. Society constantly bombards those who fall outside Eurocentric standards of beauty (think Black, fat, trans, etc.) with the message that they are less attractive, and part of the journey toward body liberation is examining your own privilege, acknowledging the harm you may be causing others, and mourning your old ideas about what a body “should” look like.
Recognizing that none of us are free until all of us are, Chrissy King shares the wisdom, the tools, and the inspiration to motivate readers to find body liberation and, even more important, to pass it on.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published March 14, 2023
109 people are currently reading
4954 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 99 reviews
September 8, 2023
This was really interesting and surprisingly easy to read, given the topic. While the discussion was pretty academic and research-driven (despite lacking footnotes throughout, there is a pretty hefty citation section at the end!), the tone was light and conversational, with anecdotes and stories liberally mixed in. This gave me a lot to think about and process.
January 21, 2024
5 stars - I’d give it more if I could.
A must read! The author addresses body positivity, body neutrality, and body liberation. The biggest highlight of this book is the inclusion of systemic oppression and what it means to be someone in a body of colour. She explicitly makes connections between white supremacy and diet culture, while also talking about her journey of ‘breaking up with diet culture’. My favourite part was the ‘From Principle to Practice’ sections, which included reflective journaling prompts pertaining to the topic in that chapter. She also speaks to the role all of us play in collective body liberation. She quotes Audre Lorde in saying that no one is free, until we are all free. I intend on purchasing this book to work through it in order to think about how I want to apply this to my life.
A must read! The author addresses body positivity, body neutrality, and body liberation. The biggest highlight of this book is the inclusion of systemic oppression and what it means to be someone in a body of colour. She explicitly makes connections between white supremacy and diet culture, while also talking about her journey of ‘breaking up with diet culture’. My favourite part was the ‘From Principle to Practice’ sections, which included reflective journaling prompts pertaining to the topic in that chapter. She also speaks to the role all of us play in collective body liberation. She quotes Audre Lorde in saying that no one is free, until we are all free. I intend on purchasing this book to work through it in order to think about how I want to apply this to my life.
June 10, 2025
I feel like this is a good intro book to diet culture and racism, and the intersections of the two, but it really felt quite surface level, particularly if you've been in these spaces for a while. The style is quite readable, though it felt more like a collection of essays/blog posts than a really cohesive book. I don't think the author was quite successful at really marrying the topics of anti-fat bias and racism as I would have liked -- mostly it felt like two different subjects, with the occasional mention of the intersectionality (and that white supremacy is OFC at the root of anti-fat bias). I'd recommend for somebody really new to these spaces, otherwise it feels a little too introductory and ultimately shallow.
January 24, 2023
I love that The Body Liberation Project by Chrissy King starts off by introducing us all to the reasons why body liberation is of prime importance. Among the statistics shared Chrissy writes that in 1970 girls started dieting at the age of fourteen as compared to the age of eight years old in the present day. This has severe implications for the mental health of young people and our society as a whole with a particular negative effect on those of us residing in Black bodies.
Chrissy shares personal narratives from her own lived experience, both personal and professional, as a Black women. She demonstrates what she means by body liberation by sharing how she came into her own acceptance of her body and her own active, daily practice of eventual self-love and self celebration. She also shares narratives about her hair and the ways our bodies, as Black women, are constantly under surveillance. As Black women we have been largely undervalued by mainstream beauty and diet culture. This book is both a call in and a call out, particular to the white women who have coopted the body positivity movement created by women of color determined to call out fatphobia. Many powerful points are made around the inequity that exists within diet culture particularly the disparities in how much white influencers are paid as compared to their BIPOC counterparts. Chrissy asks some important questions to her white readers and wants us all to seriously consider our own areas of privilege while doing this work of unlearning internalized hatred towards our bodies and seeking liberation. This book is the first time I've also read the term "body neutrality" which is a term that encourages us all to simply observe that this is how our bodies look today without judgment or any value assessment. There are several practice tools outlined in this book and each chapter ends with a section entitled: From Principle to Practice where some questions/journal prompts are shared to encourage us to deepen our own liberation practice.
This is an excellent book for anyone wanting to learn more about the harm diet culture causes and the definitions of basic concepts around body liberation. I loved the references to the work of bell hooks and Audre Lorde among so many others.
Thank you so much to the author and publisher for the e-arc copy!
Chrissy shares personal narratives from her own lived experience, both personal and professional, as a Black women. She demonstrates what she means by body liberation by sharing how she came into her own acceptance of her body and her own active, daily practice of eventual self-love and self celebration. She also shares narratives about her hair and the ways our bodies, as Black women, are constantly under surveillance. As Black women we have been largely undervalued by mainstream beauty and diet culture. This book is both a call in and a call out, particular to the white women who have coopted the body positivity movement created by women of color determined to call out fatphobia. Many powerful points are made around the inequity that exists within diet culture particularly the disparities in how much white influencers are paid as compared to their BIPOC counterparts. Chrissy asks some important questions to her white readers and wants us all to seriously consider our own areas of privilege while doing this work of unlearning internalized hatred towards our bodies and seeking liberation. This book is the first time I've also read the term "body neutrality" which is a term that encourages us all to simply observe that this is how our bodies look today without judgment or any value assessment. There are several practice tools outlined in this book and each chapter ends with a section entitled: From Principle to Practice where some questions/journal prompts are shared to encourage us to deepen our own liberation practice.
This is an excellent book for anyone wanting to learn more about the harm diet culture causes and the definitions of basic concepts around body liberation. I loved the references to the work of bell hooks and Audre Lorde among so many others.
Thank you so much to the author and publisher for the e-arc copy!
August 18, 2023
Wow was this book a chore to read. I was really into at first but it was so repetitive. It honestly read like a LONG blog post: repetitive, filled will long personal anecdotes that add very little to the point but add A LOT to the word count, and did I mention repetitive?
I really thought this book would go in depth with how white supremacy is tied to body image & how we view fat people (you know, because it’s literally in the title), but I feel like this book was very surface level & didn’t go in like I was hoping. Many concepts that were mentioned were things I am already well aware of & didn’t provide more context or it’s history or anything that would help expand my knowledge on said topics. Again, this book is heavy with the anecdotes, quotes from other people, & just rambly examples. Honestly parts were like listening to a podcast before it gets the insignificant parts edited out. Literally there is a section where she describes IN DETAIL different dance moves. I don’t know if you’ve ever read about someone dancing but it’s infinitely less interesting than watching someone dance.
Don’t get me wrong. There is A LOT of good stuff in here, specifically the “from principle to practice” section after each chapter. I think this book would be better to own so one can reference it when needed for body image issues versus how I did it, borrowed from the library where I read it cover to cover (okay tbh I only got 78% in before quitting). I have many impactful quotes highlighted but so many of them were the quotes the author used but not what the author herself said.
I really thought this book would go in depth with how white supremacy is tied to body image & how we view fat people (you know, because it’s literally in the title), but I feel like this book was very surface level & didn’t go in like I was hoping. Many concepts that were mentioned were things I am already well aware of & didn’t provide more context or it’s history or anything that would help expand my knowledge on said topics. Again, this book is heavy with the anecdotes, quotes from other people, & just rambly examples. Honestly parts were like listening to a podcast before it gets the insignificant parts edited out. Literally there is a section where she describes IN DETAIL different dance moves. I don’t know if you’ve ever read about someone dancing but it’s infinitely less interesting than watching someone dance.
Don’t get me wrong. There is A LOT of good stuff in here, specifically the “from principle to practice” section after each chapter. I think this book would be better to own so one can reference it when needed for body image issues versus how I did it, borrowed from the library where I read it cover to cover (okay tbh I only got 78% in before quitting). I have many impactful quotes highlighted but so many of them were the quotes the author used but not what the author herself said.
August 29, 2023
Interesting and insightful! Highly recommend!!
April 17, 2025
When I stumbled across this book, I thought, “That is quite the subtitle. Must read because my curiosity compels me.” By the end of the introduction, I actually had high hopes for this book. The author had a strong voice and genuinely sounded like she was going to educate me.
As a white woman who fits the western beauty standard and still had to battle my insecurities, I wondered what it might be like to face those body image issues in a world where the standard was literally unattainable. And Chrissy King had so many great things to say about our relationship with our bodies (especially when those bodies don’t fit the standard), but I feel like this book never really addressed the issues it presents in the subtitle.
I mean, sure, she told me multiple times that fitness culture is racist. And diet culture is rooted in white supremacy. And fatphobia? “Inextricably tied to racism.” (Which was curious to me considering that word calls to my mind a very large white woman.) While she insists all these things, she fails to dive into the hows and whys of these racist origins. She simply tells me it is, over and over, perhaps in hopes that, if I hear these words enough times, I’ll start to believe them. But I still don’t know what the root of the issue is (ie. how these things are racist) so I can’t figure out how to begin to dismantle it.
She seems to resent the fact that the western beauty standard is thin and white. I can understand how the impossible standard would be frustrating to a woman in a curvy black body, but she acknowledges that beauty trends have shifted over past decades (think Marilyn Monroe curves) and also resents that booties are currently in, calling “the commodification of butts” a form of cultural appropriation, saying: “How about all the white women selling booty-building programs without acknowledging their ability to profit off traditionally Black attributes that weren’t widely accepted until non-black people tried on these attributes like costumes?”
First she’s complaining that the beauty standard is unattainable and now she’s complaining because a stereotypical black attribute has become desirable to white women? I would have thought this was progress. But of course, in a predominantly white society, the image being projected is white and I think that’s what Chrissy King has a problem with.
She writes: “As a black woman in the fitness space, I was growing increasingly frustrated with the lack of representation. That’s what I called it then. In later years, I would just call it what it was—racism.”
Is it though? Or is it merely what she dubbed it in her early years—a lack of representation? While I’m sure the author has experienced multiple counts of true racism, I don’t think the predominantly white image of diet/fitness culture is one of them.
I will never forget my first experience with being the minority race. I attended a Filipino-American church with a friend. I was probably one of five white people. It was weird. The message was in English, but everyone was speaking Tagalog. I felt like a fish out of water. I stood out, and not in a good way. I cannot imagine that being my entire life experience as it is for minorities in America. I’m not saying what the author is carrying isn’t heavy. I’m saying she’s perhaps reading into things more than she needs to. My Filipino friends did not need to make their church more white for me to feel comfortable. They welcomed me in and what made me feel unwelcome was my own insecurities that my otherness brought to the forefront.
I do not envy you a lifetime of otherness. That’s an extra burden in life that I, as a white woman in a predominantly white culture, do not have to carry. But there was a point when the author posed a question, having delved into the feminine experience of insecurity: “If women who are more closely aligned with Eurocentric standards of beauty are struggling to accept their bodies, what does that mean for those of us with more marginalized identities?”
Well, Chrissy, maybe it means it’s not actually that deep. Maybe it means that women will always wrestle with body image and identity issues, regardless of race or politics or the patriarchy. Maybe it means your struggle is not something that can be entirely blamed on racism and white supremacy. Maybe it means we’re not as different as you think.
Love, love, love the words written about accepting your body and the reminder that our bodies are the least interesting thing about us, but overall I think this book was trying to make a connection that isn’t there (or at least not in a way that is significant).
As a white woman who fits the western beauty standard and still had to battle my insecurities, I wondered what it might be like to face those body image issues in a world where the standard was literally unattainable. And Chrissy King had so many great things to say about our relationship with our bodies (especially when those bodies don’t fit the standard), but I feel like this book never really addressed the issues it presents in the subtitle.
I mean, sure, she told me multiple times that fitness culture is racist. And diet culture is rooted in white supremacy. And fatphobia? “Inextricably tied to racism.” (Which was curious to me considering that word calls to my mind a very large white woman.) While she insists all these things, she fails to dive into the hows and whys of these racist origins. She simply tells me it is, over and over, perhaps in hopes that, if I hear these words enough times, I’ll start to believe them. But I still don’t know what the root of the issue is (ie. how these things are racist) so I can’t figure out how to begin to dismantle it.
She seems to resent the fact that the western beauty standard is thin and white. I can understand how the impossible standard would be frustrating to a woman in a curvy black body, but she acknowledges that beauty trends have shifted over past decades (think Marilyn Monroe curves) and also resents that booties are currently in, calling “the commodification of butts” a form of cultural appropriation, saying: “How about all the white women selling booty-building programs without acknowledging their ability to profit off traditionally Black attributes that weren’t widely accepted until non-black people tried on these attributes like costumes?”
First she’s complaining that the beauty standard is unattainable and now she’s complaining because a stereotypical black attribute has become desirable to white women? I would have thought this was progress. But of course, in a predominantly white society, the image being projected is white and I think that’s what Chrissy King has a problem with.
She writes: “As a black woman in the fitness space, I was growing increasingly frustrated with the lack of representation. That’s what I called it then. In later years, I would just call it what it was—racism.”
Is it though? Or is it merely what she dubbed it in her early years—a lack of representation? While I’m sure the author has experienced multiple counts of true racism, I don’t think the predominantly white image of diet/fitness culture is one of them.
I will never forget my first experience with being the minority race. I attended a Filipino-American church with a friend. I was probably one of five white people. It was weird. The message was in English, but everyone was speaking Tagalog. I felt like a fish out of water. I stood out, and not in a good way. I cannot imagine that being my entire life experience as it is for minorities in America. I’m not saying what the author is carrying isn’t heavy. I’m saying she’s perhaps reading into things more than she needs to. My Filipino friends did not need to make their church more white for me to feel comfortable. They welcomed me in and what made me feel unwelcome was my own insecurities that my otherness brought to the forefront.
I do not envy you a lifetime of otherness. That’s an extra burden in life that I, as a white woman in a predominantly white culture, do not have to carry. But there was a point when the author posed a question, having delved into the feminine experience of insecurity: “If women who are more closely aligned with Eurocentric standards of beauty are struggling to accept their bodies, what does that mean for those of us with more marginalized identities?”
Well, Chrissy, maybe it means it’s not actually that deep. Maybe it means that women will always wrestle with body image and identity issues, regardless of race or politics or the patriarchy. Maybe it means your struggle is not something that can be entirely blamed on racism and white supremacy. Maybe it means we’re not as different as you think.
Love, love, love the words written about accepting your body and the reminder that our bodies are the least interesting thing about us, but overall I think this book was trying to make a connection that isn’t there (or at least not in a way that is significant).
July 25, 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Wow, the book I didn't know I needed to read. Rooted in anti-racism rhetoric, this book explores body liberation and the intersections of toxic wellness culture and its impact on Black and POC. So many parts of the book I had to stop, pause, and re-read as it just hit me so deeply! Again, this book is about collective action so I encourage you to read this one AND take steps to dismantle the industries built on systems of oppression. Highly recommend. Academic read but stories from Chrissy are woven in to bring meaning! Super quick read and it has become one of my favorite books so far for 2024!!
The quote which resonated with me "
Once I saw how diet culture, toxic fitness culture and white supremacy were intertwined, it couldn't be unseen"
Wow, the book I didn't know I needed to read. Rooted in anti-racism rhetoric, this book explores body liberation and the intersections of toxic wellness culture and its impact on Black and POC. So many parts of the book I had to stop, pause, and re-read as it just hit me so deeply! Again, this book is about collective action so I encourage you to read this one AND take steps to dismantle the industries built on systems of oppression. Highly recommend. Academic read but stories from Chrissy are woven in to bring meaning! Super quick read and it has become one of my favorite books so far for 2024!!
The quote which resonated with me "
Once I saw how diet culture, toxic fitness culture and white supremacy were intertwined, it couldn't be unseen"
February 14, 2023
Wow thanks so much for the chance to read this one early netgalley! I really enjoyed this book and it made me realize I need to love myself more for who I am not for what I look like. I need to love my body as it is and stop looking at what others want me to be. This is a huge problem in society and how they want people to look feel and be. We are all unique all different and will have different body types. I need to tell myself more that I am enough and my body is mine and perfect just the way it is.
June 17, 2023
By far the best and most comprehensive book on body liberation that I’ve ever read. Chrissy King has done something amazing! This is a must read for anyone who’s ever struggled with their body image.
July 20, 2023
Being a big bodied black woman this book was everything!! Discussing diet culture and the fitness industrial complex from this point of view was huge. LOVE LOVE LOVE!
August 9, 2023
This book is a ground-breaking look into the link between diet culture and racism. It was really interesting and I’d recommend it to anyone.
January 25, 2024
I’ve been enjoying this recent push of books challenging diet culture. There’s so much unlearning to do.
September 25, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
July 23, 2024
Wish I could make this required reading in schools. More of a memoir and self-help workbook than a meaty nonfic, but great introduction to body liberation and the connection btw white supremacy/fatphobia!
July 3, 2023
Incredible book that has a different perspective on body image than others. Learning about diet culture and body image alongside white supremacy was very enlightening and made me assess my own privileges and experiences as a white woman who had survived an eating disorder
December 27, 2024
Great book. As a white group fitness instructor, it helps me understand the biases I can bring to studios. I learned a lot and I’m planning to put it into practice to create a more welcoming environment for everyone!
November 14, 2022
The Body Liberation Project by Chrissy King is an informative read on dismantling the hate we feel for our bodies due to white supremacy and other bigoted views, as well as personal and relatable stories about body image issues and reaching towards body liberation.
The Body Liberation Project is told by a plus-size black woman, Chrissy King, that brings us along on her journey of body liberation and that progression throughout her life. Discussed through the ideas of intersectionality, we see the ways in which liberating marginalized bodies is a radical change that is not encouraged by society as well as going much deeper than just 'body positivity'. With comprehensive questions at the end of every chapter and personal life stories, The Body Liberation Project serves to inform us on our body journey, meet us where we are, and relate to Chrissy with larger connections.
As someone who has struggled greatly with body image throughout my life, King's novel is a great realistic view of this issue that links it to greater problems in our society. Often times, when we are closely linked to an issue, we do not see it on a grander and feel very personally; King ties our ideas of body image to white supremacy and other marginalized identities which is why our goal needs to be nothing less than liberation. This novel helped me realize that our goal should be body liberation, but this is not always realistic. We should work to form healthy connections with our bodies and to unlearn what we on a systematic and personal level have been forced to believe about our worth linked with appearance.
Thank you to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Dutton for this ARC!
The Body Liberation Project is told by a plus-size black woman, Chrissy King, that brings us along on her journey of body liberation and that progression throughout her life. Discussed through the ideas of intersectionality, we see the ways in which liberating marginalized bodies is a radical change that is not encouraged by society as well as going much deeper than just 'body positivity'. With comprehensive questions at the end of every chapter and personal life stories, The Body Liberation Project serves to inform us on our body journey, meet us where we are, and relate to Chrissy with larger connections.
As someone who has struggled greatly with body image throughout my life, King's novel is a great realistic view of this issue that links it to greater problems in our society. Often times, when we are closely linked to an issue, we do not see it on a grander and feel very personally; King ties our ideas of body image to white supremacy and other marginalized identities which is why our goal needs to be nothing less than liberation. This novel helped me realize that our goal should be body liberation, but this is not always realistic. We should work to form healthy connections with our bodies and to unlearn what we on a systematic and personal level have been forced to believe about our worth linked with appearance.
Thank you to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Dutton for this ARC!
June 16, 2023
Not as groundbreaking or revelatory per se if you've been in this work even a little bit, but super informative to hear her personal story. Admittedly, I didn't lean into the exercises...
June 20, 2023
Chrissy King strikes the perfect balance between a warm, nurturing voice, and serious challenge, especially for white people.
April 29, 2024
The author reads the book on the audio version. She sounds like a 15 year old high school student gossiping with friends in her sing song smug sounding voice, it’s painful to listen to, the immaturity shining through.
She spends a lot of time comparing fat black women to skinny white women as if there aren’t fat white women or skinny black women. As a white woman I took her seriously, early in the book, when she said I shouldn’t dismiss her writing, but should buckle in to learn a hard lesson about white privilege. So I listened, to the whole book, and the only lesson I learned is that Chrissy is racist, angry and hurt. Her repeated reference to “white European” “white privilege” or “white supremacy” tells me she looks at weight through a racial filter. It makes me think she probably looks at everything from the same viewpoint.
She speaks about empowerment, inclusion, about women being strong, but blaming other people (white people) for her relationship with her body, seems a direct route to not being empowered, included or strong.
While she complained she can’t look like Pamela Anderson, I realised I’ve never once got upset once that I can’t look like Naomi Campbell. (or Pamela for that matter). Attitude is everything.
After helping a white person “out of the goodness of my heart” She actually said she “wouldn't help white people for free in future”. “Whiteness disregards you” she says - she can’t seem to accept that people are just people. As an example I’m white and I’ve been disregarded by white people and black people, prob based on my human traits not based on my colour or their colour. Did I even give it a thought with a racist filter? Nope. I just moved on cos who wants to get upset about things that aren’t even true. She says as an influencer, she gets asked too often to do stuff for free in exchange for exposure, and yep, you guessed it, this is because she is black, as if no white influencer has ever been asked the same thing.
Personally I found the book really troubling… troubling that she thinks like that, troubling that publishers thought her racist ramblings were worthy of publication and troubling that people writing reviews also prescribe to the “it’s the fault of white supremists” theory. If you think your relationship with your body is caused by outside forces you need to learn that The only person we have to blame for our opinion of our bodies is ourselves and I’d urge Chrissy to get a healthy dose of reality and stop thinking about life with a big chip on her shoulder.
This is just a rant about race, white supremacy, and poor body image and offers no advise about how to feel better about your body, I have no idea why the title of the book is “body liberation project” I don’t recommend this book to anyone.
She spends a lot of time comparing fat black women to skinny white women as if there aren’t fat white women or skinny black women. As a white woman I took her seriously, early in the book, when she said I shouldn’t dismiss her writing, but should buckle in to learn a hard lesson about white privilege. So I listened, to the whole book, and the only lesson I learned is that Chrissy is racist, angry and hurt. Her repeated reference to “white European” “white privilege” or “white supremacy” tells me she looks at weight through a racial filter. It makes me think she probably looks at everything from the same viewpoint.
She speaks about empowerment, inclusion, about women being strong, but blaming other people (white people) for her relationship with her body, seems a direct route to not being empowered, included or strong.
While she complained she can’t look like Pamela Anderson, I realised I’ve never once got upset once that I can’t look like Naomi Campbell. (or Pamela for that matter). Attitude is everything.
After helping a white person “out of the goodness of my heart” She actually said she “wouldn't help white people for free in future”. “Whiteness disregards you” she says - she can’t seem to accept that people are just people. As an example I’m white and I’ve been disregarded by white people and black people, prob based on my human traits not based on my colour or their colour. Did I even give it a thought with a racist filter? Nope. I just moved on cos who wants to get upset about things that aren’t even true. She says as an influencer, she gets asked too often to do stuff for free in exchange for exposure, and yep, you guessed it, this is because she is black, as if no white influencer has ever been asked the same thing.
Personally I found the book really troubling… troubling that she thinks like that, troubling that publishers thought her racist ramblings were worthy of publication and troubling that people writing reviews also prescribe to the “it’s the fault of white supremists” theory. If you think your relationship with your body is caused by outside forces you need to learn that The only person we have to blame for our opinion of our bodies is ourselves and I’d urge Chrissy to get a healthy dose of reality and stop thinking about life with a big chip on her shoulder.
This is just a rant about race, white supremacy, and poor body image and offers no advise about how to feel better about your body, I have no idea why the title of the book is “body liberation project” I don’t recommend this book to anyone.
February 6, 2024
I thought this book looked great from the cover. I love to see pushback against diet culture, and I wanted to learn more about the racist origins of anti-fat bias. I was disappointed, however, when in chapter one the author spent many, many pages explaining why certain people should remove themselves from the body positivity space.
I don't agree that social justice movements benefit from pushing people out of their spaces (unless the people are hostile to the cause). There isn't a literal, physical space that can only accommodate a certain number of people. I think a large movement is more powerful and can accomplish more toward positive change.
I also find it problematic to exclude people from the space based on demographics (race is most commonly mentioned, but body size, gender, and sexual orientation are also frequently mentioned). Chrissy King compares fat Black women (who belong in the space) to thin white women (who supposedly don't belong), but the dividing lines between those groups aren't always clear-cut. Not everyone is obviously white or obviously Black. Body sizes also change over the course of people's lives. If someone "qualifies" to be in the space because they're fat, but then they lose weight, do they have to remove themselves? What if they lost weight because of an illness? What particular weight counts as "fat" or "thin?" Do people have to prove that they have experienced systemic discrimination if they want to be allowed to participate in the body positivity movement?
These questions are particularly relevant to me, because I have experienced systemic discrimination because of my weight, but my weight has varied a lot over the course of my life. I would like to think that the body positivity space would be somewhere that I could find support in accepting my natural size and not trying to artificially suppress my weight for societal approval. But reading Chrissy King's book suggests to me that if I tried to find that support, I might be shamed for participating in the space when I'm not Black and I might not be considered fat enough.
I do think that there is value in this book, and I'd probably recommend it to people who are clearly the target audience for it. It's just not very enjoyable to read once the author has suggested that I should be removing myself from the body positivity space, when I was reading the book because I wanted to participate.
I don't agree that social justice movements benefit from pushing people out of their spaces (unless the people are hostile to the cause). There isn't a literal, physical space that can only accommodate a certain number of people. I think a large movement is more powerful and can accomplish more toward positive change.
I also find it problematic to exclude people from the space based on demographics (race is most commonly mentioned, but body size, gender, and sexual orientation are also frequently mentioned). Chrissy King compares fat Black women (who belong in the space) to thin white women (who supposedly don't belong), but the dividing lines between those groups aren't always clear-cut. Not everyone is obviously white or obviously Black. Body sizes also change over the course of people's lives. If someone "qualifies" to be in the space because they're fat, but then they lose weight, do they have to remove themselves? What if they lost weight because of an illness? What particular weight counts as "fat" or "thin?" Do people have to prove that they have experienced systemic discrimination if they want to be allowed to participate in the body positivity movement?
These questions are particularly relevant to me, because I have experienced systemic discrimination because of my weight, but my weight has varied a lot over the course of my life. I would like to think that the body positivity space would be somewhere that I could find support in accepting my natural size and not trying to artificially suppress my weight for societal approval. But reading Chrissy King's book suggests to me that if I tried to find that support, I might be shamed for participating in the space when I'm not Black and I might not be considered fat enough.
I do think that there is value in this book, and I'd probably recommend it to people who are clearly the target audience for it. It's just not very enjoyable to read once the author has suggested that I should be removing myself from the body positivity space, when I was reading the book because I wanted to participate.
June 3, 2023
The Body Liberation Project: How Understanding Racism and Diet Culture Helps Cultivate Joy and Build Collective Freedom by Chrissy King @iamchrissyking
Published March 14, 2023
<3 SAY IT LOUDER FOR THE FOLKS IN THE BACK SIS! <3
#DIETCULTURE #STEROTYPING #FATSHAMING #BLACKHAIRTRAUMAS #SERENAWILLIAMS #RASCISM #CAUDACITY #BLACKTRAUMAPORN #WHITEFRAGILITY #FITNESSnWELLNESS #PERFORMATIVE #ALLYSHIP #TOXICFITNESSCULTURE @Chrissy King Fitness
From author and wellness personality Chrissy King, an exciting, genre-redefining narrative mix of memoir, inspiration, and activities and prompts, with timely messages about social and racial justice and how the world needs to move beyond body positivity to something even more exciting and revolutionary: body liberation.
When Chrissy King first joined a gym, she had one goal in mind: to “get skinny.” In pursuit of this goal, she fell into the all-too-common cycle of “not enough-ness”; no matter what she achieved, there was always something she felt she needed to change about her body, her appearance, herself. This made her realize the most liberating truth of all: She was not the problem. Diet and fitness industries rooted in white supremacy were the problem; Eurocentric and carefully manufactured beauty standards were the problem; discourses telling her that her happiness was directly tied to her physical appearance were the problem. So she created an actionable method to redefine the relationship we have with our bodies, thereby achieving a sense of self-worth that is completely separate from how we look.
The Body Liberation Project is about finding actual freedom in our bodies by discovering strength and aspects of fitness, movement, and eating that work for YOU. It’s about realizing that the goal is not to look at our bodies and love everything we see; it’s to understand that at our essence we are so much more than our bodies. But it’s also about recognizing the harsh realities that prohibit people in marginalized bodies from being able to do so. Society constantly bombards those who fall outside Eurocentric standards of beauty (think Black, fat, trans, etc.) with the message that they are less attractive, and part of the journey toward body liberation is examining your own privilege, acknowledging the harm you may be causing others, and mourning your old ideas about what a body “should” look like.
Recognizing that none of us are free until all of us are, Chrissy King shares the wisdom, the tools, and the inspiration to motivate readers to find body liberation and, even more important, to pass it on.
Published March 14, 2023
<3 SAY IT LOUDER FOR THE FOLKS IN THE BACK SIS! <3
#DIETCULTURE #STEROTYPING #FATSHAMING #BLACKHAIRTRAUMAS #SERENAWILLIAMS #RASCISM #CAUDACITY #BLACKTRAUMAPORN #WHITEFRAGILITY #FITNESSnWELLNESS #PERFORMATIVE #ALLYSHIP #TOXICFITNESSCULTURE @Chrissy King Fitness
From author and wellness personality Chrissy King, an exciting, genre-redefining narrative mix of memoir, inspiration, and activities and prompts, with timely messages about social and racial justice and how the world needs to move beyond body positivity to something even more exciting and revolutionary: body liberation.
When Chrissy King first joined a gym, she had one goal in mind: to “get skinny.” In pursuit of this goal, she fell into the all-too-common cycle of “not enough-ness”; no matter what she achieved, there was always something she felt she needed to change about her body, her appearance, herself. This made her realize the most liberating truth of all: She was not the problem. Diet and fitness industries rooted in white supremacy were the problem; Eurocentric and carefully manufactured beauty standards were the problem; discourses telling her that her happiness was directly tied to her physical appearance were the problem. So she created an actionable method to redefine the relationship we have with our bodies, thereby achieving a sense of self-worth that is completely separate from how we look.
The Body Liberation Project is about finding actual freedom in our bodies by discovering strength and aspects of fitness, movement, and eating that work for YOU. It’s about realizing that the goal is not to look at our bodies and love everything we see; it’s to understand that at our essence we are so much more than our bodies. But it’s also about recognizing the harsh realities that prohibit people in marginalized bodies from being able to do so. Society constantly bombards those who fall outside Eurocentric standards of beauty (think Black, fat, trans, etc.) with the message that they are less attractive, and part of the journey toward body liberation is examining your own privilege, acknowledging the harm you may be causing others, and mourning your old ideas about what a body “should” look like.
Recognizing that none of us are free until all of us are, Chrissy King shares the wisdom, the tools, and the inspiration to motivate readers to find body liberation and, even more important, to pass it on.
February 10, 2023
If I could give this book 100 stars, I would. I want to buy this book for every womxn I know. Everyone needs to read this book. Everyone of every color, every size, etc. I feel like I highlighted every other sentence. Sometimes even whole pages. Even at only 5% in, I couldn't wait to buy a hardcover of this book when it comes out and recommend it to every single one of my clients who struggle with body image (read: everyone).
Buckle up, it’s about to get uncomfortable…but in the BEST way. This is a book that’s accessible, empowering, and full of hard but essential truths for anyone, at any stage in their body liberation journey.
I absolutely love that the author sprinkled in some of her signature humor, which did help break up the heavy (but necessary) topics. For example…“sometimes I can’t stand social media because it becomes very apparent that people don’t read.” 🤣 Can definitely relate!!
Each chapter has a section called “from principle to practice” that helps you translate the knowledge you’ve gained and lessons you’ve learned into actionable steps and reflections for your own body liberation journey, and the collective body liberation movement.
This book will help guide you - and all people - to body neutrality and liberation. How? By helping you become more aware AND teaching you how to do your part in dismantling the systems of oppression for all bodies that make you feel like you could never be good enough even if you tried.
This is hands down the best book I’ve ever read on anything diet or body related. EVERYONE needs to read this book.
Buckle up, it’s about to get uncomfortable…but in the BEST way. This is a book that’s accessible, empowering, and full of hard but essential truths for anyone, at any stage in their body liberation journey.
I absolutely love that the author sprinkled in some of her signature humor, which did help break up the heavy (but necessary) topics. For example…“sometimes I can’t stand social media because it becomes very apparent that people don’t read.” 🤣 Can definitely relate!!
Each chapter has a section called “from principle to practice” that helps you translate the knowledge you’ve gained and lessons you’ve learned into actionable steps and reflections for your own body liberation journey, and the collective body liberation movement.
This book will help guide you - and all people - to body neutrality and liberation. How? By helping you become more aware AND teaching you how to do your part in dismantling the systems of oppression for all bodies that make you feel like you could never be good enough even if you tried.
This is hands down the best book I’ve ever read on anything diet or body related. EVERYONE needs to read this book.
December 16, 2023
Having a very limited understanding of what anti-racism actually was -especially within the wellness community- I read this book because I wanted to educate myself on the experience of others. I had no idea the level of privilege I’d experienced even within the world of exercise. I am so grateful that this book exists- that the author took the time to really spell it out for me…. And to also offer such a hopeful and positive way forward. This book hits the mark. I had recently read Shrill and parts of that book (the part about not being afraid to take up space) really resonated with me. Parts of this book were hard to hear… and all the more necessary because of the world we live in today. I’m just grateful that I now have a broader perspective of the experience of those who are different from me and practical ways that I can support people in my life. As someone who struggles to feel comfortable in my own skin this book presented a practical and optimistic way of moving beyond my outside appearance to what really matters. The journal prompts at the end of each chapter were vulnerable and lovely… and at times called out the BS that we might not have been aware of. This book taught me that I can love myself better when I recognize how much white supremacy is involved in the diet industry. It’s a breath of fresh air.
March 12, 2023
Super thrilled that I was given the chance to read this book before its publication day.
I have to say, I HIGHLY enjoyed this candid book. I’m ashamed to admit I hadn’t heard of Chrissy King before learning about this book, even after getting more into the fat liberation and body liberation movements (shoutout to white supremacy).
I appreciated all of the commentary, stories, and honesty Chrissy shares. She doesn’t sugarcoat things. She discusses white supremacy and anti-Black biases and how they are at the heart of the fitness and wellness industries. She pulls from a plethora of sources to support her argument. She also opens up in the most vulnerable way by sharing experiences from her own life.
I also loved the questions at the end of each chapter. I was grateful for her suggestions for how to put things into action. And I really internalized her message of liberating oneself is only part of it—we must work towards liberation for all.
Overall, an amazing and necessary read! If you’re wanting to take down the diet and fitness industry + anti-fatness, we have to start at the root—white supremacy. I HIGHLY recommend it for every single person out there, because we are all affected by this.
Thank you Penguin (Dutton) and NetGalley for this eARC!
I have to say, I HIGHLY enjoyed this candid book. I’m ashamed to admit I hadn’t heard of Chrissy King before learning about this book, even after getting more into the fat liberation and body liberation movements (shoutout to white supremacy).
I appreciated all of the commentary, stories, and honesty Chrissy shares. She doesn’t sugarcoat things. She discusses white supremacy and anti-Black biases and how they are at the heart of the fitness and wellness industries. She pulls from a plethora of sources to support her argument. She also opens up in the most vulnerable way by sharing experiences from her own life.
I also loved the questions at the end of each chapter. I was grateful for her suggestions for how to put things into action. And I really internalized her message of liberating oneself is only part of it—we must work towards liberation for all.
Overall, an amazing and necessary read! If you’re wanting to take down the diet and fitness industry + anti-fatness, we have to start at the root—white supremacy. I HIGHLY recommend it for every single person out there, because we are all affected by this.
Thank you Penguin (Dutton) and NetGalley for this eARC!
March 1, 2023
Chrissy King shares her journey through the wild ride of the pandemic while undergoing massive life changes. Many readers will relate to her quest to make herself smaller and be the perfect, palatable good girl. King conquers this way of thinking as her quest leads her to fitness and to the realms of body image and then body positivity to the promised land of body liberation. The book explains how and why you should let go of body positivity and pursuit of mainstream eurocentric beauty standards and free yourself to take up space and just be. Think of what you and what women in general will accomplish when we are no longer obsessed with thinness and beauty.
If you are ready to help dismantle white supremacy and diet culture, you will enjoy this debut book by King. The Body Liberation Project would make a great stepping stone (or accompaniment) to reading the works of Audre Lorde and bell hooks. This book is not for those who want to avoid being uncomfortable or to question societal and individual standards and values. Please note that I was provided an advanced reader copy through Net Galley.
If you are ready to help dismantle white supremacy and diet culture, you will enjoy this debut book by King. The Body Liberation Project would make a great stepping stone (or accompaniment) to reading the works of Audre Lorde and bell hooks. This book is not for those who want to avoid being uncomfortable or to question societal and individual standards and values. Please note that I was provided an advanced reader copy through Net Galley.
March 30, 2023
The overly hyped body positivity, big girls are doing it for themselves movement, really annoyed me. I am a big, plus sized, fat, *insert the trendy term for overweight* woman and even I have been rolling my eyes. It feels condescending. And if we can be just a little bit honest, no one is standing from a mountaintop (or a red carpet) shouting about how much they desire fat bodies especially fat black bodies…not even people with fat bodies!
That is the energy I was bringing to The Body Liberation Project by Chrissy King. I began to read the book and I quickly changed my tune. This book was about so much more than loving your fat body. Chrissy addresses white supremacy and the influence racism has on diet culture and the European standard of beauty. She shares her struggles with weight loss and dieting which I’m sure everyone can relate to (Me...I am everyone). This was an enjoyable read on a trending topic that was not preachy or shallow. It is evident Chrissy King has a passion for the work as it translates beautiful through the pages.
That is the energy I was bringing to The Body Liberation Project by Chrissy King. I began to read the book and I quickly changed my tune. This book was about so much more than loving your fat body. Chrissy addresses white supremacy and the influence racism has on diet culture and the European standard of beauty. She shares her struggles with weight loss and dieting which I’m sure everyone can relate to (Me...I am everyone). This was an enjoyable read on a trending topic that was not preachy or shallow. It is evident Chrissy King has a passion for the work as it translates beautiful through the pages.
April 26, 2023
TW: mentions of fatphobia, racism, eating disorders, abusive relationships
As a white person I want to say please read BIPOC reviews and give them priority!
This is an amazing book about some extreamly important intersecting topics, most especially how racism creates and perpetuates fatphobia and body image issues. Though I have intersecting identies as a queer non binary disabled person, I am white. The education I got about how I have been and am part of group perpetuating racism both called me in, yet also offered such great love and help for my own journey of body acceptance.
One note,: though I've suffered from eating disorders and body dimorphia, I've been able to recover in recent years and am in a really good place mentally. Because of this I cannot fully reccomend how well this book would be to someone in the middle of a eating disorder, though I imagine it would help greatly if used along with therapy/support.
As a white person I want to say please read BIPOC reviews and give them priority!
This is an amazing book about some extreamly important intersecting topics, most especially how racism creates and perpetuates fatphobia and body image issues. Though I have intersecting identies as a queer non binary disabled person, I am white. The education I got about how I have been and am part of group perpetuating racism both called me in, yet also offered such great love and help for my own journey of body acceptance.
One note,: though I've suffered from eating disorders and body dimorphia, I've been able to recover in recent years and am in a really good place mentally. Because of this I cannot fully reccomend how well this book would be to someone in the middle of a eating disorder, though I imagine it would help greatly if used along with therapy/support.
June 11, 2023
3.5 stars
Me reading nonfiction?? A good book! King describes the connections and roots of diet culture to racism while discussing the idea of liberation (both physically and mentally, essentially). I really enjoyed the more historical chapters of this book, as King talks about the historical background of "body positivity" movements with marginalized individuals and how white, often smaller-bodied women, have adopted this movement to focus more on cellulite and stretch marks (etc.) rather than disabilities or radical love for societally disapproved-of physical appearances. The book also contains a handful of memoir-like snippets throughout that I thought balanced well overall. I think this book is a great reminder to be respectful and loving toward all other people and their bodies even while we're in a society that often judges and values people based on their physical appearances.
Me reading nonfiction?? A good book! King describes the connections and roots of diet culture to racism while discussing the idea of liberation (both physically and mentally, essentially). I really enjoyed the more historical chapters of this book, as King talks about the historical background of "body positivity" movements with marginalized individuals and how white, often smaller-bodied women, have adopted this movement to focus more on cellulite and stretch marks (etc.) rather than disabilities or radical love for societally disapproved-of physical appearances. The book also contains a handful of memoir-like snippets throughout that I thought balanced well overall. I think this book is a great reminder to be respectful and loving toward all other people and their bodies even while we're in a society that often judges and values people based on their physical appearances.
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