San Francisco hires 'fat positivity' expert to provide guidance to citizens about 'weight stigma'

The city of San Francisco, California hired Virgie Tovar, a plus-size activist who will be in charge of preventing what they call "weight stigma" (by promoting policies that prioritize "weight neutrality"), as a consultant for the Department of Public Health.

Tovar was the one who announced the news on her Instagram account, where she has more than 82,000 followers:

"I am working with a team at the San Francisco Department of Public Health as a consultant on stigma and weight neutrality (...) I am INCREDIBLY proud to serve the city I have called home for almost 20 years in this way. This consultancy is a dream come true, and my greatest hope and belief is that weight neutrality will be the future of public health."

However, the news has generated criticism from those who question public spending on such initiatives. Some point out that San Francisco faces challenges, such as the homeless crisis and rising crime, that are not being addressed as they should.

"I was born a fat person in a culture that hated fat"

Tovar - author of books such as You Have the Right to Remain Fat - has been a leading figure in advocating against “anti-weight-based discrimination” and advocating for the elimination of diets - which in many instances are necessary due to health problems. In a previous interview, she mentioned that her activism was born out of personal experiences:

"I was born a fat person in a culture that hated fat (...) I got sick trying to lose weight. Even when I was trying my hardest, I was nowhere near a weight where people said I was normal. This job felt like the only way I could survive. I was no longer going to live a life of shame."

Although it has not been disclosed how much she will be paid for her work, critics are calling for greater transparency about the use of public funds in this consultancy. Since, many believe there could be greater priorities in the use of these funds.