Welcome to Ask a Fat Girl, a column in which Charlotte Zoller addresses your questions about living life in a bigger body. Have a question for Charlotte? Send it to submit@askafatgirl.com or DM her on Instagram. (All submissions will remain anonymous unless given explicit consent to share first name, age, location, or body size.)
I’ve been seeing terms like “mid-size” and “superfat” being used on Instagram. What do they mean? — Anne K., 24
These are designations on the spectrum of fatness, a set of terms created by and for the fat community to self-identify one’s size. These size categories aren’t universally agreed upon — folks can identify however they please — but serve as a general outline for where one falls on the spectrum of fat privilege.
Those who fall on the smaller end of the size spectrum are afforded more privileges than those on the opposite end. The further you go on the larger side of the spectrum, the more likely a person is to face discrimination, institutional sizeism, be denied medical care, face trouble accessing public spaces, and more.
Within the fat community, these designations allow for a shorthand when sharing information. For instance, if I’m in need of a new pair of jeans, I can ask a Facebook group, “I’m a mid fat looking for some new wide leg jeans. Any suggestions?” That way, those who respond know what general category of store I would be able to fit in.
You may find yourself identifying with one or more of these “fategories,” or decline to use them altogether. Please note that because this scale uses U.S. women’s clothing sizes as a rough outline, it isn’t as inclusive of men, trans, and non-binary folks as it could to be. Here’s a general rundown:
Inbetweenie or Mid Size — sizes 12-14
Someone who falls between straight sizes (00-14) and plus sizes (14+) and most often presents as straight size. They are able to shop in-store at mainstream brands and experience little to no anti-fat bias in daily life. Not typically considered plus size or fat.
Small Fat — sizes 14-18
Someone who wears the smaller end of plus sizes and may be able to fit into some straight size clothing. They have the most privilege of the fat spectrum and do not typically have trouble with size-based accessibility.
Mid Fat — sizes 20-24
As the name implies, folks that land somewhere in the middle of the size spectrum. They experience institutionalized sizeism but not as much as those on the larger side of the size spectrum.
Lane Bryant Fat — sizes 24-28
Also known as Large Fat, “Lane Bryant Fat” is a term coined by writer Roxane Gay. It refers to people who can still shop at Lane Bryant, which up until recently, offered clothing up to a size 28. (Lane Bryant now offers sizes 10-40.)
