Ideological Criticism of PHAT Girlz Research Paper

Ideological Criticism of PHAT Girlz - Research Paper Example The roots of the preference for a slender body can perhaps be traced back to ancient Greece and to Plato. This preference was, however, more due to what can be termed as the mind/body dualism in which the mind was considered to be superior and the body slowly. In fact, Plato advocated that the body was a hindrance and distraction to the clarity of the mind and should, therefore, be regulated and controlled. Early Christianity promoted an even greater mind/body split in which absolute denial of all earthly desires and appetites was a state to be achieved. A fat body was therefore undesirable. Throughout the ages, various methods were used to reduce weight. Socrates danced every morning; fat was surgically removed in ancient Rome. The concern with dieting took on new dimensions in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. â€Å"It was at this point [†¦] that the word ‘diet’ began its evolution from its initial meaning in English, of a regime stipulating cer tain types of food to remedy illness, to its modern usage of losing weight.†The discrimination between fat and slim was however largely applied to the male. It was only â€Å"at the height of the industrial revolution that the gendered nature of FAT and the body which we see today came into its own.† (Cowley 37)The PHAT Girlz is the story of an overweight girl, Jazmin Biltmore. Jazmin is an aspiring fashion designer. The fact that she is fat puts her at a disadvantage in almost all spheres of life. She has had to fight it out right from school.