When Systemic Fatphobia Works “For” You

Warning: This post contains discussion of medical fatphobia, including use of the term “obese.”

On Wednesday, before receiving my second dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, I had to answer a few questions. The last one was seemingly simple, but also packed with meaning: “What qualifies you for the vaccine?”

I said, “Underlying health issues,” and it felt like a lie. I’m chronically ill, but I am not immunocompromised. I do not have asthma. I am not in a high-risk age group. I don’t work on the fr...