‘I’d love to see an overhaul of Operation Transformation’: Podcast exploring fatphobia in Ireland released

A one-off podcast episode, as part of the #FaceuptoFatShaming campaign, explores how fat-shaming has impacted the lives of so many people in Ireland. The episode is hosted by spunout Action panel member Ciara Casey who discusses her experiences of fatphobia with Emma Kelly who is a social care worker and shares their experience as a fat-bodied person on Instagram (@iemmahuman).

Chosen by the spunout Action Panel volunteers, #FaceuptoFatShaming asks people to recognise and reflect upon the negative impact that body-shaming and fat-shaming can have. The campaign highlights the personal stories of young people who have experienced fat-shaming or body-shaming, both from themselves and others, due to what society has taught them about being fat or living in a larger body.

This campaign was chosen by our young volunteers as they felt that body-shaming and fat-shaming, in particular, is really common amongst young people and that because of this it was really important to start a conversation about why judging ourselves and others based on weight and appearance is not helpful.

The discussion spans many aspects of fatphobia and fat-shaming, looking at its racist origins, to conversations with friends, fatphobia in the fashion and media industries, medical misdiagnosis and intuitive eating.

Speaking about Operation Transformation, which has been 15 years on air this year, Emma says “it’s completely outdated in its approach.

“I’m so grateful for the work being done by people, particularly Sinead from Intuitive Eating Ireland. She’s doing a lot of work to bring awareness around it and find out just how harmful it is because it is so harmful. Equating weight to health, it’s just such an outdated disproven standpoint on health. I’d love to see an overhaul being done on it. I’d love to see them transform themselves, transform the whole show.”

Listen to the discussion below and read young people’s opinions from the Face up to Fatshaming campaign here. A transcription of this episode is available here.