"Do these pants make me look fat?" How many times have you thought this or even said it out loud to a friend? Is this just an innocent question so many of us ask? Or is there more to it? This kind of question or comment ("I hate my thighs.") is being researched under the label "fat talk".

Fat talk is a way women have to express many different things. For example, fat talk is a way of getting reassurance that you're not fat. Have you ever said to your friend, "I'm so fat", and your friend said back, "No you're not. You have a gorgeous body?" Or, "No, you are exaggerating. You're just a little on the heavy side." Reassurance and compliments are important byproducts of fat talk.

There are are some other uses of fat talk that the researchers have found. "I feel awfully fat today" might be a way to open up discussion about something else that's bothering you. If you believe that your body is an important key to success in life, fat talk might be your attempt to get others to indicate that you're well within the norm for women. Saying you're so fat when you're just overweight might be a culturally acceptable, even deferential, way for you to be with other women, since women are very concerned with their weight.

Do you have a standard fat talk line? If so, can you figure out what purpose it's serving?

by Maria's Last Diet