The National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance (NAAFA) is a non-profit,

fat acceptance The fat acceptance movement, also known as fat pride, fat empowerment, and fat activism, is a social movement which seeks to eliminate the social stigma of fatness from social attitudes by pointing out the social obstacles which are faced by f ...

civil-rights organization in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

dedicated to improving the

quality of life Quality of life (QOL) is defined by the World Health Organization as "an individual's perception of their position in life in the context of the culture and value systems in which they live and in relation to their goals, expectations, standards ...

for fat people. . NAAFA works to eliminate

discrimination Discrimination is the act of making unjustified distinctions between people based on the groups, classes, or other categories to which they belong or are perceived to belong. People may be discriminated on the basis of race, gender, age, relig ...

based on

body size Body may refer to: In science * Physical body, an object in physics that represents a large amount, has mass or takes up space * Body (biology), the physical material of an organism * Body plan, the physical features shared by a group of anima ...

and provide fat people with the tools for

self-empowerment Empowerment is the degree of autonomy and self-determination in people and in communities. This enables them to represent their interests in a responsible and self-determined way, acting on their own authority. It is the process of becoming strong ...

through public education,

advocacy Advocacy is an Action (philosophy), activity by an individual or advocacy group, group that aims to influence decision making, decisions within political, economic, and social institutions. Advocacy includes activities and publications to infl ...

, and member support.

History

NAAFA was founded in 1969 by

Bill Fabrey Bill(s) may refer to: Common meanings * Banknote, paper cash (especially in the United States) * Bill (law), a proposed law put before a legislature * Invoice, commercial document issued by a seller to a buyer * Bill, a bird or animal's beak Plac ...

Rochester, New York Rochester () is a City (New York), city in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, the county seat, seat of Monroe County, New York, Monroe County, and the fourth-most populous in the state after New York City, Buffalo, New York, Buffalo, ...

as the "National Association to Aid Fat Americans.". In its early years, social activities and letter-writing campaigns were a major part of the organization. As the organization turned more toward

political activism Activism (or Advocacy) consists of efforts to promote, impede, direct or intervene in social, political, economic or environmental reform with the desire to make changes in society toward a perceived greater good. Forms of activism range fro ...

, the name was changed during the 1980s. NAAFA has a yearly national convention in summer, which is usually alternated between the east and west coasts. In 2008 they introduced the "NAAFA Size Diversity Toolkit" to educate corporations on quality of life issues. As part of its ongoing campaign, NAAFA also opposes

airline An airline is a company that provides civil aviation, air transport services for traveling passengers and freight. Airlines use aircraft to supply these services and may form partnerships or Airline alliance, alliances with other airlines for ...

policies regarding charging fat people for each seat they use.

In popular culture

* Penn & Teller featured NAAFA on the

Showtime Showtime or Show Time may refer to: Film * ''Showtime'' (film), a 2002 American action/comedy film * ''Showtime'' (video), a 1995 live concert video by Blur Television Networks and channels * Showtime Networks, a division of Paramount Global w ...

series '' Bullshit!'' in the episode "

Obesity Obesity is a medical condition, sometimes considered a disease, in which excess body fat has accumulated to such an extent that it may negatively affect health. People are classified as obese when their body mass index (BMI)—a person's we ...

" (aired March 24, 2007). * ''

Family Guy ''Family Guy'' is an American animated sitcom originally conceived and created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The show centers around the Griffin family, Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter Griff ...

'' parodied NAAFA as the "National Association for the Advancement of Fat People." * ''

The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, ...

'' spoofed NAAFA as an organization called "Big Is Beautiful" in the episode "

Walking Big & Tall "Walking Big & Tall" is the thirteenth episode of the twenty-sixth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons'', and the 565th overall episode of the series. The episode was directed by Chris Clements and written by Michae ...

". *'' My 600-lb Life'' mentioned by past member “Zsalynn” in Season 2; Episode 1.

References

External links

Official website
Civil rights organizations in the United States Fat acceptance movement Disability organizations based in the United States Support groups {{US-org-stub