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

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 based on body size 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, and member support.

History

NAAFA was founded in 1969 by Bill Fabrey in

Rochester, New York Rochester () is a city in the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Monroe County, and the fourth-most populous in the state after New York City, Buffalo, and Yonkers, with a population of 211,328 at the 2020 United States census. Located in W ...

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 fr ...

, 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 air transport services for traveling passengers and freight. Airlines use aircraft to supply these services and may form partnerships or alliances with other airlines for codeshare agreements, in wh ...

policies regarding charging fat people for each seat they use.

In popular culture

Penn & Teller Penn & Teller, Penn Jillette and Teller, are American magicians, entertainers, and scientific skeptics who have performed together since the late 1970s. They are noted for their ongoing act that combines elements of comedy with magic. The duo h ...

featured NAAFA on the Showtime 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 ...

" (aired March 24, 2007). * '' Family Guy'' 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 Simpson, Homer, Marge ...

'' spoofed NAAFA as an organization called "Big Is Beautiful" in the episode " Walking Big & Tall". *''

My 600-lb Life ''My 600-lb Life'' is an American reality television series that has aired on the TLC television network since 2012, Each episode follows a year in the life of morbidly obese individuals, who usually begin the episode weighing at least , and ...

'' 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