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Virgie Tovar
Tovar at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival
Born (1982-05-19) May 19, 1982 (age 41)
San Francisco, California, U.S.
Occupation(s)Author and podcaster
Years active2012–present
Websitewww.virgietovar.com

Virgie Tovar, (born May 19, 1982) is an American author, lecturer and weight-based discrimination expert. She writes about fat acceptance, and anti-fat bias, and was the host of The Virgie Show (produced by CBS Radio) and the Webby-nominated[1] podcast, Rebel Eaters Club (produced by Transmitter Media).[2] Tovar has received Yale's Poynter Fellowship in Journalism.[3]

Early life and education

Tovar has struggled with weight issues since childhood.[4][5][6] In middle school she struggled with an eating disorder.[4][6]

Tovar completed her bachelor's degree in political science at UC Berkeley[7] and master's degree on "How Fat Women of Color Queer the Feminine" in Sexuality Studies at San Francisco State University.[8]

Career

Activism

In 2013 Tovar criticized the American Medical Association for classifying obesity as a disease.[9]

Tovar began the #LoseHateNotWeight campaign to highlight the impacts of diet culture and educate people about the importance of ending weight-based discrimination.[4]

Tovar has advocated for legal protection against weight discrimination.[10]

Writing

Tovar is an ongoing contributor for Forbes.[11] In 2012 Seal Press released her anthology Hot & Heavy: Fierce Fat Girls on Life, Love, and Fashion,[12] in 2018 The Feminist Press released her book You Have the Right to Remain Fat,[13][5] in 2021 New Harbinger Publications released her book The Self-Love Revolution: Radical Body Positivity for Girls of Color[14] and in 2022 Chronicle Books released her book The Body Positive Journal.

Podcasts

Tovar was the host of the Webby-nominated podcast, Rebel Eaters Club, produced by Transmitter Media for three seasons.[15]

Personal life

Tovar is of Mexican descent.[16]

Criticism

Virgie Tovar has been accused of downplaying the negative effects of obesity.[17][18][19]

References

  1. ^ "NEW Webby Gallery + Index". NEW Webby Gallery + Index. Retrieved January 31, 2024.
  2. ^ "Rebel Eaters Club". Transmitter Media. May 17, 2021. Retrieved January 31, 2024.
  3. ^ St, Silliman Head of College House See map 71 Wall (January 11, 2018). "Poynter Fellowship: Virgie Tovar". Office of Public Affairs & Communications. Retrieved January 31, 2024.((cite web)): CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  4. ^ a b c Garfield, Leanna (April 4, 2016). "These Instagrams by fat activists are changing how we think about dieting". Business Insider.
  5. ^ a b Tovar, Virgie (August 13, 2018). "In the Future, I'm Fat". Vice. Retrieved May 22, 2023.
  6. ^ a b Tovar, Virgie. "As the Fat Daughter of Immigrants, Dieting was a Toxic Component of Assimilation". www.refinery29.com. Retrieved May 22, 2023.
  7. ^ "Ending Fatphobia". Recreation & Wellbeing. Retrieved January 31, 2024.
  8. ^ Zolala-Tovar, Virginia Ammani. "How fat women of color queer the feminine". scholarworks.calstate.edu. Retrieved January 31, 2024.
  9. ^ Brown, Kristen V. (June 26, 2013). "Debate grows over whether obesity is a disease". SFGATE.
  10. ^ "NYC could outlaw weight discrimination in housing, workplace: Activist explains what it could mean". www.wbur.org. April 24, 2023.
  11. ^ "Virgie Tovar". Forbes. Retrieved May 22, 2023.
  12. ^ Winterfeldt, Maggie (November 2, 2012). "Virgie Tovar gets beyond fat phobia". SFGATE. Retrieved May 22, 2023.
  13. ^ Winegarner, Beth (July 24, 2019). "How Dieting Culture Is Making Women Less Healthy". Pacific Standard.
  14. ^ "The Self-Love Revolution". New Harbinger Publications, Inc. Retrieved January 31, 2024.
  15. ^ Phillips, Soleil Ho, Justin (November 16, 2020). "Podcast: Virgie Tovar, host of the Rebel Eater Podcast, breaks up with diet culture". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved January 31, 2024.((cite news)): CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  16. ^ "The 'Thin Is In' Narrative Is Especially Harmful to People of Color". SELF. May 5, 2023.
  17. ^ "No need for fat-shaming, but the UK must get a grip on its obesity crisis". The Guardian. September 5, 2018.
  18. ^ "Weight loss isn't genocide: Fat Activism risks lives". The Critic Magazine. November 28, 2019.
  19. ^ "Beverley Turner's Fiery Row With Activist For Staying Fat". LBC.
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