Why Donald Trump’s Vicious Body-Shaming Of Women Matters

Words matter ? and Trump’s words about women and their bodies are no exception. After all, research has shown that not only does fat-shaming not help people lose weight, it can actually contribute to a myriad of psychological and physical health issues.

Amy E. Farrell, Professor of American Studies and Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies at Dickinson College, and author of Fat Shame: Stigma and the Fat Body in American Culture, told The Huffington Post that there is a long history of powerful men using body-shaming as way to maintain the status quo.

“Historically, comments about women being ugly, fat or like an animal ? dogs, pigs, etc. ? have been ways to keep women in line,” Farell said. “The fear of not looking a certain way that is acceptable to powerful men has been a way to scare women into spending their lives worrying about their looks. That goes all the way back to the suffragists, who were painted as animals, painted as fat. These are ways to scare women into not speaking up.”

(Trump’s disdain for women who speak was on full display during Monday’s debate, as he attempted to manterrupt Clinton, finally resorting to spitting out the word “wrong” every time she made a factual statement about his past.) 

I asked women on Twitter whether Machado’s story had resonated with them ? and if so, why? Many said yes, expressing that Machado’s experience, rather than feeling unusual, felt disturbingly relatable.

“I can’t think of any woman I know, including myself, who hasn’t been body shamed by a man,” one woman tweeted. 

“Even with a masters degree, colleagues and clients often comment on my appearance before my skills/education/credentials,” wrote another.

And it’s that familiarity ? taken to an extreme ? that makes the prospect of a Trump presidency so abhorrent to so many women.

“If [Trump is] sizing up this accomplished woman that way,” tweeted a third woman, “how do we know he won’t treat women when he’s in office that way?”