Virgie Tovar

Sundance Film Festival 2024 - Virgie Tovar-104A3385

Virgie Tovar is an American author, activist, and one of the nation's leading experts and lecturers on fat discrimination and body image. She is the founder of Babecamp, a four-week online course designed to help women break free from diet culture and fatphobia. Tovar is also known for her contributions to the body positivity movement, advocating for the acceptance of all body types and sizes, and challenging societal norms that value certain body types over others.

Early Life and Education

Virgie Tovar was born in San Francisco, California. She grew up experiencing body shaming and fat discrimination, which later fueled her passion for body positivity and activism. Tovar pursued higher education at the University of California, Berkeley, where she earned her bachelor's degree. She continued her studies at the University of California, where she received a Master's degree in Human Sexuality, focusing her research on the intersections of body size, race, and gender.

Career

Tovar's career began in the realm of academia and activism, where she focused on bringing attention to the issues of fat discrimination and body shaming. She has written extensively on the subject, contributing to various publications and platforms. Tovar is the author of several books, including You Have the Right to Remain Fat, which has been a significant contribution to the body positivity movement. In this book, Tovar shares her personal experiences with fat discrimination and offers insights into how society's obsession with thinness affects individuals' relationships with their bodies.

In addition to her writing, Tovar is a sought-after speaker and has been invited to deliver talks and workshops at universities, conferences, and events across the country. Her work emphasizes the importance of dismantling societal norms that perpetuate body shaming and encourages individuals to embrace self-love and body acceptance.

Babecamp

One of Tovar's notable contributions to the fight against diet culture is the creation of Babecamp. This online course is designed to help participants unlearn diet culture's harmful messages and reclaim their relationships with their bodies. Babecamp covers various topics, including the history of diet culture, the science of body diversity, and strategies for building body positivity and self-esteem.

Impact and Legacy

Virgie Tovar's work has had a profound impact on the body positivity movement. Through her writing, speaking engagements, and initiatives like Babecamp, Tovar has helped countless individuals challenge societal norms around body size and embrace a more inclusive and accepting view of body diversity. Her efforts have contributed to a broader cultural shift towards body positivity and have inspired others to advocate for change in how society views and treats bodies of all sizes.

Selected Works

• You Have the Right to Remain Fat
• Other books and articles on body positivity and fat discrimination

See Also

• Body positivity movement
• Fat discrimination
• Diet culture