When I started writing this article, I came upon a lot of forums with people fighting over the difference between BBW and SSBBW, and a lot of cruel statements being made. Although I’m a BBW and live in the real world, this still jarred me.
The most interesting part was women who refer to themselves as “thin” who were angry they didn’t get a label or acronym and they stated that “being overweight is the norm”. Really? Not in Los Angeles (where I live) and in a lot of other major metropolitan cities. The typical woman in this country is a Size 14, and that is by no means considered “thin”.
If you decipher the words in the acronyms BBW and SSBBW, this is what you get:
BBW = Big Beautiful Woman
SSBBW = Super-Sized Big Beautiful Woman
What Is a BBW?
A woman who is a BBW is voluptuous and not skinny or an average sized woman. Since all body types are different in terms of height, weight, and body type (like being pear or apple-shaped), the term BBW applies to women who are over a Size 14 up to about a Size 28 (U.S clothing size). In the 19th century, BBWs were depicted in paintings by artists such as Ruben and Renoir and referred to as fleshy, voluptuous, zaftig, and even Rubenesque. This type of body was the social norm in the US until the 1920s when women were either dieting or feeling guilty about not dieting.
So, What Is an SSBBW
A SSBBW is truly a BBW and generally a Size 28 or larger. Models like Tess Holiday are SSBBWs and they are trying to spread size acceptance. She created the popular hashtag #EffYourBeautyStandards and took on Uber when a driver questioned her health because of her size—this lead to her boycotting Uber and making a very public PR campaign about it.
Labels, What’s Kosher & Not Kosher
Perhaps BBW and SSBBW are just labels. But think about other terms used to identify women like us. Some say fat is preferable to overweight, but I tend to disagree. Hefty seems to be used a lot. Are we trash bags?
I think not.
Some girls are cool with chubby. I know the phrase call a spade a spade, but I think it’s more about what each person is comfortable with. I personally prefer big girl, BBW, curvy voluptuous, or even plus sized. Whatever term someone decides to use should not be about fat-shaming. I could make a long list of unacceptable and cruel words used to describe a BBW or SSBBW, but I’m sure you’ve heard most of them. Whatever the case, fat shaming is not cool.
Fat Fetishes Are a Real Thing
Many larger women grow up believing they will never find love, which is sad. And if they do find love it will be with someone who has a fat fetish. Many men like bigger women, and not just because it’s becoming more socially acceptable, but it’s actually their preference. They like a woman with meat on their bones and many dating sites catering to men who want to date larger women are popping up.
However, there are guys who are obsessed with fat rolls, want the biggest woman they can find and even guys known as feeders. Feeders are guys who encourage their partners to gain weight through food consumption. So, a thin woman could become a BBW, a BBW could morph into a SSBBW, and a SSBBW could get even bigger if they’re with a man who’s a feeder. There are also guys who have never been with anything but thin women, but want to take a walk on the larger side, which could be considered either a fetish or just a curiosity. In general, BBWs and SSBBWs don’t want to be thought of as a fetish—they want to be viewed as desirable women.
One Last Thing to Weigh In On
No matter what size you are, be body positive and encourage others to do the same. Walk tall and be proud of your body.
