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August 2, 2026Fat Studies

“No monopoly on smell:” History of senses and fatphobia in historical newspapers

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Authors

LSLaura Smith

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Overview

Historical analysis uncovers the links between body odor perceptions and fat-phobia, indicating cultural oppression patterns.

Key Points

  • This article examines how narratives about body odor have been used to oppress fat people, highlighting the historical roots of fat-phobia.
  • Qualitative analysis of historical newspapers and olfactory writings.
  • Exploration of societal narratives on body odor and fatness from the eighteenth to mid-twentieth centuries.
  • Discussion of medical and social responses to perceptions of body odor in relation to diet culture.
  • Historical narratives associated foul body odor with fatness, feeding into systemic oppression.
  • Mid-twentieth century medical perspectives linked body odor to health issues, reinforcing fat-phobia.
  • Influencers and activists today challenge these historical narratives, promoting body positivity and legal reform against fat-phobia.

Cite This Study

Laura Smith (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a6eeb101b0468a7eeab3e97https://doi.org/10.1080/21604851.2026.2680738
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