The Conversation

When FatLand kids are around 9 or 10, their parent(s) or guardian(s) sit(s) them down to have The Conversation.

The happy news is that The Conversation is a lot less foreboding than it was thirty years ago, around the time FatLand was formed.

The sad news is that they have to have it at all. I mean, TheOtherSide/USA has repealed the Pro-Diet and Health Laws, and now, in 2046, there are many businesses starting up in the USA and also in FatLand which feature gourmet food and big, luscious drinks There are businesses that now cater to fat people in FatLand which are actually gaining fans in the USA as well, so it shows that there are enough fat people left in the USA to purchase what these businesses are selling.

And yet..

In certain places there still exist anti-fat bigots.

So this is how the conversation goes.

"People come in all different sizes, and all sizes are fine. People start to feel sick if they starve themselves. This is why in FatLand, people don't talk about weight or needing to change their sizes. More and more people are starting to think the way people in FatLand think, but there are still some people left who think that only a few different sizes and one kind of body are the right ones to have. If you ever hear anyone who says things like this, tell me or tell your teacher. Someone who holds this view is called a bigot. It means they don't want most people to exist. They only want people of certain sizes to exist. In FatLand, if someone says things like this, they are fined. If they continue, they are tossed out.

So remember - all kinds of bodies are good. You have a wonderful body, and you are a wonderful person. (I love you.)


When kids are older, they are taken to the FatLand Museum and then to the FatLand Cultural and Historical Institute to see more of what went on during the time that the Pro-Health and Diet Laws were in force on the OtherSide/USA. They also get to read about the FatLand heroes and organizations who were responsible for rescuing many OtherSiders and keeping FatLanders safe, either in FatLand or on the OtherSide.

Then a long discussion takes place in class and usually in their homes.