London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Jul 19, 2025

Bristol University to police ‘diet culture & fatphobia’ language in sports after students’ union denounces ‘burning calories’

Bristol University to police ‘diet culture & fatphobia’ language in sports after students’ union denounces ‘burning calories’

Telling students at the gym to put effort into burning calories may soon be a banned approach at Bristol University. Its students’ union thinks this language promotes a ‘thin privilege’ and causes eating disorders.
The university will work with the union to conduct a “full review of sports, exercise and health messaging to ensure that it is not triggering,”according to the Daily Mail. Staff members will undergo mandatory training on what to say during pep talks.

Apparently, uttering something along the lines of “burn those calories” or “work off last night’s pizza” will be a no-no.

The review comes in response to a motion passed by the University of Bristol Students' Union in mid-June, which blamed “diet culture and fatphobia in Western culture” for causing eating disorders.

Almost one in every 5 students at the university “thought they might have an eating disorder since starting their course,” it said, citing a survey.

The common perception of slim bodies as healthier, and more attractive compared to plump ones, generates a “thin privilege,”believes Tori Freedman, the leading sponsor of the motion.

The policy change will make students “more welcome in classes and teams” and make sports accessible “without the penetration of the diet industry”, she hopes.

The notion that universities have to insulate students from discomforting situations has been increasingly prevalent at Western campuses and the list of questionable things administrators do with that goal in mind seems to be growing by the year.

Critics say policies like black-only ‘safe-space’ dormitories, declaring proper English grammar ‘racist’ and paying students to report acts of ‘migroagression’ only stifles free academic expression and leaves graduates unprepared for a harsh, real-world environment.

The review at Bristol University comes as the British government tries to tackle widespread obesity, "one of the greatest long-term health challenges this country faces."

Boris Johnson’s strategy was met with a negative reaction by co-sponsor of the anti-fat-shaming motion, Abbie Jessop, who called it "harmful and discriminatory" and predicted that it would have the opposite effect to that intended.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
Hong Kong Advances Digital Asset Strategy to Address Economic Challenges
Australia Rules Out Pre‑commitment of Troops, Reinforces Defence Posture Amid US‑China Tensions
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
U.S. Resumes Deportations to Third Countries After Supreme Court Ruling
Excavation Begins at Site of Mass Grave for Children at Former Irish Institution
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Defends Attorney General Pam Bondi Amid Epstein Memo Backlash
Renault Shares Drop as CEO Luca de Meo Announces Departure Amid Reports of Move to Kering
Senior Aides for King Charles and Prince Harry Hold Secret Peace Summit
Anti‑Semitism ‘Normalised’ in Middle‑Class Britain, Says Commission Co‑Chair
King Charles Meets David Beckham at Chelsea Flower Show
If the Department is Really About Justice: Ghislaine Maxwell Should Be Freed Now
NYC Candidate Zohran Mamdani’s ‘Antifada’ Remarks Spark National Debate on Political Language and Economic Policy
President Trump Visits Flood-Ravaged Texas, Praises Community Strength and First Responders
From Mystery to Meltdown, Crisis Within the Trump Administration: Epstein Files Ignite A Deepening Rift at the Highest Levels of Government Reveals Chaos, Leaks, and Growing MAGA Backlash
Trump Slams Putin Over War Death Toll, Teases Major Russia Announcement
Reparations argument crushed
Rainmaker CEO Says Cloud Seeding Paused Before Deadly Texas Floods
×