Along with other social movements that started organizing in the 1960s and 1970s, the fat acceptance movement developed and began to gain support. Fat activists fight to change social, personal and medical perceptions of fat people. Much like the disabilities rights movement, fat activism works with the belief that the problem isn't with the bodies of fat people but society's views, lack of accommodation and prejudice against them.

Currently, fat Canadians are still shamed and oppressed. Institutions have medicalized fatness, creating people's bodies as disorders which indicate a lack of self-control. This has fostered myths and stereotypes about fat people: that they are lazy, poor workers, out of control and unintelligent.