Who decided to make Blair’s maid, Dorota, the only overweight one on “Gossip Girl”? And why did J.K. Rowling pen Harry Potter’s uncle and cousin, Vernon and Dudley Dursley, as portly? What dictates why some characters in fiction are chubsters while others are anorexic? One professor/doctoral student at George Washington University is actually pursuing a PhD in fat studies. Not gender studies or nutritional studies—no, Julia McCrossin is investigating why authors choose to make characters fat. The university will be rewarding her for her work with the first degree in fat studies, and I’m not sure whether to be repulsed or really excited. Keep reading »
