I suppose this clears up one of the mysteries of the ages. Via the scientific journal Fat Studies: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Body Weight and Society and a fascinating study called “There’s always stomach on the table and then I gotta write!”: Physical space and learning in fat college women.

ABSTRACT
Dominant “obesity” discourse research shows a strong correlation between fatness and poor academic outcomes among fat female learners at the postsecondary level. Little attention has been paid, however, to understanding the experiences of fat female learners from their own perspective. Interviews with 13 undergraduate women suggest that fat college women students experience the interactions of their fat bodies with the physical learning environment negatively. Classroom design and furniture contribute to fat women learners experiencing themselves as judged, devalued bodies and incapable learners.

This is a peer-reviewed journal…and I’m not interested in finding out who the “peers” are here.

The is the author, so I think the research is credible

and no, that whole “black makes you look smaller” thing doesn’t really work.

A large-scale study involving 13 individuals suggests that fat college women can't learn because they are oppressed by small classroom furniture https://t.co/xMizhMtZBQ pic.twitter.com/uzHjn5p8cx

— New Real Peer Review (@RealPeerReview) January 23, 2018

A growing body indeed. pic.twitter.com/jFoaRLn5g3

— New Real Peer Review (@RealPeerReview) January 23, 2018

Oppression is always the answer. pic.twitter.com/ipwgexlvKD

— New Real Peer Review (@RealPeerReview) January 23, 2018

Fat friendly classrooms? Free candy? pic.twitter.com/WnNSJyPb6F

— New Real Peer Review (@RealPeerReview) January 23, 2018

5XL? You may want to be a fat learner at the gym instead. pic.twitter.com/64ToAd8CUu

— New Real Peer Review (@RealPeerReview) January 23, 2018

So… the participants were oppressed by the small furniture despite the fact that they were too small for the author's liking. pic.twitter.com/eMmXiwiuuN

— New Real Peer Review (@RealPeerReview) January 23, 2018

Now if there was a way of addressing these issues constructively… pic.twitter.com/viOooS9trE

— New Real Peer Review (@RealPeerReview) January 23, 2018

Expectations… pic.twitter.com/mhhiOpXMHz

— New Real Peer Review (@RealPeerReview) January 23, 2018

Stated as a fact. pic.twitter.com/pIBwlvwkZo

— New Real Peer Review (@RealPeerReview) January 23, 2018

This must be confined to the classroom setting only… 🙄 pic.twitter.com/J4uc7ogCl8

— New Real Peer Review (@RealPeerReview) January 23, 2018

Alternative recommendations: Cut down on carbs and start hitting the treadmill. pic.twitter.com/YwDyxxHlf4

— New Real Peer Review (@RealPeerReview) January 23, 2018

This is a peer-reviewed paper supposedly. pic.twitter.com/AzAHXyuknF

— New Real Peer Review (@RealPeerReview) January 23, 2018

So don’t ever say I don’t believe in science.