What Does It Mean To Have A 'Fatty'? Can You Do Anything To Change It?

First, for the People in the Back: a Fatty Ain’t a FUPA and a FUPA Ain’t Belly Fat

Because there is something that I far too often hear about this part of our anatomy — and because it does seem like many folks are all over the place when it comes to this — I want to put something else on record before we get deeper into the whole fatty thing. What I am referring to is literally what I said in the intro: a fatty is a part of your body that you would see in the very front of your bikini bottom as you’re walking around. This means that no, I am not referring to FUPAs, which is an acronym that stands for Fat Upper Pubic Area because that is not where a fatty technically resides.

A FUPA is part of your lower abdominal region that is roughly an inch or two below your belly button and also a couple of inches before your bikini line. None of that goes into a bikini bottom, so it doesn’t qualify (I mean, even Beyoncé referred to her own FUPA as a “mommy pouch”). Oh, and while we’re here, having a larger tummy area is also not a FUPA. The part of your stomach that is above your belly button doesn’t fit the bill and the sides of your stomach don’t fit the bill either; all of that is simply your stomach.

Yes, it’s important that all of this is stated because I can’t tell you how many social media posts I’ve seen where the FUPA seems to be getting taller and wider by the day to the point where it’s taking up half of women’s bodies at this point. Uh-uh, chile. Okay, moving on.

Next, Everyone’s “Kitty” Is (Somewhat) Unique

If you’ve heard somewhere that vaginal plastic surgery is on the rise, you would be correct. Back when I used to tour with an organization that got people out of porn and sex addiction, one thing that I learned is there are some women who will want to alter the appearance of their vagina because they’ve seen a porn actor (I prefer that phrase to porn star) whose vagina — well, vulva because that is what you can actually see — who they thought was aesthetically-pleasing; due to that, they made a doctor’s appointment to duplicate it.

Although it should go on record that other women will get something like a vaginoplasty in order to “tighten up their vagina” (like, say, after childbirth) or a labiaplasty to remove excess skin that may be uncomfortable for them, there are some women who will also get one to get rid of their fatty (more on that in a sec).

To the ladies in the last category, it’s important to remember two things: surgical procedures always come with a certain amount of risk; therefore, you need to find out as much as you can about a labiaplasty before getting one. Two, every woman is unique; this means that, to a large extent, so is her vulva and her mons pubis. Y’all, it really is time out for us thinking that looking like toy soldiers is what makes us beautiful because the reality is that our differences are what make us so exquisite.

If you don’t believe me, check out Healthline’s “What Do ‘Normal’ Labia Look Like?” In it, you will see nine pictures of different types of labia. And you know what? Even with those shots, like each snowflake or fingerprint has subtle differences to them, so does your own genitalia…and that’s a good thing. It’s a part of what makes you…YOU. And why wouldn’t you want to be yourself over copying the image of someone else? C’mon now.

Third, You Can’t Do Anything to Lose Weight in One Area Alone

And what if you’re over there on some, “Yeah, yeah, Shellie. Can I get this fatty down or not?” To be totally frank with you, the answer is “mostly no.” What I mean by that is, there isn’t really any type of weight loss regimen (via exercise or diet) that you can do to only lose the weight where your mons pubis is.

That said, there are certain things that you can do to burn some calories and ultimately transition some of the fat in that area over to muscle. Some of the exercises that can assist you in that department are located here and here. Also, if you’re like my friend and you’re trying to go swimming in something that you can feel good about, you may want to try wearing a reversible swimsuit.

The reason why is that those tend to be made from a stronger fabric that is able to hold and support your fatty better than other bathing suits can. Also, as far as the style of swimsuits goes, ones with a high waist for the bottom are ideal because they will give you more coverage, plus a lot more support.

Finally, there is a surgical procedure known as a monsplasty that can remove excess fat or skin. Again, it is surgery, and overall recovery time is somewhere around 4-6 weeks (and you can’t even soak in a tub for three of those), so you need to think long and hard before making that type of time, health, and financial commitment.

Also, Fatties Are Bomb. Why Would You Want to Change It?

As someone who has somewhat of a fatty myself, someone who has talked to men about what attracts them to women (on the physical level) and heard them bring up fatties quite a bit (where do you think the saying “more cushion for the pushin’” partially comes from?) and also as someone who has seen pictures of women with fatties in lingerie and bathing suits and found them to be sexy AF, I promise you that I don’t get why, if you have one, you don’t feel exceptionally blessed.

Since I also know that genetics play a role in how our genitalia ends up looking (although it should go on record that fluctuating weight and hormones can influence the size of your fatty to a certain extent too), it’s generationally passed down, it’s a part of your signature look and, I’m willing to bet some pretty good money that if folks are staring, it’s in awe not disgust.

All this to say that, why spend extra money and unnecessary stress on trying to change something that makes you who you are and is absolutely nothing to overthink or have anxiety over? Hell, if you’ve got a fatty, embrace it. It’s sexy more than anything. Ask others, if you don’t believe me. Real talk.

Now put that sarong back in the closet and get ready to go swimming — without it!

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