Feederism

Feederism is a fat fetish subculture within the fat admiration (FA) community that focuses on erotic eating, feeding, and weight gain. This focus is distinct from that of the broader FA community, whose members are sexually attracted to fat individuals but who do not seek to alter the weight of its members since they believe that individuals can be attractive at any weight. Heterosexual members of the feederism community identify as either feeders or feedees. Feeders are individuals who state that they are sexually aroused by the idea or act of feeding their partners and encouraging them to gain weight, even though many recognize that excessive weight is unhealthy. Conversely, feedees are individuals who state that they are sexually aroused by the idea or act of eating, being fed, and gaining weight. Among heterosexuals, men tend to assume the feeder role, while women assume the feedee role. A small gay male feederism community also exists in which members identify as gainers, encouragers, mutual gainers, or belly builders.

Involvement in the feederism community exists on a continuum, with some members simply enjoying fantasy stories and viewing images of others' progressive weight gain while other members actively gain weight with the ultimate goal of achieving immobility. Feeders and feedees sometimes connect via personal ads and form relationships with each other in real life. However, involvement in the larger feederism community is predominately limited to the Internet, with members communicating through chat rooms and message boards on community websites. Members provide each other with weight-gaining advice and encourage one another to meet their weight gain goals. In addition to the community websites, there are also personal sites that feature individuals or small groups of individuals documenting their progressive weight gain. These sites also provide links to feeding videos depicting individuals eating food, and some even give viewers the option to order food to be delivered to the model, with the guaranteed incentive that any food delivered will be featured in a future feeding video.

Members of the feederism community engage in three different types of feeding behaviors: hand feeding, funnel feeding, and tube feeding. Hand feeding occurs when a feeder feeds his or her feedee partner (or a feedee feeds herself or himself) using only hands and no utensils. Funnel feeding occurs when a feedee, either alone or with the aid of a partner, pours liquid food through the funnel into her or his mouth. Tube feeding involves attaching a tube to the spout of a funnel, at which point the feedee swallows the tube. The liquid food is then poured down the funnel directly into the feedee's stomach either by the feedee or by the feeder partner.

Many feeders and feedees also meticulously document weight gain through body measurements, weighing, and photography. Some participants measure several parts of the feedee's body (e.g., waist, bust, thighs) to document the changes in these areas as a result of weight gain. Participants also take pictures of the feedee over time in the same pose to document progressive weight gain. Another common activity involves videotaping body massages [Page 270]and belly jiggling. Movement of the fat in this manner emphasizes its excessive nature and this, in turn, is viewed as erotic by members of the feederism community.

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