Steph Tisdell: Fat review – standup unpacks a lifetime of yo-yo dieting and disordered eating

Steph Tisdell’s new standup show Fat, which is touring to Sydney and Brisbane, exposes the flawed logic which underpins fatphobia and the damage it does. Photograph: Blake Sharp-Wiggins/The Guardian

Steph Tisdell is Fat. It’s both the name of her standup show and the statement she opens with. She has been fat all of her adult life, and she’s good at it. She also excels at the yo-yo dieting and disordered eating that has dominated her life for years. Tisdell has tried everything, even signing herself up for what she describes as an “adult fat camp” for $10,000. Throwing herself into the camp’s wellness principals, Tisdell does manage to lose 10kg – only to regain it while trying to afford another stint at the program.

The breaking point comes when Tisdell begins experiencing back pain and her doctor gives her a life-changing piece of advice: “I don’t need you to lose weight, I need you to get strong.”