Reddit reviews Fat: The Anthropology of an Obsession

So here's what you do:

Get her one of these, they're grip strength trainers and you can get her one for about $4$8 or a pack of them for $10$20 (sorry, they've raised their prices). They're especially good for rock climbers but make great tools for working out in the car or at the office.

Then, get her a used copy of a book on sizism or which serves to humanize the kind of people she mindlessly hates. Two easy to read but good young adult novels are "Fat Kid Rules the World," by K. L. Going (which Matthew Lilliard has made into a film, partially because of its punk environment) and "Big Fat Manifesto" by Susan Vaught (this one has a female protagonist). Another good choice would be "Fat: The Anthropology of an Obsession" by Don Kulick. This one is more for adults and might be slightly more academic. You can get all of these for less than $2 apiece on Amazon, and you may even help to diminish some hate in this world. Good luck!

[Edit]: If you are really against pointing out someone's faults through an anonymous gift exchange, you could also get her a fitness book like The New Rules of Lifting for Women, which is highly recommended for female fitness geeks, especially if she doesn't yet lift weights.

Academic/bodybuilder here.

Must Read: Paul Morrison's essay "Muscles" in this book: http://www.amazon.com/Explanation-Everything-Essays-Subjectivity-Cultures/dp/0814756743/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1453961661&sr=1-1&keywords=the+explanation+for+everything+morrison

"Sportsex:" http://www.temple.edu/tempress/titles/1571_reg.html

Below find some other titles that might be of interest to you, just from poking around. The fat studies volumes will have a lot of citations that direct you to sources with statistics and qualitative analyses of benefits that those who are normatively attractive receive that fat people do not.

http://www.amazon.com/Handbook-Sports-Studies-Jay-Coakley/dp/0761949496/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1453961740&sr=1-3&keywords=Sexing+the+Athlete

http://www.amazon.com/Handbook-Sports-Studies-Jay-Coakley/dp/0761949496/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1453961715&sr=1-3&keywords=Sexing+the+Athlete

http://www.amazon.com/Fat-Anthropology-Obsession-Don-Kulick/dp/1585423866/ref=pd_sim_14_3?ie=UTF8&dpID=41aO9pm4UnL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR105%2C160_&refRID=1FEQQPNTHTKQNR8C432B

http://www.amazon.com/The-Studies-Reader-Esther-Rothblum/dp/0814776310

http://www.amazon.com/Fat-Shame-Stigma-American-Culture/dp/0814727697/ref=pd_bxgy_14_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=0QZSPEB6ZP13399RS2DC

http://www.amazon.com/The-Body-Key-Concepts/dp/1845205901/ref=pd_sim_14_4?ie=UTF8&dpID=31xCL-of-wL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR107%2C160_&refRID=1FEQQPNTHTKQNR8C432B

How about Fat, I had this text for my anthropology of food and eating. I suspect you might find a little bit about beauty in there.