Feeder (fetish)

A feeder is someone, usually (but not necessarily) male, in a relationship with a feedee. As the name suggests, the feeder provides the feedee with an abundant supply of food, either to encourage weight gain or simply for delight in the act of feeding.

Feeder/feedee relationships appear to be uncommon, although some certainly do exist. The image of the "feeder" appears to be a common fantasy in the fat admirer community. Many FAs fantasize about taking part in a feeding relationship, but few attempt to realize this fantasy.

Feeder relationships are sometimes regarded as pathological, and are discouraged by the mainstream fat acceptance community as unhealthy and fetishistic. Many feeders, who do not have a feedee or believe that actual feeding is dangerous and unhealthy are referred to as non-practicing feeders; they satisfy themselves by looking at weight-gain photos or reading weight-gain fiction. Advocates of feeding maintain that feeding relationships, if consensual, are perfectly healthy for both parties.

The growth of feederism paralleled the development of feeder pornography. At first, such pornography was limited to the letters sections of magazines such as BUF magazine, Dimensions magazine, and other fat admirer magazines. Then first pornography specifically devoted to the feederism fetish was the newsletter called "The Feedlot". Feeder porn was given new life when it was first celebrated with the now defunct site feeder.com. The torch was then taken up by the "Weight Room" section of Dimensions magazine, and the somewhat abandoned feeder.co.uk. The largest collection of feeder related stories exists at Dimension's "Weight Room" and the largest amount of feeder artwork and photo pornography can be found at yahoo's groups.

Feedee women are in very short supply, but the amount of men willing to participate in this fetish is inexhaustable, as evidenced by yahoo's groups.

The whole phenomenon is largely underground, but will likely be exploited ad nauseum in the usual TV crime dramas with the release of the new Feederism movie "Feed" in 2006.

The psychology of a feeder can be centered around numerous factors. The majority of these factors relate to control and the usual sadist triad of dread (of being forced to become fat), dependency (of being fattened to immobility, etc.), and degradation (of becoming a fat person who is usually looked down upon by society.)

The fantasies expressed in the writings (e.g. the ones at Dimension's "Weight Room") confirm their sadistic bent.