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Thought-provoking 'Beyond the Body' exhibition reveals the hidden traumas behind obesity

We all know that the term 'obese' describes a person who's very overweight with a lot of body fat. It's a common problem here in the UK with one in four adults affected.

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Via Creative Boom submission. All images courtesy of photographers Winkler+Noah

Via Creative Boom submission. All images courtesy of photographers Winkler+Noah

But did you ever stop to think what it must be like for someone exceeding their healthy BMI? Sadly, it's not surprising that an obese person is often seen – and judged – only by his or her appearance. In an exclusive exhibition at Fondazione Forma per la Fotografia in Milan this week, photographers Winkler+Noah hope to change all that with a series of images, made in collaboration with four renowned Italian artists.

Illustrator Elisa Macellari, street artist Millo, tattoo artist Amanda Toy and calligrapher Nicolò Visioli have reinterpreted the real-life stories of four obese people, painting their words directly onto their bodies, which Winkler+Noah then photographed.

Some of those featured are the protagonists of the second season of La Clinica per Rinascere – Obesity Center Caserta, the original TV series on air on Real Time in which obese people decide to change their lives returning to a normal weight.

Beyond the Body was created by We Are Social, as well as production agency H Films, for Discovery Italia.

Woman with extensive colourful tattoo designs covering her body, part of the Beyond the Body exhibition exploring hidden traumas behind obesity
Woman's torso painted with colourful illustrations and Italian text reading "morì di mio padre" by artist Elisa Macellari for the Beyond the Body exhibition
Hand-painted Italian text reading "mangiavo per non pensare" (I ate to not think) covers someone's skin alongside illustrated doodles including sweets, lightning bolts and a cloud
Woman with long dark hair wearing a patterned wrap with calligraphy text inscribed on her body, standing barefoot against a grey background
Man sitting on a stool viewed from behind, his body covered in tattoos and text written across his back in the Beyond the Body exhibition
Rear view of a person's back covered in tattoos and an illustration by Elisa Macellari depicting a figure opening a refrigerator full of food with handwritten text overlay
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