"But it's SCIENCE": STUDIEZ.

By now, we're all on board that we shouldn't be mean to fat people, right?

(By the way, I love how this blog has played out like a cumulative course in FA 101.  I wish I could bring in guest lecturers, just like a real course!  Or that I was actually qualified to disseminate any of this information.  But thanks for reading.  -The Phat Ally)

Okay, there's this one retort that you, my disbelieving loved one, have.

That being fat is bad for you.  It's SCIENCE!

Okay, this mentality may be a result of years of conditioning or brain washing or whatever you want to call it, but it actually can be credited with almost all our fat hatred: from well-intentioned, condescending "interventions" towards friends to whispering-behind-our-hands, this-gossip-is-justified-because-that-fat-person-has-brought-it-upon-themselves type reactions.

One thing I have definitively learned: the multi-billion dollar industry exists for the purpose of maximizing profit at the expense of the mental health of millions of people, especially women.  So be careful when you read studies.  Are they trying to sell you a diet, with a side of low self-esteem?

Enough talk.  I always talk too much.  This time, I'll let more qualified people do the talking.  With studies that I feel are rigorous and refreshingly free of the weight bias that colors so many other studies.

I hope to keep adding to this list.  Also, links may appear either blue or grey.  I wish I knew how to standardize that, sorry!

On Advocating for a Health at Every Size (HAES) public

health model:

"Healthy Lifestyle Habits and Mortality in Overweight and Obese Individuals"
Source: Medical University of South Carolina, Department of Family Medicine 

"Healthy lifestyle habits are associated with a significant decrease in mortality regardless of baseline body mass index."

"They all work...when you stick to them": a qualitative investigation of dieting, weight loss, and physical exercise, in obese individuals:

Source: National Institute of Health

"Public health approaches to obesity must engage and consult with those currently living with obesity, if patterns of social change are to occur."

"Health at Every Size: New Hope for Obese Americans?"

Source: US Dep of Agriculture

"'For obese folks who can’t find a healthful weight-loss regimen that gives them lasting results, this alternative to conventional dieting may offer greater and more sustainable improvements to several key indicators of their health.'"

"Size acceptance and intuitive eating improve health for obese, female chronic dieters"

Source: UC Davis

"Encouraging size acceptance, reduction in dieting behavior, and heightened awareness and response to body signals resulted in improved health risk indicators for obese women."

"Weight loss for the obese: panacea or pound-foolish?"

Source: National Association for Physical Education in Higher Education

"Because traditional weight loss programs have poor long-term efficacy, a nonweight-centered paradigm might be more effective for improving the health of individuals considered overweight or obese."

"Dietary Therapy for Obesity: An Emperor With No Clothes"

Source: University of Iowa

"As he has ably pointed out in his accompanying article, there are numerous biological, behavioral, and environmental paths to overweight. It is not surprising that the more or less “one size fits all” approaches that have been taken in past behavioral interventions have been less than impressive."

On weight cycling being worse for you than maintaining a constant weight:

"In Obesity Paradox, 'Thinner' May Mean 'Sicker'"

Source: The New York Times

"In study after study, overweight and moderately obese patients with certain chronic diseases often live longer and fare better than normal weight patients with the same ailments."

"The effect of weight cycling on blood lipids and blood pressure in Multiple Risk Factor Intervention Trial Special Intervention Group"
Source: International Journal of Obesity

"RESULTS: Men who weight cycled did not have the predicted smaller improvements in total cholesterol, HDL, the ratio of total cholesterol to HDL, or diastolic blood pressure, compared with noncyclers."

"Genes take charge, and diets fall by the wayside"
Source: The New York Times

"'It is entirely possible that weight reduction, instead of resulting in a normal state for obese patients, results in an abnormal state resembling that of starved nonobese individuals.'"

"Confronting the failure of behavioral and and dietary treatments of obesity"
Source: PsycNET

"The stigmatization of obesity, the overstatement of health risks, and the pervasive influence of the lucrative diet industry have maintained public demand for dietary treatment. However, much evidence suggests that maintenance of high but stable weight is safer than weight fluctuation. "

Pathways from weight fluctuations to metabolic diseases: focus on maladaptive thermogenesis during catch-up fat
Source: International Journal of Obesity

"In particular, Debray et al noted that the early increase in the weight of prisoners transferred from German concentration camps to a Paris hospital in a condition of severe starvation was largely due to the accumulation of fat rather than to the rebuilding of muscles...These findings led Keys et al to describe such preferential fat accumulation and fat overshooting as ‘post-starvation obesity’."

Dieters Put on Weight in the Long Run: Study
Source: Reuters

"'The majority of people -- up to two thirds -- regained all the weight they had lost, plus more.  We concluded most of them would have been better off not going on the diet at all.  Their weight would be pretty much the same, and their bodies would not suffer the war and tear from losing weight and gaining it all back,' said Mann."

"Does Exercise Really Keep Us Healthy?"
Source: The New York Times

"But before you turn to a fitness program as the solution to your particular health or weight concern, consider what science has found...Exercise alone has not been shown to bring sustained weight loss."


NYT: "Our Absurd Fear of Fat" by Paul Campos

"The study, by Katherine M. Flegal and her associates at the C.D.C. and the National Institutes of Health, found that all adults categorized as overweight and most of those categorized as obese have a lower mortality risk than so-called normal-weight individuals."




Weight loss studies tend to be biased:

"A meta-analysis of the past 25 years of weight loss research using diet, exercise or diet plus exercise intervention."
Source: US National Library of Medicine, National Institute of Health

"Weight loss research over the past 25 y has been very narrowly focused on a middle age population that is only moderately obese, while the interventions lasted for only short periods of time."

"Medicare's Search for Effective Obesity Treatments: Dieting is Not the Answer" (PDF)
Source: UCLA

"It is clear that dieting does not lead to sustained weight loss in the majority of individuals, and additional studies of the effects of dieting on weight are not needed...We recommend that researchers conduct long-term randomized studies on the effects of dieting on health outcomes, with a specific focus on whether the short-term health benefits of weight loss persist after the weight is regained...These studies must make every effort to minimize the biases that led to overly optimistic reports of the success of diets."


I will close with a quote from Michelle Allison, the incredible Fat Nutritionist:

"I am comfortable with the fact that, yes, there is a clear association between higher levels of weight and ill health...I am comfortable with the fact that, yes, behaviour contributes to weight...I am comfortable with the fact that, yes, many people do not find fat people sexually or aesthetically attractively...None of these facts shakes my conviction that It Is Not Okay to Engage In Appearance-Based Discrimination, to deny rights or enforce unfavourable social policies on people because of their appearance. 


"These facts also do not preclude the peculiar theory to which I subscribe, that people can be healthy and happy at a variety of weights by focusing on self-care instead of weight loss, and that, in my opinion, this is a preferable policy to the destructive and ineffective "War on Obesity" we have waged for the last decade."

Post in context.

Wacky fat people in movies

If you're reading this blog, you're probably a good friend of mine.  And if you're a good friend of mine, you probably already know about the Bechdel test.  But if not, now would be a great time to educate yourself!  So that's where this post is starting today.

To summarize, the Bechdel test gauges female presence in a movie.  In order to pass, two women with names must talk to each other about something other than a man.  For more information, you can visit bechdeltest.com.

You just can't deny this test.  It doesn't sound like that much to ask!

The Bechdel test isn't used to show whether a movie is feminist or not; it just has two female characters, with names, that talk about anything other than a man.  And I'm not boycotting movies that don't pass the Bechdel test - some of the greatest films I have ever seen do not fit the criteria.  But movies do not become great because of their lack of female presence, they become great in spite of it.

It's so important for movies to portray women depicted as people, with people issues, displaying depth of character and personal growth, rather than women people, with women problems, either static, nagging, or fully-formed and perfectly wise, inspiring the worship and growth of the rest of the cast.  Either way, movies lacking female characters run the risk of portraying women who lack depth, even humanity, and fall victim to crude stereotypes.

But stupid comedies aside, we do have a lot of serious movies that capture women as flawed, complex, interesting people who face tough decisions and experience emotions all across the spectrum.

(April, "Revolutionary Road")

(Ree, "Winter's Bone")

(Marge Gunderson, "Fargo")

(Thelma & Louise, I'mserious)

These are all leading characters.  They are (usually) White and (come on, this is Hollywood we're talking about) thin.

What happens when we get a fat women (and often a fat man) character in a movie?  I mean, when we actually see them.  Well, we see fat men more often than fat women.  But when they do make an appearance, they are played for laughs, not for depth.  Or if we're lucky, depth comes much later on.

Hollywood starts us out early, with Disney movies:

Here's Aladdin's (albeit strong) woman (of color):

(I can never find those Disney princesses just standing like normal people, GAH.)

Not that Aladdin is without his haughty, enchanting, exotic female admirers:

But, inevitably .  .  . it's all fun and games until the fat lady, well, sings.

Then there's this movie, which was considered a triumph for the portrayal of a fat woman in a comedy:

(Megan, "Bridesmaids")

Eventually, Megan turns out to be engaging, wonderful, and quite lovable.  But man does she have to prove herself.  In her first few scenes, she is overly talkative and exceedingly strange.  (Although for me, with my brother's wedding pending, unexpectedly relatable.)  There's that scene on the airplane where she makes a total scene - but turns out to be justified.  And of course, in the trailer, she's the only one shown to have gastrointestinal issues in that one horrifically gross scene, where everyone is. . . well, I don't want to give anything away.

Maybe the movie's crowning triumph is that it features TWO fat women:

Oh, yeah, not weird at all.

Don't get me wrong, I really loved Bridesmaids.  And I thought both fat characters were hysterical and well-acted.  Buttttt why is it ALWAYS the fat girl with the absurdly strange/downright toxic personality?

It's interesting, when I googled "comedies with fat characters", of which I know there are so many, for some reason I kept seeing Martin Lawrence as Big Momma and Martin Lawrence again in "Norbit".

"Norbit"

Yes, these are revoltingly dumb films, but there is an old precedent for shaming fat women in movies as comedic gold.  And these less blatant nods to our society's fat hate, those quick laugh, largely un-google-able moments, exist in cult movies, great movies, movies that I grew up watching and love.

I tried to find the kissing booth scene from Revenge of the Nerds, but all I could find was this quote:

Lewis: [in line at the Kissing Booth at the Homecoming Carnival] Hi, Betty. 
Betty Childs, Pi-Delta-Pi: A nerd? I'm not kissing a nerd. 
Lewis: You have to. I paid my money. 
Betty Childs, Pi-Delta-Pi: [Lewis tries to kiss Betty] It's time for my break. 
Stan Gable: [Stan brings a short, fat, ugly woman, instead] Kiss this, nerd. 

Ugh.  And once again, I loved that movie.  But yuck.  They bring the same actress into several scenes, the terrifying fatty who scares all the nice boys away.

Then there's stuff like this, that just confounds me:

I wasn't too into The Hangover because of stuff like this.  Is the line "it's funny because he's fat!" supposed to be funny because he's fat?  Or because it's offensive and the token Asian character is saying it?  Or the situation is not funny but his saying that makes it funny?  I don't get it.  Did people laugh at this?

I offer these crude examples as a small, obvious portions of a fat-shaming whole, where almost every comedy I have ever seen includes a fat person, even in the smallest of roles, who is quirky, off-beat, incompetent, lazy, mean-spirited, and a general laughingstock.

In a later post, I hope to return to movies that deal with fatness in a more balanced way.  I wish I could go more in depth, but I'm not really a movie buff.  In the meantime, help me out, comment and leave a comedy that played a fat person for big laughs.

Two BAFLs speaking out against fat hate

Happy anti-bullying month!  October is here.  And my non-fatosphere blog roll and facebook news feed was all abuzz about two awesome women using a public platform to speak out against fat hatred.  Do yourself a favor and check it out!

First, Jennifer Livingston, an anchor on a CBS morning station, speaks out against a man who sent her a letter critical about her body, saying that she is setting a bad example to her community.  Kudos to her for, instead of shrugging it off, calling out this e-mail for what it really is: bullying.  She says: 

If you are at home and talking about the fat news lady, guess what? Your children are probably going to go to school and call someone fat.

Of course, I dream of a world where "fat" is neutral description rather than a taunting insult, but that is not where we're at.  I absolutely agree with Livingston.  Parents set an example for their children, and we cannot accomplish anything in a world where kids are taught to be cruel.

Next is my permanent crush, Krista Burton, who blogs at the highly popular Effing Dykes.  Even if you identify as straight, I highly encourage you to read it - her long-winded posts are so entertaining and in equal measure compassionate and hilarious.  This entry's topic is about a straight woman who asks Krista to blog about how all lesbians are fat.  She pours her heart out about generalizing, the word "fat", and queer bodies.

The post is here.

Child Anti-Obesity Education: the wrong approach

When I tell people about my blog, this is the most common response that I get:

Really?  Don't you believe that people should be healthy?

Most people who have lived on Planet Ruthless Beauty Gods their whole lives really believe that our society's current approach is the only, best way to get people to be healthy, may the Most Motivated woman win.  

Obviously, yes, I do believe in good health practices.  I happen to be a very health-conscious person.  Doing some kind of physical activity every day is essential not only to my physical well-being but to my sanity.  I cook for myself as frequently as possible, and am careful to make balanced meals for myself with plenty of protein, grains, veggies, and yes, fat.  Hell, I even like my kale raw (sometimes).

Of course, through this blog, I am working to make the point that being fat and being healthy are not at odds with each other.  If you read my posts, you've noticed this is more of a "Raise Your Consciousness and Don't be a Jerk" blog than a "Do this to be healthy" blog - seeing that you can find that information, uh, pretty much everywhere.

I am an advocate to all people who struggle with society's messages about fat, but I am specifically an ally to fat people because the ways in which the anti-fat stigma affects them are the most obvious.  And I strongly believe that in accepting and loving fat people's bodies and humanity, us non-fat people can learn to feel better about ourselves and all of the non-conforming features of our bodies.

(On a tangent, I appreciated that poster that was making the rounds on facebook with the pieces of fruit complaining about their bodies and the tagline that said, If only they knew, they had such sweet bodies, but I also think that's hands-down the creepiest thing I have ever heard.  Maybe it's the past tense?  I imagine a tall faceless man in a cloak, whispering that while smacking his lips together.)

And some people are both fat and unhealthy.  And while I encourage every one to take care of themselves, I understand that stigma and shame and hatred are utterly crippling, especially when all your medial information reinforces that you are a social problem and a freak.  And if I am not vested in that person, personally, I can write a blog post and tell people to stop laughing at her, but it's really none of my business.  

Also, it does not mean that her body is ugly.  

And it does not give me permission to exploit her in any number of ways that other people, the media, and medical professionals exploit her.

Just to remind you, this is the bare minimum of human decency.  

But then, the conversation shifts to our children.  And it gets even more personal.

Childhood obesity is a hot topic.  There have been several popular reality TV shows to raise our awareness on the topic, including Shaq's Big Challenge and Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution.  Our much loved First Lady Michelle Obama is a champion of combatting childhood obesity.

What causes childhood obesity?  Nature or nurture?  In either case, the blame falls on the child's parents.  This view makes me cringe a little.  Parents already must accept responsibility for all their children's' imperfections.  Our society's view of what constitutes good health is privileged -- access to good food, green areas in which to play, safe areas to be outside, the availability of adult chaperones -- many people can't take these things for granted.

But if you're going to tell people to not be obese any more, Minnesota is doing it wrong.  You can't stigmatize the fat away.  It doesn't work.

The MN Blue Cross has been airing these commercials, targeted at parents who have a sudden wake-up call:

GAH.  Blogger is not finding these videos.  I'll see if I can upload them later.  To summarize, in one video, two boys in a fast food restaurant are bragging that their father can eat more.  One of the fathers comes to the table holding a tray straining under the weight of tons of food, looking down and feeling ashamed.  In another video, a fat woman is in the grocery store, wheeling around unhealthy groceries, and notices that her daughter is doing the same with her little cart.

The Atlantic ran an article on anti-obesity campaigns, highlighting findings from the Yale's Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity on American's attitudes towards various visible obesity slogans.  The study found

basically what was expected: the public craves positive reinforcement and rejects stigmatizing or otherwise negative messages. . .'The most positively rated were campaigns that focused on encouraging specific health behaviors or actions, like eating fruits and vegetables every day or engaging in physical activity' said lead author Rebecca Puhl, 'And the most motivating were the ones that made no mention of obesity or weight at all.'

Few studies have been done to correlate between well-received obesity slogans and better health practices.  This post is already far too long, so I'll leave it to you, readers: what do you think?

A quick reminder that fat people are actually human beings with feelings and stuff

Wouldn't you know it, that like a lot of feminist discourse, this is a case of Just Don't be An Asshole 101.

Re-posted from Stacy Bias, a fat activist and inspiring writer.  Be sure to check her out.

15 minutes ago. I’m walking down the street. I’m in a fairly good mood. A woman is on the sidewalk in front of me and next to her is a parked ambulance with the driver’s side window rolled down. As she walks past, she says “Hey, so am I eating too much?” She presses one hand to the curve of her back, the other to her belly and turns sideways; the typical “before” pose. She’s laughing, enjoying the joke of asking for free advice from a professional. I brace myself, because I’m about to pass them, and I know it’s coming. The ambulance driver says “No, no. You’re fine.” and then he spots me. I can tell because he goes silent for just a beat or two. I get a few steps ahead, enough to give him confidence that I can’t hear. He says “There, there. Look at her. See? You’re fine. I’ll be seeing her soon, though.” They laugh knowingly. Even expecting it, I’m shocked to hear it. It’s grim. Some part of me, the old part I haven’t healed yet, believes him. The other part wants to swing around and force my humanity on him. Make him see me. Spit in his face. But I keep walking. I don’t even miss a step. I never do.

This powerfully-written personal anecdote gives the humanity to a situation that I have definitely witnessed enough times that I am numb to it by now.  Thanks for sharing your story, Stacy.