Quick links: Waging war on obese people

13th April 2010

Quick links: Waging war on obese people

posted in Fat Bias, Rachel |

Americans like to shroud complex social issues in the the context of militarism. We have the war on drugs, the war on terror, the war on guns, and as conservative fundamentalists would have you believe, even a war on Christmas. America’s latest war — the war on obesity — is much like its forebears: more a moral crusade and panic than corporeal imperative. And as as biological psychologist Hal Herzog notes, it is one that “like some other recent wars, there is little evidence that it is winnable, particularly by penalizing the victims.”

Two quick links highlight the fallacy of a war on obese people. The first piece is by religion scholar Michelle Lelwica, author of the book The Religion of Thinness, writing for Psychology Today. While Lelwica tends to overlook the physiological factors of weight while focusing inordinately on social-driven behaviors, her overarching point is a salient one:

A combative approach is apparent both in the explicit language used to describe the war on obesity, and in the implicit notion this battle conveys, namely, that fat is the enemy. The trouble with this approach is the trouble with most wars: it exacerbates the very conflicts it is supposed to resolve, while it fails to address the underlying conditions that give rise to the problems in the first place.

…If we are to move in the direction of greater overall health as a nation-including our physical, mental, and spiritual well being-we need to dig deeper than the current “war on obesity” encourages us to do. We need to infuse this battle with some loving-kindness by understanding the complex causes of obesity and by envisioning a broader, more peaceful path to the wholeness we seek. Such a path would require us to rethink our relationship to the earth (i.e., how food is produced), to our appetites (i.e. what it feels like to be hungry or full), and to our suffering (i.e., how we handle the stresses and pain of our lives). Ultimately, it would encourage us to see that the real enemy is not fat, but fear, apathy, and ignorance.

The second is an awesome piece I linked to last week on The-F-Word’s Twitter page by Betsy Phillips blogging for Nashville Scene. Phillips, who also blogs as Aunt B. at Tiny Cat Pants, asks the obvious question: Does the (Tennessee) Obesity Task Force even have any obese people on it? The answer, of course, is an unsurprising no. Explains Phillips:

One, when you set up a dynamic where obesity is a problem that needs to be eradicated — and obese people are the literal embodiment of grave failure as responsible people and responsible Tennesseans — and you are the answer-man heroes who will come in and save the day, chances are slim that you will want to hear from people who don’t see themselves as an unsightly problem that needs to be removed from our society.

Also, the chances that doctors will want to hear from obese people about the shitty prejudices we face from doctors — many of whom have preconceived ideas that we’re stupid, poor, slovenly liars who just aren’t trying hard enough? Probably also pretty slim.

Phillips then goes on to juxtapose the group’s supposed mission of promoting health with its images and propaganda that depict fat people as “slovenly, stupid and, apparently, prone to bouts of cheesy cross-dressing.”

People are obese. People. Obesity is not some abstract thing to be studied from afar by people with expertise. It’s a type of body that a lot of people in our state have. Yes, often times, it can lead to health problems. But just as often, if not more, it is a symptom of some other issue.

And being obese in this society is not easy, because we get that you think we shouldn’t exist how we are. We get that message, loud and clear, all the time.

We know how y’all talk about “health” but you really mean “how you look makes me uncomfortable.” We get that message loud and clear, too.

Believe me, if you’re not obese, you may think you get what it’s like to have a body that so plainly marks you for most people as stupid and lower-class and unwilling to get with the program and unworthy to live unmolested in society. But you do not.

And, frankly, there is no real middle ground here. Once you’ve made it as plain as you have that you think being fat is disgusting — and that my very body, which I live in, is some problem which must be eradicated — your cries of “But your health!” or “But the children!” don’t mean much.

Your thoughts?

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, April 13th, 2010 at 12:20 pm and is filed under Fat Bias, Rachel. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

1 On April 13th, 2010, Shannon Russell said:

I’ve been waiting for an opportunity to wield this little nugget I’ve kept with me for a few months now.

We all know that obesity is so strongly correlated with poverty and that studies are showing commonalities between drug addiction and food addiction (not that fat people are all food addicts or poor… just follow my logic here).

Considering that we’ve been waging a War on Poverty since 1964 and a War on Drugs since 1969, just how effective do they think this War on Obesity is going to be?

Peace,
Shannon

posted on April 13th, 2010 at 1:44 pm

2 On April 13th, 2010, Karen said:

I LOVE this: ‘Once you’ve made it as plain as you have that you think being fat is disgusting — and that my very body, which I live in, is some problem which must be eradicated — your cries of “But your health!” or “But the children!” don’t mean much.’ Absolutely perfectly said.

posted on April 13th, 2010 at 2:31 pm

3 On April 13th, 2010, Katy said:

@Shannon – yeah, the War on Terror is going pretty well too.

posted on April 13th, 2010 at 2:35 pm

4 On April 13th, 2010, Shannon Russell said:

@Katy,
I thought we won that one already.

Peace,
Shannon

posted on April 13th, 2010 at 4:42 pm

5 On April 13th, 2010, The Problem With Our War on Obesity | Living Holistically…with a sense of humor said:

[...] worked for establishing peace between countries – war – is the same thing that doesn’t work when dealing with obesity. “Attacking” the issue doesn’t breed love, compassion, or peace, with that last [...]

posted on April 13th, 2010 at 6:13 pm

6 On April 13th, 2010, Rachel said:

Considering that we’ve been waging a War on Poverty since 1964 and a War on Drugs since 1969, just how effective do they think this War on Obesity is going to be?

Exactly, only the war on poverty isn’t as much of a war on poor people as the war on obesity seems to be an outright war on obese people. Sure, there’s the mentality of the welfare queen and that poor people are just lazy and unmotivated, but it seems to be more accepted that there are lots of issues that factor into poverty: family, race, gender, region, etc… The war on obesity seems to be almost entirely focused on simply getting people to change their assumed unhealthy lifestyle habits with no consideration to the myriad of physical, environmental and social factors that all play a part in why we weigh what we weigh.

posted on April 13th, 2010 at 6:25 pm

7 On April 13th, 2010, Rita said:

Being Canadian we don’t so much have wars on things but rather apologize profusely for our short comings but I found in increasingly difficult for the past number of years to be an obese person since it became an affliction and a public health concern. I appreciate the health cost, life expectancy, etc, etc. but the size of my ass being a government priority is a bit intrusive. And quite frankly, giving me another copy of the food pyramid isn’t what helped me lose weight, therapy did.

Great Post!

posted on April 13th, 2010 at 7:35 pm

8 On April 13th, 2010, Liza said:

“We know how y’all talk about “health” but you really mean “how you look makes me uncomfortable.” We get that message loud and clear, too.”

Also “I don’t want to screw you so I must eradicate your body type.”

posted on April 13th, 2010 at 8:10 pm

9 On April 13th, 2010, Bronwyn said:

Wow thanks for pointing out that article; the last few paragraphs that you quoted are really insightful I find. That’s pretty much entirely how I feel.

posted on April 13th, 2010 at 8:48 pm

10 On April 13th, 2010, Bree said:

That last paragraph said it all. If only the Tennessee Obesity Task Force and others like them would get the message.

posted on April 13th, 2010 at 9:32 pm

11 On April 13th, 2010, Heather said:

You know, this isn’t a problem of them labeling us as stupid lower class, blah blah. It’s really about them not understanding the trail of duties that eat up our time so that we can’t (and maybe some of us are not that vain) that keep us from endless hours in the gym. Let’s face it, unlike in Europe, American cities are very spread out and driving to work is the norm…cubicle jobs are the norm…the corporate lifestyle is the problem, and we are victims of that. Those of us with more than our fair share of duties find ourselves unable to run like gerbils on a treadmill, and consequently, we are judged for lacking (_______________, fill in the blank). Tired of it. I look at gym rats are narcissistic freaks. If you are so healthy, why don’t you bike to work? I hate intolerant jerks.

posted on April 13th, 2010 at 10:47 pm

12 On April 14th, 2010, InTheWild said:

Rita said: the size of my ass being a government priority is a bit intrusive.

Oh my. That phrase is both hilarious and terrifying at the same time. Because it’s true. I may use that as my email sig for a while! Thanks for such a wonderful turn of phrase and putting it so…right on!

posted on April 14th, 2010 at 7:21 am

13 On April 14th, 2010, Shannon Russell said:

@Rachel
But the common tie between Poverty, Drugs, and Obesity is that they have all been around SINCE THE DAWN OF TIME. To act like we are now capable of eradicating ANYTHING that is so fundamentally a part of the fabric of humanity is typical of the arrogance our government excels at.

Personally, I’d love to wage a War on Assholes, but I know it would be futile. Assholes are eternal.

Peace,
Shannon

posted on April 14th, 2010 at 11:25 am

14 On April 14th, 2010, Rachel said:

@Shannon: Actually, the war on drugs and poverty is relatively new. Sure, private aid groups have always existed, but Lyndon Johnson didn’t officially declare war on poverty until the 1960s, which is also about the same time the government began a concerted effort to fight drugs. Obesity, too, didn’t become the all-encompassing public health threat it has since become until at least the late 1970s/early 1980s. In fact, up until about the turn of the 20th century, obesity was considered the physical and health ideal.

But, I do agree with you in that these so-called wars have had very little effect. Poverty is still high as is drug abuse. It seems that the “wars” on these issues aren’t very effective.

posted on April 14th, 2010 at 11:57 am

15 On April 15th, 2010, Shannon Russell said:

@Rachel,
I just meant that the actual conditions of poverty, drug use and obesity have been around since the dawn of time. And Nixon was to first to speak of the War on Drugs in ’69, but the official start (IMO) was Reagan’s doing. But considering the amount of time and resources we’ve spent battling these issues, they haven’t made a dent and, if anything, things have gotten worse.

You can’t regulate the core components of human behavior. Any President who takes that task on will go to his grave without the results he boasted at the start.

Peace,
Shannon

posted on April 15th, 2010 at 11:13 am

16 On April 18th, 2010, Susan said:

Heather says “I look at gym rats as narcissistic freaks. If you are so healthy, why don’t you bike to work? I hate intolerant jerks.”

Heather – while commuting to work (on public transport, thank you) I saw a cyclist who had literally been hit by a bus lying on the side of the road like a pile of laundry. He was clearly dead, and the police officers who were standing over his body could do nothing but wait for the ambulance.

I may be a narcissistic freak, but I’m not willing to risk my life in the pursuit of health.

I think you’re the one here who is being an “intolerant jerk”.

posted on April 18th, 2010 at 9:57 pm

17 On April 19th, 2010, Crimson Wife said:

I agree with Susan- let’s quit the name-calling. I’m too broke to be a “gym rat” but I do regularly work out. Not because of vanity but because exercise helps give me the energy to keep up with 3 young kids.

I thought this blog celebrated the idea of “healthy at whatever size”. We should be cheering each other on, not putting others down…

posted on April 19th, 2010 at 4:22 pm