Soapbox: Fat

I've tried to move away from letting things on Facebook bother me. However, in spite of my best efforts, something drags me back. Something is posted, or said, or referenced that simply gets my blood boiling. So, instead of ranting, and screaming, at the offending individual I'll retreat to my little piece of cyberspace and rant and scream here. If you don't wish to listen, or care, then that's just fine by me.

I've written about health, fitness, and my issues with viewing weight as a protected status. I thought I had buried that hatchet. I thought I had moved past that. I guess not. My latest blood-boiling bit of internet lunacy is as follows:

"Activism works! We pointed out a problem to Planned Parenthood, asked them to fix it and suggest how, and they did what we asked! They've removed "obesity" from their list of health problems facing Alaska on this press release. Thanks to everyone who wrote e-mails and participated in this, another little step."

Before I get to why this sent me into hypertensive hell let me explain the "cause" that Ragen Chastain of Dances With Fat champions. She is a dancer, and admitted "fat person" she follows, and preaches a philosophy of "Behavior-Centered Health" in which the choices you make, and the lifestyle you lead are the important parts, not a particular weight or size. That all sounds great, right? No need to complain about people making healthy choices. However, she goes on to explain that her goals are as follows:

1. Accepting and respecting the diversity of body shapes and sizes
2. Recognizing that health and well-being are multi-dimensional and that they include physical, social, spiritual, occupational, emotional, and intellectual aspects
3. Promoting all aspects of health and well-being for people of all sizes
4. Promoting eating in a manner which balances individual nutritional needs, hunger, satiety, appetite, and pleasure
5. Promoting individually appropriate, enjoyable, life-enhancing physical activity, rather than exercise that is focused on a goal of weight loss

Again, nothing here really screams "blood-boiling rage" does it?

I'll go through her points one at a time.

Accepting and respecting the diversity of body shapes and sizes

Ragen's idea of respect goes something like this, if you're fat, GREAT! Nobody can tell you you're fat, or charge you more for insurance, or not hire you, or anything else, simply because of you're weight. Respect is never having to lose weight, or conform to an evil negative-body image. When you do that, it damages your self-esteem, and you're a fragile delicate flower.

Recognizing that health and well-being are multi-dimensional and that they include physical, social, spiritual, occupational, emotional, and intellectual aspects

I'll be the first to admit that health is not black and white. That weight is hardly the last word on fitness. However, physical health, and emotional health are two entirely different animals. You can love your job, and yourself, and still be completely physically unhealthy.

Promoting all aspects of health and well-being for people of all sizes

No issue with this one. Except that she has to tie it back to size.

Promoting eating in a manner which balances individual nutritional needs, hunger, satiety, appetite, and pleasure

There's nothing better then a 20oz prime rib, medium-rare, with a loaded baker, and a salad, with cheese, onions, and ranch. That's pleasure on a plate. Guess what? That's not healthy. If I'm going to eat like that I'm going to pay for it, either in the gym, or on the scale. That's life. Health, and "culinary pleasure" are not necessarily mutually exclusive, but one can't feel good by eating nothing but ice cream, until sated, and then get mad when they gain weight. When they are not healthy.

Promoting individually appropriate, enjoyable, life-enhancing physical activity, rather than exercise that is focused on a goal of weight loss


On paper, this is just fine. But how do you track exercise if not through caloric expenditure? I can walk on a treadmill, at 0 incline, for hours, but it doesn't really do anything. I can say it's "life-enhancing" till I'm blue in the face, but it doesn't make it exercise, any more then a Milky Way is diet food.

So, let's go back to the quote above, I'll re-post it, to save you scrolling up:

"Activism works! We pointed out a problem to Planned Parenthood, asked them to fix it and suggest how, and they did what we asked! They've removed "obesity" from their list of health problems facing Alaska on this press release. Thanks to everyone who wrote e-mails and participated in this, another little step."


They "pointed out" that obesity isn't a health problem in Alaska. Guess what? Just because PPH caved and took obesity off the list doesn't mean that the obesity epidemic goes away, or that all the obese people in Alaska are suddenly fit, and happy. All it does is hide the problem. Congratulations, you're "activism" has buried a segment of the population, preventing them from getting help. Feel good?

I'm sure it does.