Nutrition professor & researcher Linda Bacon, Ph.D. gave me permission to share the following, which she posted on an email list for Health At Every Size (HAES) advocates and activists.
I met with a teenage girl who was interviewing me as part of a school project where she had to learn about different careers. She was fascinated as I described my work with HAES, and opened up to talk about her experience.
She's fat and her school recently started an obesity prevention program which includes posters with the words "prevent obesity" on them. She said that every time she walked by the posters she feels like she's getting kicked in the stomach--like they're saying "we don't want anyone to become like you."
She wasn't opposed to the message about eating well and exercising, but couldn't figure out why that wouldn't be valuable for her thin friends as well, who have pretty similar habits to hers. She feels like since the campaign started, she can't share potato chips with her buddies anymore.
She avoids a particular hallway because it always triggers bad feelings, and wonders what the campaign is doing to affect her classmates' view of her.
A powerful illustration of the way in which "obesity prevention" campaigns can hurt instead of heal.
Sounds like she's got a great case for a class action harassment suit.
WHY ARE WE TAKING THIS LYING DOWN!?????
Posted by: Kell Brigan | November 13, 2006 at 04:38 PM
A class action suit against purveyors of "obesity prevention" campaigns -- what a great idea!
I suspect many people are "taking this lying down" because they're afraid to speak up and draw more fire. And there's so much internalization of our culture's fat oppression, sadly....
Posted by: Peggy Elam, Ph.D. | November 13, 2006 at 09:28 PM