Robert Wood Johnson Foundation funds war on fat kids

Today's New York Times reports that in what is "one of the largest public health initiatives ever tried by a private philanthropy," the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation plans to spend more than $500 million over the next five years to "reverse the increase in childhood obesity."

Sadly, the foundation's president is quoted parroting the usual "obesity epidemic" hysteria, which is prominently featured in the organization's press release on the initiative to "reverse childhood obesity." You know the fearmongering party line, which heads their press release: "Unless we take action now to reverse this alarming trend, we're in danger of raising the first generation of American children who will live sicker and die younger than their parents' generation."

Do none of these people notice that Americans are actually living longer at the same time as they are, on the whole, getting fatter? (Although the real increase in weight is only a few pounds per person, on average--some of which could be attributed to the shift in average age as the Baby Boomer generation grows older, and some of which could be due to the decrease in smoking.)

The RWJ Foundation may be well-intentioned--among other things, they plan to invest in programs to increase poor children's access to healthy foods and safe play places--but "good intentions" are a well-known paving substance for the road to you-know-where.

In this case (and all other "childhood obesity" focused initiatives), what's most likely to result is an increase in fat stigma, weight-based discrimination and prejudice, teasing/bullying of fat children, and eating disorders. And, of course, thin children receive the message that what really matters is weight/appearance, not healthy behaviors. (How many kids--and adults--will start smoking, or continue smoking, to try to control their weight as these weight-focused initiatives spread?)

Of course those who make their living from researching and/or selling "treatments" for "obesity" are applauding. The Times notes that

Experts on childhood obesity welcomed the foundation's plans.

"Government grants for biomedical research in general, including obesity research, are being funded at the lowest levels I've seen in my career," said Dr. David Ludwig, director of the Optimal Weight for Life Clinic at Children's Hospital Boston and author of a new book, "Ending the Food Fight." "So we are especially dependent on philanthropic support."

Too bad the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation--and Dr. Ludwig--aren't really interested in the health of fat children (or all children). No, rather than ensuring that fat children (or better still, all children) are healthy, they want to make fat children thin.

Never mind, of course, that no weight loss program has ever been found to work in the long-term (3-5 years). Never mind that adolescents who diet become fatter than those who do not diet. Never mind that yo-yo weight loss and regain-- known as weight-cycling---(a pattern among dieters) is unhealthier than maintaining a stable "over" weight. Never mind that eating disorders are more common among children than the Type II diabetes often mentioned in "childhood obesity" fearmongering, and that eating disorders are the most fatal of any "psychiatric" condition.

And above all, never mind that pledging $500 million to fight "childhood obesity" sends the message to all fat kids (heck, all fat people) that "YOUR BODY IS UNACCEPTABLE."

Sigh.