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NAAFA: Don’t tell my kids they’re fat!
By Daniel | January 29, 2010
In a press release today, the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance (NAAFA) urges Michelle Obama, who has recently announced her intention to focus on childhood obesity prevention, to “consider all the research before taking action and supporting any program that may do more harm than good.”
The release then tosses out more studies which claim the “stigmatization” of large children has increased by 40% over the last 30 years. (What exactly is meant by “stigmatization”? Because I got teased plenty as a fat kid in elementary school 40 years ago.) Another cited study offered said “many drugs being prescribed to children cause weight gain” and that there was “a 40 fold increase in bi-polar diagnoses in children between 1994 and 2003.” (Oh please don’t upset kids with any facts or education about how bad nutrition = unhealthy weight gain = increased risk for certain diseases and health issues…they might go off the deep end!)
But my favorite part of the press release was:
This issue is about the critical need to create environments in which children and adolescents do not feel shame or guilt about their bodies but, rather, are motivated to enjoy healthful eating and active living habits regardless of their body size or shape.
Children and adolescents do not have the experience on earth to make intelligent decisions about their health. It’s common for teens to engage in life-endangering behavior because they have no fear of mortality. Most not only think they’ll live forever, but also don’t understand long term consequences of behaviors they engage in today.
Just like you have to hit a puppy on the nose because they don’t know any better, don’t discount the power of shame and guilt. It sounds like the “progressive” thinking of some educators that issuing grades are bad because children should be rewarded for “trying” rather than achievement.
I know what it’s like to be embarrassed in gym class because I couldn’t climb the rope. It encouraged me to be more conscious of my weight and come to terms that it was preventing me from doing things that everyone else could. I’m not in favor of publicly singling out kids because of their BMI, but private counseling sessions with a school nutritionist? Taking junk food out of schools? What’s wrong with that?
Did you know now that restaurants are legally mandated to post calorie counts for their dishes, they’re finding people are consuming less calories? Knowledge is power! Most kids would be happy consuming a candy bar or two or/and several cans of pop with sugar every day. Educating them on the physical and mental effects of being on a sugar rollercoaster, consuming empty calories and lessening the chance of adolescent-onset diabetes seems like a prudent – not discriminatory – course of action.
The number of kids for whom this consciousness turns into anorexia or unhealthy body image is statistically small, so I resent NAAFA playing that card as the poster child for not being proactive in education and prevention of childhood obesity because someone’s “feelings” will be hurt.
As a size acceptance advocate, I’m going to say something which might be shocking. On the whole, “health at any size” is a feelgood mantra for the obese. Sure, we all know people who are fat and don’t have any health issues. (You might be one of them.) But public health care policy on a national basis? It’s not built on anecdotal evidence, it’s built on large scale studies.
In study after study done by the CDC in cooperation with the nation’s leading hospitals which examine groups of hundreds or thousands who are obese vs. the same number who are height/weight proportionate (HWP) – when they run down the list of diseases brought on by excessive weight: hypoglycemia and diabetes, heart health, cholesterol levels, joint and mobility problems, etc. – the obese group has more red flags. Have we learned nothing from Barney Fife?
Sure, NAAFA’s mission is to promote size acceptance and denounce discrimination of individuals because of their size. But in that zeal, does NAAFA want to categorically claim that obese people as a group are equally healthy as those who are HWP?
Let’s get real!
People who practice good nutrition, exercise often and do not carry excess weight live longer and enjoy a better quality of life. I think that’s a great lesson to be taught to everyone, but particularly for kids who don’t know or don’t care that healthy practices at age 8 or 10 or 15 is not only a great thing to learn – but instills a desire to keep active and fit.
Don’t get me started on the rise in health care costs due to increased incidence of obesity-related diseases. Should the government turn a blind eye to something which is totally preventable through education?
Once you’re an adult and can make educated choices? Be as fat as you want! (How many smokers know all the health risks and CHOOSE to smoke? Why do you think they are not legally given that choice until age 21?) But at least it can’t be said that those adults didn’t make a conscious decision despite knowing the risks (and possible results) that behavior brings.
Topics: Uncategorized | 1 Comment »
January 30th, 2010 at 3:55 am
You have misunderstood the point of the press release. NAAFA is saying ALL kids of EVERY SIZE should get the information on healthy living because EVERY BODY deserves respect and care.
Information IS power. ALL kids, not just larger kids, should get support for a healthy lifestyle INDEPENDENT OF WEIGHT.
NAAFA supports healthy living for ALL SIZES.
The focus must be on the actions of healthy living, NOT on BMI or weight.
The moment we focus on weight we harm all kids, lean and fat. We teach lean kids that they are fine, even if their lifestyle is unhealthy. We teach fat kids that they are bad no matter what their lifestyle is.
We should promote healthy living with NO WEIGHT focus, so we can succeed in helping all kids of all sizes.