Just Right Rights

Posted on April 6, 2005 in Crosstalk Sugar and Fat

Lenka who is guest-blogging at feministe picked up the banner of the “Fat Rights” movement and went for an ill-considered charge. She cites studies which show that women who are heavier receive poorer service than thinner customers. I don’t doubt that this is true, but it’s a good idea to re-evaluate her call to arms before we tempt ourselves into an assault on societal attitudes:

Ironically, the more food (incorrectly) becomes associated with immorality or forbidden pleasure, the more out of touch we become with our real bodies and our natural appetites. Much has been written about the so-called “French Paradox” and the idea that European women are statistically less obese than American women. My theory? Woman abroad are probably far less uptight about eating in general, and know how to enjoy food without viewing every bite as a crime against prevailing standards of beauty.

Food isn’t the enemy, but our internalized and socially sanctioned toxic attitudes about women, nourishment and body image certainly are.

A commentator at feministe does a nice job of explaining why the French paradox exists: the French walk more than we do to get places. But I feel I must go beyond that. I must disagree strongly: Food can be the enemy.

I began posting a comment which got too long:

There’s a difference between appreciating yourself despite your bone and muscle structure and overlooking a genuine weight problem. I don’t condone picking on people because they are overweight, but the “fat rights” movement promotes the dangerous idea that it is OK to be fat.

It’s not.

Obesity is a more widespread problem than anorexia, afflicting tens of millions as opposed to hundreds of thousands. It has serious medical consequences.

Women with big butts (and men with large guts) should ask themselves this question: is this just the way I am or is it because I don’t mind my diet and exercise? The way to find out is to exercise: if your big butt or (in the case of men) big belly still remains when you are at your ~optimum weight for your height and frame~, then that’s how you are built. Love yourself as you are. If you are not at your optimum weight, then hiding behind the “appreciating my body as it is” is denial. It’s time to face the facts: you need to lose weight and take better care of yourself.

Food ~is~ the enemy, Lenka, — when it is the wrong kind. We’ve been stuffed with coconut oils, corn syrup, and saturated fats. You need to learn to read product labels and reject anything that includes the phrase “hydrogenated”. I hope you will take the time to research the facts about obesity and use your blog to promote a truly healthy sense of self and love for one’s body as it is when properly maintained.

It should be noted that Lenka has a history of anorexia. I do not wish to belittle her struggle against this disease. But I hasten to add that there is another end, namely too much food being taken in and too little exercise to compensate for this increased calorie count. I, myself, suffer from obesity. I am thirty to fifty pounds heavier than I should be. Part of my problem is that I am on medications which cause me to blow up like a blimp. Another part of my problem, however, is that I don’t follow my diet as religiously as I should and, even more important, I don’t exercise like I should. I take responsibility for my condition.

Lenka cites a study that includes only women. As a man, I believe that there is discrimination against the obese among men, too. Fat isn’t just a feminist issue. And fat shouldn’t be a feminist issue. We should no more promote defending those who overeat than we should defend those who smoke cigarettes or drink or shoot up or tweak. People avoid people who are publically drunk as well. Should we take up their cause?

For my sake and for the sake of all those who have weight problems, support our efforts to achieve a reasonable weight for our height and build. Then, however we look, support how we look. It is neither good to be too fat nor too thin. We should be “just right”.