Conservative Schooling Punishes Recovery from Unhealthy Weight

Posted on May 18, 2005 in Class Compassion Conservatives Crosstalk Sugar and Fat

Lauren found a story about a young Houston woman who is being denied recognition as the school’s valedictorian because she spent part of her schooling in an Oklahoma mental hospital being treated for an eating disorder. The school is saying that she can’t have the honor because of her “imperfect” attendance record.

This is just another example of what conservative schooling produces. Conservatives like to parade other conservatives who have somehow “risen above their challenges” (often with the help of other conservatives and embellished stories calculated to wow $50 a plate luncheons), but when it comes to a mentally ill young woman who didn’t meet an arbitrary standard because she was facing up to her illness, they aren’t there. Instead, they fall back on political corrrectness and pettifogging rules.

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Eating disorders of the variety that emaciate are a peculiarly American phenomenon. I find it interesting that where many were outraged by and vocal about my stand for “the right weight” in the case of too much fat, advocacy on behalf of Karen Scherr — who approached the healthy weight from the other direction — is relatively muted.

There are a few reasons for this. Leading among them is the fact that anorexia is a disease of the wealthy: very few working class girls suffer from it because they can’t afford to eat well. Junk food dominates their diet. When fat rights addicts scorn girls for being too thin, they inadvertently expose a class bias. They speak to the disease they see while ignoring the one that is taking a larger toll.

Second, I wonder just how much jealousy plays into this. Karen Scherr was too thin. Now she’s at a healthy weight. Are fat rights advocates betraying that they really don’t feel good about their bodies? I agree with them that one needs to love one’s body unconditionally: when I started appreciating mine, I took steps to lose weight. It is when I forget the preciousness of my body that I get into trouble. There are some aspects of being Joel that cannot be changed without ridiculous expense and pointless surgery: I leave these as they are. But this big belly of mine needs trimming. I like the Joel who though he may not be perfect (for example my forearms are too skinny and my feet too big, dammit!), feels good because he eats right and exercises. I love my body, but to feel good about it means to pay attention to its biochemistry.

I can only imagine that if Karen Scherr were being denied because she weighed 300 pounds how the story would spread across the net as an indicidence of discrimination. (Incidentally, I would also speak up. No one should be discriminated against because of her illness.)

Third, could it be that by endorsing Karen Scherr’s fight to be at a healthy weight, they realize that they undermine their own position? Healthy weight is the key phrase here: Karen Scherr was too thin, perhaps emaciate. They put enough weight on her. If there is too thin, can there also be too fat? Evidentally, they don’t want to talk about that.

But this leads me to my fourth point: Fat rights advocates are perfectly happy seeing anorexia and bulemia as diseases, but not obesity and overeating. Which suggests to me that they buy into a myth of mental illness, that it is a character defect. It’s a view they hold in common with those who call them nasty names which I shall not repeat here. And that helps no one. All these weight conditions are often associated with anxiety and mood disorders. Treatment of the psychiatric illness must coincide with the weight management program. In all cases — particularly if bipolar disorder is involved — there is extreme denial of the condition. “I’m not too skinny. I look great.” “I’m not overweight. You’re just being cruel.” Of the two conditions, the latter is more prevalent. But the former has attracted media attention and the dollars of upper class donors who see their daughters succumbing to the pressures.

Of course there are non-psychiatric reasons for being overweight in America: too much corn syrup in the diet, lack of time to prepare a healthy meal, not enough time for working class people to exercise, supersized restaurant portions, etc. Some of these would resolve themselves with effective government action. For all the whining that conservatives make over broccoli, the fact is that portion sizes served at American restaurants are too large and too filled with fats. Foods coming off the grocery store shelves are also loaded with unhealthy transfats and sugars. We have the knowledge to be healthy, but we fight the profit-takers (coddled by conservative politicians) and the determination of a group of people to remain in their illness.

It’s the same situation as at the other end. At the bottom end, it’s the fashion and entertainment industry. At the top end, it’s the food and restaurant industry.