It seems to me that the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance, founded in 1969, has not been very effective. Most people are unaware that it exists. There have been periods in history when chunky girls were desirable, but for decades, thin has been in. You would think that acceptance of fat people would outweigh objections since the majority of Americans (68 percent) are overweight, and a third (33.8 percent) are considered obese. However, many of them don’t accept themselves the way they are–not just because of social pressure, but because of their own discomfort in clothes and tight spots like airplane seats, theaters, and booths in some of the places where they like to eat.
Now, with health care reform the issue of the day, we hear that billions of dollars are spent on health issues related to obesity. Add to that the natural preference most people have for for slim, healthy looking men and women, and the super-sized folks are frowned upon like smokers in an elevator. Many heavy people are smart, entertaining, hardworking, fun, kind,and pleasant to be with. They just have to overcome first impressions–and try to lose weight. Everyone knows how difficult that is to do, but it earns admiration and respect and builds self esteem.
If just thinking about exercising makes you sleepy or slightly ill, force yourself to do something, even the minimum, like a brisk walk around the block. You won’t lose weight, but you will be glad you did it. Next time, walk two blocks. Still no pounds shed, but you will have a sense of accomplishment.
A study by the University of Florida as reported in the Journal of Health Psychology found that people who start exercising improve their body image, even though their thighs or muffin tops don’t diminish a single gram. In fact, men and women who do not exercise enough to meet the minimum for health benefits (considered 30 minutes a day, five days a week) experience the same psychological improvement as more athletic men and women. They feel good (angelic?) about making the effort.
I’m sure this is true, but at some point, I’ll bet there has to be some physical change or depression will set in. However, they should keep in mind that exercise has benefits beyond weight loss. Try it. Do anything, even if it is just five minutes twice a week. And no fries with that.
photo by crayzeee
Brigitte, the most popular women’s magazine in Germany, has announced it will use “real” women instead of professional models in the publication because readers have complained that the boney babes portray an unrealistic view of the ideal figure. Other European magazines and some fashion designers say it is a marketing gimmick, that readers are aware of the starve-and-purge habits necessary for models to maintain figures like saplings in winter.
The magazine is getting some support. Spain stopped using skeletal runway models some time ago. I think it was YM (Young Miss) that decided to feature only “normal” girls, but I wonder if that contributed to the magazine’s demise in 2004. I doubt that plus-sized women will ever become the rage, but we might start to see more women at sizes 6 to 8 instead of zero to 4.
I think all magazines–and ad agencies–should provide lunch for their models, which might put smiles on their otherwise hollow-eyed,drugged-out faces.
My wife and I were having dinner with three other couples, all of us over the age of 50. The topic of advice versus constructive criticism came up, and I said no matter what you call it, when it is directed at me, I take it into consideration. They seemed surprised. I said I’m always trying to improve myself. One friend remarked, “When is it going to show?” We all laughed, and the topic changed.
Later, I wondered why they all thought my willingness to accept advice and criticism was strange. I’m guessing two reasons. First, many people don’t believe that self-help programs and books really work. Secondly, by a certain age, we are who we are, and to try to change is a sign of insecurity and lack of self-esteem. I disagree, and posted some thoughts on this in my April 30 blog, “Be Yourself. Bad advice?” What do you think?
I have interviewed several overweight people for this blog and for my book in progress, so I was one of several people quoted in the August 17, 2009, issue of Workforce Management, a magazine for human resources professionals. We all seemed to agree that employers, fellow employees, and customers perceive grossly overweight people to be less effective in one way or another.
The number of obese Americans is increasing. For employers, that means the costs associated with treating illnesses related to obesity are also increasing. The stigma against overweight people and political pressures are influencing how far some employers will go to help employees lose weight. Some companies offer employees incentives, even paying for surgery, while other companies penalize oversized workers with higher deductions for health insurance.
Some large people are rejected in job interviews and some employees are let go because of their weight, related health problems, and body politics that affect performance. The article says that no federal law exists to protect workers who are discriminated against on the basis of weight.
The article debates what can be done or should be done to help overweight employees, especially since people can be fat as the result of any number of personal, cultural, environmental, or psychological reasons. Maybe employers are interested in helping for corporate reasons (cost-control), but people struggling to lose weight should welcome the assistance.
In my previous blog entry, I said the book You Being Beautful had paths to finding happiness, but I didn’t say what they were, and that probably made readers unhappy. Note that these are paths, not something like an all-you-can-eat-for-$5.00 restaurant opening near you, but more in the realm of the meanings and the purpose of life. Here are the books’s Six Paths to Happiness, followed by my interpretations:
Be positive and generous. Your smile can make others smile. And if you help others, you will experience a “helper’s high.”
Feel empathy for others. When friends, family members or even strangers have troubles, show compassion and you will feel more connected with each other. Connections are a human need.
Find authenticity. To discover your true self, see the big picture of how you relate to other people and the world. That’s a bit unclear, but it’s about not being superficial. Know what’s important, not petty.
Embrace emotions. And learn from them. For example, you get mad at someone for being a jerk. Maybe he has troubles that made him do something stupid. That doesn’t make him an all-around jerk.
Explore spirituality. To most, this means religion and prayer, which can provide a calming effect. So can meditation–slowing down and thinking mellow thoughts about what is good about your life and the world.
Understand happiness. When you are not happy, think of what makes you happy. It can encourage you to set new goals for your day and for your life.
In a recent survey, half of the women surveyed did not like their weight, but only a third said that they didn’t like their physical condition (health).
Only 8 percent said they ate the minimum recommended servings of fruit and vegetables (five a day). About 28 percent said they ate that much fruit and vegetables once a week or less.
The survey was conducted by the Associated Presss-iVillage, and invovled 1,000 adult women. That doesn’t sound like many, but believe or not, that is considered enough to represent a national poll.
More evidence of the obsession: When this study was reported in an 1/4-page article in the Chicago Sun-Times on May 12, a later edition said it was the most read article in the paper that day.
Photo by TeeRich
