I wouldn't normally repost a press release. But this one from the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance is so well-researched and concisely effective that I can't resist.
Repeat after me, everyone: Shame is not a health-care strategy.
Enjoy.
NAAFA Challenges the First Lady
For Immediate Release
January 29, 2010
Oakland, CA – First Lady Michele Obama has recently announced her intention to focus on childhood obesity prevention. NAAFA encourages the First Lady to consider all the research before taking action and supporting any program that may do more harm than good.
Mrs. Obama, please explore and consider the following:
• When important figures such as parents, teachers and peers in children's social environment endorse a preference for thinness and place an importance on weight control, this can contribute to body dissatisfaction, dieting, low self-esteem and weight bias among children and adolescents (Davison & Birch, 2001; Davison & Birch, 2004; Dohnt & Tiggemann, 2006; Smolak, Levine, & Schermer, 1999).
• The stigmatization of large children has increased by 40% over the last 30 years (Latner & Stunkard, 2003).
• Many drugs presently being prescribed to children cause weight gain. There was a 40 fold increase in bi-polar diagnoses in children between 1994 and 2003. 90.6% of youth received a psychotropic medication during bipolar disorder visits. For many, mood stabilizers, antipsychotics, and antidepressants were also prescribed. (Arch Gen Psychiatr,. 2007)
• Prescribing dieting is, in effect, prescribing weight cycling, and many people will be fatter in the long run (Mann, 2007).
• Weight-control practices among young people reliably predict greater weight gain, regardless of baseline weight, than that of adolescents who do not engage in such practices (Neumark-Sztainer et al., 2006).
• Based on results from a population-based, longitudinal study with 2,500 teens, Neumark-Sztainer and colleagues at the University of Minnesota (2006) concluded that to prevent obesity and eating disorders, the focus needs to be on health much more than weight. The more weight per se is talked about, the more likely teens are to adopt dangerous dieting behaviors.
• A 2006 study from UCLA suggests our media and cultural obsession with achieving a certain weight does little or no good and may actually undermine motivation to adopt exercise and other healthy lifestyle habits.
• The National Center for Health Statistics, part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicated in 2008 that childhood obesity has leveled off.
NAAFA urges the First Lady to:
• Partner with us and our many resources in the scientific and healthcare communities to examine this issue. Fat children are already the targets of merciless bullying. NAAFA urges Mrs. Obama not to support any programs that would create a pervasive bias against fat children.
• Consider Guidelines for Childhood Obesity Prevention Programs found at: http://www.aedweb.org/media/Guidelines.cfm Childhood School Plans at http://www.healthyweight.net/schools.htm and Guidelines for Children at http://www.healthyweight.net/children.htm
• Support the Health at Every Size (HAES) tenets which state that healthy habits are good for EVERYONE, no matter what their size. Eat healthy, nutritious foods and enjoy occasional treats. Pay attention to your natural hunger and satiety cues. Move your body in ways that feel good rather than exercise focused solely on weight loss.
"Obesity has a strong genetic component that is expressed in environments that foster sedentary activity and eating an energy dense diet", stated Joanne Ikeda, Nutritionist Emeritus, University of California Berkeley, "Therefore, we encourage First Lady Michelle Obama to promote environmental changes in school settings that support enjoyable physical activity and consumption of a wide variety of nutritious, appetizing foods."
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.
Founded in 1969, NAAFA is a non-profit human rights organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for fat people. NAAFA works to eliminate discrimination based on body size and provide fat people with the tools for self-empowerment through public education, advocacy, and member support.
On the web:
http://www.naafa.org
Showing posts with label NAAFA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NAAFA. Show all posts
Friday, January 29, 2010
Saturday, February 02, 2008
And now, a word from NAAFA
Oakland, CA – The National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance, a civil rights organization fighting discrimination against people of
size strongly opposes the Mississippi House Bill 282. This bill
introduced by Representative W.T. Mayhall, Jr., a retired
pharmaceutical salesman with DuPont-Merk, and co-authored by Bobby
Shows, a businessman, and John Read, a pharmacist, would prohibit
restaurants with more than 5 seats from serving people who are
determined to be obese by standards set forth by the Department of
Health. Said restaurant owners who choose to ignore this bill if
passed into law would be subject to fines and/or closure. NAAFA calls upon the union leaders of the food service and hospitality industries to use your influence to stop this bill before it or others like it take your businesses down. If in fact
two-thirds of Mississippians are obese, such a bill could potentially eliminate two-thirds of your customer base, bankrupting an untold number of businesses and potentially impacting a high percentage of your union members/food service employees. NAAFA calls upon the restaurant lobby, gaming lobby and tourism lobby to
exercise your influence in stopping this disastrous bill.
NAAFA calls upon the people of Mississippi to stand up and make your voice heard. This is a clear and shameless violation of your human and civil rights. Flood your governor's office with letters, faxes and phone calls demanding that this bill be stopped in its tracks: Haley Barbour - Governor of MS - 1-877-405-0733 or 601.359.3150, or by mail at: P.O. Box 139, Jackson, Mississippi 39205.
Citizens of Mississippi, these state representatives are supported by your tax dollars. The 2000 Census says 16.2% of your state's residents make under $10,000 a year. The state poverty rate is around 20%. Wouldn't your tax dollars be better spent on representatives who are working to improve the income level of Mississippians? Your state consistently ranks in the bottom three in terms of public school successes. Wouldn't your tax dollars be better spent on representatives who are working to improve the educational system in Mississippi? Who do you think would have to pay for the enforcement of this bill if ratified? The very people who are no longer allowed to eat in restaurants! These men are wasting their time which is your money and could potentially bankrupt your state. Are these the kind of men you want to continue
to represent you?
Our own federal government recognizes that 95% - 98% of diets fail. Weight loss surgeons have admitted that only 5% of people undergoing weight loss surgery ever reach and maintain their weight loss goals. Depriving people of food does not cause them to lose weight in the long term and only increases the risk of ill health. Is our end goal good health and increased longevity or superficial appearance?
NAAFA calls upon every Mississippi citizen above the age of 18 to register to vote and remove these officials from office. Take a lesson from your own state's history. Demonstrate your distaste for prejudice and your disgust with discrimination by denouncing this bill.
Founded in 1969, NAAFA is a non-profit human rights organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for fat people. NAAFA works to eliminate discrimination based on body size and provide fat people with the tools for self-empowerment through public education, advocacy, and member support.
For more information: naafa_pr@yahoo.com
size strongly opposes the Mississippi House Bill 282. This bill
introduced by Representative W.T. Mayhall, Jr., a retired
pharmaceutical salesman with DuPont-Merk, and co-authored by Bobby
Shows, a businessman, and John Read, a pharmacist, would prohibit
restaurants with more than 5 seats from serving people who are
determined to be obese by standards set forth by the Department of
Health. Said restaurant owners who choose to ignore this bill if
passed into law would be subject to fines and/or closure. NAAFA calls upon the union leaders of the food service and hospitality industries to use your influence to stop this bill before it or others like it take your businesses down. If in fact
two-thirds of Mississippians are obese, such a bill could potentially eliminate two-thirds of your customer base, bankrupting an untold number of businesses and potentially impacting a high percentage of your union members/food service employees. NAAFA calls upon the restaurant lobby, gaming lobby and tourism lobby to
exercise your influence in stopping this disastrous bill.
NAAFA calls upon the people of Mississippi to stand up and make your voice heard. This is a clear and shameless violation of your human and civil rights. Flood your governor's office with letters, faxes and phone calls demanding that this bill be stopped in its tracks: Haley Barbour - Governor of MS - 1-877-405-0733 or 601.359.3150, or by mail at: P.O. Box 139, Jackson, Mississippi 39205.
Citizens of Mississippi, these state representatives are supported by your tax dollars. The 2000 Census says 16.2% of your state's residents make under $10,000 a year. The state poverty rate is around 20%. Wouldn't your tax dollars be better spent on representatives who are working to improve the income level of Mississippians? Your state consistently ranks in the bottom three in terms of public school successes. Wouldn't your tax dollars be better spent on representatives who are working to improve the educational system in Mississippi? Who do you think would have to pay for the enforcement of this bill if ratified? The very people who are no longer allowed to eat in restaurants! These men are wasting their time which is your money and could potentially bankrupt your state. Are these the kind of men you want to continue
to represent you?
Our own federal government recognizes that 95% - 98% of diets fail. Weight loss surgeons have admitted that only 5% of people undergoing weight loss surgery ever reach and maintain their weight loss goals. Depriving people of food does not cause them to lose weight in the long term and only increases the risk of ill health. Is our end goal good health and increased longevity or superficial appearance?
NAAFA calls upon every Mississippi citizen above the age of 18 to register to vote and remove these officials from office. Take a lesson from your own state's history. Demonstrate your distaste for prejudice and your disgust with discrimination by denouncing this bill.
Founded in 1969, NAAFA is a non-profit human rights organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for fat people. NAAFA works to eliminate discrimination based on body size and provide fat people with the tools for self-empowerment through public education, advocacy, and member support.
For more information: naafa_pr@yahoo.com
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