Could this “F” word be just as bad as the bleeped one? Let’s stop teaching and tolerating fat-talk. The “F” word has no place in healthy conversations.
I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments. Oh, and by the way, skinny isn’t necessarily a healthy word either.
Ok, here goes. Have you ever wondered if I have a snarky side? Here she is…
Just because it may be commonplace doesn’t make it okay. Do you ever get annoyed about people discussing your food or body? I do because over the years I’ve learned it’s not okay, often harmful, and simply rude. Enjoy. 😉
No doubt you’ve probably heard of or even watched the show the Biggest Loser. People go through huge physical transformations as they work out for long hours everyday and they eat less than their bodies’ need. Are they better off afterward? Will they be able to keep up the extreme life regimen and maintain weight loss down the road? Only the participants can answer this; that is their concern, not mine. After all, what each person chews and does is ultimately their business. As a Registered Dietitian, who works with many people who struggle with body image and disordered eating, my concern is more about the viewers. Our culture is already a culture that breeds weight stigma: for more on this read this and this post.
According to research, the Biggest Loser plays a role in breeding more anti-fat (weight stigma) attitudes. 2 research studies suggest that 
watching just 1 episode of the Biggest Loser affects the viewers by:
This suggests that watching the Biggest Loser has a majority of negative consequences compared to any positive outcomes. This makes sense when we remember that research suggests body acceptance increases behavior change, not body hatred. For a great overview of the research on how watching the Biggest Loser affects its viewers, I recommend reading the post When Science Met the Biggest Loser.
You may be thinking. Ok. But, why is this a big deal now?
It has recently come to our attention that the Biggest Loser is going to the White House next month to feature First Lady, Michelle Obama, and the Let’s Move Campaign. Although I have no doubt that the First Lady has the best intentions and is trying to use a well-watched show to share her message, using the Biggest Loser to spread any positive messages is a great concern.
My goal with this post is to speak out about the negative impact that using the Biggest Loser as a platform could bring, and to ask the First Lady to reconsider her choice for spreading wellness information. After all, with the research on how the show can impact viewers, is using the Biggest Loser as a vehicle to positively reach people really the best platform? Want to get loud with us? You can sign the petition at change.org by clicking here.
*Special thanks to Janet Zimmerman, a dietitian a Schilling Nutrition Therapy, for writing this post.
Many of you know that I own a nutrition therapy practice in Memphis. You may not know that I am grateful everyday for the wonderful and like-minded dietitians/nutritionists that work with me. Recently, Janet Zimmerman, who once was a student in my practice joined the SNT team as a nutrition therapist. Please join us in the fight against weight stigma. Janet, thank you for sharing your story with us.
As a previous intern at BEDA, I helped launch the first annual Weight Stigma Awareness Week. I learned so much about the dangers of weight stigma three years ago as I looked through all of the research. I am so thankful that the awareness of weight stigma continues to spread. In honor of the third annual Weight Stigma Awareness Week, I am sharing a story about how weight stigma (shame) has affected me.
Much to my delight, I was recently asked to be a bridesmaid in a wedding. A bridesmaid’s dress was picked from a trendy store. The staff assured the bride that the dress would fit everyone in the bridal party even though it was only offered in 3 sizes. Much to my chagrin, when I tried on the dress, I quickly realized that the dress did not fit my 6’ tall, larger-framed body well. In my mother’s words, if I were to wear that dress in the wedding, people would think I was headed somewhere else…
I was crushed. There was an explosion of tears. I was feeling shame, sadness, and pain. I wanted to fit in, and the reality that I do not fit the societal standard of beauty had just smacked me in the face. I also felt humiliated because I was causing one of my sweet friends extra hassle by asking her to choose another dress. This was not her fault. It was my fault. No, it is society’s fault.
I have spent years of my life working on body acceptance: being thankful for my body and working to take care of it. I have learned to work with the “genes” I have, and I encourage clients to do the same on a regular basis. I know that research suggests that “body acceptance” leads to better self-care, and I also know that body acceptance has given me great joy. But, in that moment, being thankful for my unique body was challenging; I had been directly confronted with the fact that I did not fit society’s (or at least the store’s) size standard. I was taller and denser than desired.
Thankfully, I have a wonderful mother who got angry at society for me and then reminded me that beauty is not defined by being petite. The circumstances worked out, and we got another dress.
But, this experience made me pause and ask, “How many people go through similar circumstances or even experience being ridiculed verbally for their size? How many people buy into the weight stigma they experience on a daily basis because they do not have a voice of truth like my mother in their lives?” Sadly, I know the answer is too many.
Please, be like my mother in this story and get angry at society and any narrow lens of beauty. Speak truth into your daughter, friend, and sisters’ lives. Let’s get LOUD about the pain of weight stigma and stand firm against “fat talk” and weight stigma, which only cause harm. Instead, start changing society one person at a time by helping the people in your life know that they are beautiful and worthy of acceptance. Are you with me?
Last weekend I went to ballgame and watched our local team get stomped. I had no idea that the young lady behind me would also be a horrific distraction. It was the bottom of the fifth, bases were loaded and all I heard was…
“Can you believe she’s wearing that? What is wrong with her? Surely she looks in a full-length mirror before she goes out of the house. If I was that fat, I think I’d want to die.”
If you know me, I bet you know I was utterly horrified. At first, I thought these scarring words came from a grown-up. That doesn’t make it okay, but in my mind I couldn’t fathom a teenage girl saying those things. Because saying them means she learned them, she likely heard them in her home and now judges others by them. The recipient of such harsh judgment, I hope, heard nothing as she walked up the stadium steps in her cut-offs and tank. I remember thinking how confident the young lady seemed in her outfit. The young lady just so happened to be overweight. Does that make her fair game for spewing hateful remarks or being judged because of her size? ABSOLUTELY NOT!
My mind was reeling. I wanted to cry for girl who didn’t even hear the horrible things that were said about her. My hands wanted to jerk up the girl behind me and let her have it telling her that I hope she never feels as harshly judged. So, I collected my thoughts, sat on for a few days and decided to write about the experience. And then, I saw this headline.
‘Fat shaming’ actually increases risk of becoming or staying obese, new study says
For those of us working in the field of eating disorders (which includes many persons who are overweight), we are familiar with the term “weight stigma.” We know that, for some reason, it’s an unfortunately accepted form of discrimination and prejudice. I can tell you until I’m blue in the face that if shame worked, no one would have a weight issue, but clearly some people just don’t get it. On the same day the above article posted, NPR.org posted an article titled Hating on Fat People Just Makes them Fatter. In the post, Angelina Sutin, Florida-based psychologist stated
“People often rationalize that it’s OK to discriminate based on weight because it will motivate the victim to lose pounds, but our findings suggest the opposite.”
It’s time we reconsider our shame-based strategies. If you’ve learned it (or taught it) in your home or practice it in your office please think about what you’re really doing. If you think you need to tell someone they’re overweight, newsflash, they live in that body. Just because something pops into your head doesn’t mean it should pop out of your mouth. If you need a little help watch this video about fat-talk and the damage it does. Because one day, when my little girl gets older and could come to your office or play with your kid, she won’t.
Many of you who know me know I don’t always agree with current food trends or “conventional” diet advice. My heart breaks with a client as they tell the story of being shamed into another futile diet either by their own misguided demands, or that of a health care professional. It doesn’t take long for people to figure out that the tissues in my office aren’t really for those with a cold. Our diet culture can be detrimental to physical health and often wreaks havoc on emotional well-being. I don’t believe in diets. I don’t believe in using a scale as the sole measure of health or progress. I believe in eating real food, and investing in your health as a way of life. Intelligent fueling coupled with intuitive eating is my philosophy.
Hopefully, clients, consumers and health professionals across the nation will watch this video. I’ve followed Dr. Attia’s blog for a while now. He is candid, honest and open-minded: which isn’t always an attribute of our health community. I truly appreciate his story and the hypothesis he shares in his recent TED talk. Please, take some time to watch it.
Some of you know and some of you don’t but it’s National Eating Disorders Awareness Week (a.k.a. NEDAW). The theme is “Everybody Knows Somebody.” Which, if you really think about it, is true. The goal of NEDAW is “a collective effort of primary volunteers, including eating disorder professionals, health care providers, students, educators, social workers, and individuals committed to raising awareness of the dangers surrounding eating disorders and the need for early intervention and treatment.”
In light of our attempts to cut obesity, we’ve unfortunately developed a culture of dieters fueled by shame. Has it really helped us? Look around-NO it hasn’t! Like this week’s theme suggests “everybody knows somebody.” Everybody knows somebody who is a strange or “picky” eater, somebody who is afraid to eat out with friends, someone who has trouble with binging, someone who can no longer function because HE or SHE is so malnourished, and someone heal hostage by the disease. Yes, friends eating disorders are diseases. Diseases that need to be taken seriously because it can take their life. Although SHAME and weight stigma seem to be a common prescription, it doesn’t work and, in fact, can make the disease worse!
Recently, I realized that many people JUST DON’T KNOW ANY BETTER. Even people or industries that you’d think would do their homework before lauching a compaign that may do more harm than good. Take Disney for example, I’m not sure they would set out to harm their patrons but because they armed with cluelessness it’s very possible they did. You’ll be happy to know, Disney has decided to close the exhibit. Many thanks to the professionals in the Health at Every Size community!
What will you do to change the conversation and help our society move towards a paradigm shift? Here are a few ideas to get you started..
1. END FAT TALK!! You can help change conversations!
2. Stand up against shame-based programs related to body & nutrition (or anything for that matter).
3. Get and use a filter for your safety and others.
4. Learn how to support a friend or family member with an eating disorder.
5. Remember that sometimes it’s none of your business.
This week will be an exciting one! I know there are many things going in Memphis including the opening of Moonpointe, an intensive outpatient program for those struggling with eating disorders and the Binge Eating Disorder Assocation’s National Conference (which I’m exciting to be speaking at!). Remember, “Everybody know Somebody!” We’d love to know what you’ll do this week and beyond…
This post is by Janet Zimmerman, a University of Memphis Nutrition Student and Schilling Nutrition Therapy, LLC
This summer I had the incredible opportunity interning with Binge Eating Disorder Association. With BEDA’s National Weight Stigma Awareness Week coming up September 26-30, part of my job has been compiling research on weight stigma and how it influences and effects people.
Now, you might be wondering what weight stigma entails? Weight stigma is bullying, teasing, negative body language, harsh comments, discrimination (in education, employment, healthcare, and elsewhere), or prejudice based upon a person’s body size. Now, I must admit to you that before starting all of this research I knew and believed that “fat talking” was unhealthy and that no one should be judged by their looks, BUT I never knew the extent of weight discrimination that occurs or the deep psychological effects that these discriminations have on people. I have been astounded and quite frankly overwhelmed by the stories and statistics I have come across.
So what does the research suggest?
• 1 of every 3 overweight girls and 1 of every 4 overweight boys are teased by peers about their size (starting in PRE-SCHOOL). In the higher overweight groups, the ratio is 3 out of 5 children get teased
• 47% of overweight girls and 34% of overweight boys report that they are teased and victimized by family members because of their weight
• 72% of overweight adult participants reported experiencing weight bias from family members
• 69% of overweight people report being stigmatized by doctors and 52% reported doctors stigmatizing them on more than 1 occasion
• 43% of overweight people report weight stigma by employers or supervisors
What are the consequences for weight stigma?
• The internalization of weight stigma by individuals is “positively associated with eating disorder psychopathology, fat phobia, and depression, and negatively associated with self-esteem”. Yes, you read that right. Weight stigma contributes to eating disorders, depression, and low self-esteem.
• In a self-reported study of 2400+ overweight/obese women, 78% of participants coped with weight bias by eating more food.
Shaming people (aka weight stigma) into losing weight or having healthy habits does the opposite. Research actually suggests that promoting self-acceptance and body satisfaction predicts less weight gain over time.
I am all for people living healthfully by moving their bodies and nourishing themselves with healthful food. Having said this, I want to emphasize two things: a person’s size does not predominately dictate health (activity, nutrition, lifestyle, and genetics do) and SHAME HELPS NO ONE. Like the research suggests, shame surrounding weight furthers low self-esteem, depression, and disordered eating (specifically binging and emotional eating). As one of our readers, Kelly, said so well below,
“Weight stigma is a gravely harmful yet endemic prejudice that continues to be enacted in almost every facet of American life, from the personal to the political.” Let’s work to change the weight focus and stigma to a focus on health and self-care. Everyone, of all shapes and sizes, deserves to feel loved, valued, and accepted. Everyone is worthy of working toward health (not a number) and caring for their body’s unique needs. Remember the wise words of Mother Theresa, “If you judge people, you have no time to love them.” Judgments are harmful and judgments made about weight are no exception.
Do you make judgments about yourself or others based on weight? Weight stigma effects each one of us in one way or another. The change to end weight stigma begins with each one of us confronting our own biases and talking out about the harm that weight stigma does. For more information, check out the weight stigma blog carnival, Yale RUDD center weight bias research, and BEDA‘s National Weight Stigma Awareness Week!
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