Amid 'war on obesity,' skeptics warn of stigma

[The Straight Story]

Amid 'war on obesity,' skeptics warn of stigma

The images are striking: Overweight boys and girls staring somberly from billboards and online videos, real-life embodiments of the blunt messages alongside.

"Chubby kids may not outlive their parents," for example. Or: "Big bones didn't make me this way. Big meals did."

The ads — part of a new "Stop Child Obesity" campaign in Georgia — won some enthusiastic praise for their attention-grabbing tactics. But they also have outraged parents, activists and academics who feel the result is more stigma for an already beleaguered and bullied group of children.

"Billboards depicting fat kids are extraordinarily harmful to the very kids they are supposedly trying to help," said the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance, which called for the billboards' removal.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110501/ap_on_re_us/us_obesity_backlash

[KittyWampus]

1. Psych 101: The message should be "You Can Do Something About Childhood Obesity" rather than

"Stop Childhood Obesity".

Why?

Because bringing up a problem without putting it in a light that helps audience solve the problem causes people to go further into denial.

The first phrase gives the audience the message that something can be done proactively and also helps pique interest.

The second phrase is a command and contains no helpful information.

[Name removed]

2. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Quantess]

3. If it can be done in a respectful way, then I think it needs to be said.

Obesity is an epidemic. But that doesn't mean there needs to be shame attached.

[WinkyDink]

5. With children? YES, IT IS WRONG. SIX-year-old girls fear being fat.

http://www.drrobynsilverman.com/body-image/fear-of-fat-in-tots-body-image-fat-hatred-in-preschoolers-young-children/

[Hannah Bell]

7. kr

[Quantess]

8. As if they don't get made fun of anyway.

[ixion]

4. As a smoker, I understand their concern

Now the the anti-smoking zealots are at the mopping up point, they need a new target.

[Hannah Bell]

9. kr.

[TransitJohn]

6. I've been saying for years that this was coming after it became okay to vilify smokers

After the obese, they're gonna go after meat eaters. Bank on it.

[Name removed]

11. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Name removed]

10. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[seabeyond]

14. you are cheering bullying and shaming a child to good eating behavior? really,

just give a child a donut. the reason children overeat is to confort self for whatever reason. make them feel bad about themselves they are just going to eat more to comfort self....

what a "shameful" post.

[Nay]

12. Of course, no one will call out the society that pushes shit food at you at every turn,

for MONEY. THEY have no responsibility for making crap, advertising crap, getting the crap vended in schools, etc.

[seabeyond]

13. i have a skinny child and one that is chunky. he is thirteen and out growing it

and was never bad, but next to rest of family, he felt bad. the really really hard thing is to teach eating healthy, exercise and stop eating when you dont need anymore and not make the kid feel bad. harder still with outside influence. the worst they feel, the more they eat to comfort. i was never worried about the kid. he takes after brother and he was a little chuncky younger. and puberty, it went away. at 50 he still isnt overweight and in excellent shape.

but hard allowing a kid to mature as his body wants to with this obsessiveness of child weight today.