Lindsay over at BABble has an interesting thought:
They want us to change our bodies because they think it's easier than changing their minds.
My riff on this was originally posted over at BigFatDelicious, but since I'm exhausted, here are my thoughts:
Basically, I agree totally with what both Lindsay and Mariellen have to say. I’ve noticed that people who are “healthy” (or say that they are) and who tell those of us with health problems that we’d be better if only we did x, y or z seem to have a similar bent to the anti-fat hysterics. I think some of it is definitely (as Mariellen pointed out) an excuse to be “right,” even if they actually aren’t right. I also think some of it, particularly when it comes to people with chronic health problems, or who are fat, is fear-based. The people who think they’re “right” and perfectly “healthy” because they eat right/exercise for four hours a day/bathe in the blood of baby sheep do not want to acknowledge that bad things happen, because they are afraid that if it can happen to other people, it could happen to them.
Unfortunately, for those people who equate “being healthy” with having higher moral ground, the thought that they, too, are susceptible to illness and bad things happening is TERRIFYING. This is such a culturally ingrained mode of thinking that YES, it *is* easier for some to expect us (fat people, chronically ill people, et cetera) to change our bodies. Changing one’s mind about this sort of thing--and the related issues--isn’t exactly encouraged in our culture.
Also, I was planning to write a gigantic post on why I am supportive of the Fat Acceptance and Health at Every Size movements, but I am exhausted. More on that later.
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2 comments:
That fear is what keeps them from changing their minds about. I wish I could find a bumper sticker that says "Stop Fearing Fat" (another one saying "Stop Fearing Disabilities" would be nice, too). I would so put both of those on my van, and to hell with the nasty comments I might get from people, it could be a good way to enlighten the person-on-the-street who never thinks about that kind of thing, just has a knee-jerk reaction to seeing fat/disabled people.
I have some printable magnetic sheets and was going to make those in magnets for my van, but figured that might not be a good idea, they'd probably get stolen :(
Vesta44, if you did decide to make some magnets like that, let me know. I'd definitely be interested in buying one from you. As far as them getting stolen, well, I'd be kind of glad because that means they provoked some sort of strong feeling in the person who read it and maybe that's better than nothing because these days I think most people don't even take the time to care about our issues at all, one way or the other.
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