Fat Chicks Rule

When Help is not needed.

I recently got an e-mail from the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity that they were offering an online course to help people in the medical field treat fat patients with less bias and stigma.  Sound great doesn't it?  Fat people often have problems with doctors who blame every ailment on their being fat.  I actually think a lot of "weight related" illnesses have to do with doctors blaming the fat and not doing a thorough medical exam (as they probably would if a thin person made the same complaint).   Not to mention stigma will keep people away from the doctor's office.

That being said, the Rudd center is not fat friendly.  They encourage weight loss. Instead of targeting everyone for healthy eating they really focus on fat people.  You have to ask the question, would they exist if there were no fat people?

Speaking of fat abuse, Kaiser was nice enough to encourage violence against fat people with a California billboard that reads "Beat Obesity with a Stick." Of course they mean a celery stick which I guess is better than getting hit by an actual stick.  Under pressure Kaiser said they would take it down. However as far as I know the billboard is still up. 

So until either Rudd or Kaiser tosses weight based health initiatives and instead focus on health for people of all sizes, they aren't helping anyone.

Here's a picture of Billboard (taken by the fab Marilyn Wann).

Fast food nation?

I got a movie from Netflix with this title and I couldn't believe the sleeve which mentioned the correlation "between fast food and Obesity". I expected a movie about how AMERICA WAS SO FAT FROM FAST FOOD!!  Although the movie wasn't so great, there was no mention of obesity anywhere.  This same thing happened when I watched the movie King Corn.  You mean you can actually make a movie about food and not mention the o word for a change?  You mean maybe fat people aren't fat because all they do is eat Big Macs and corn. (I'm one fat person who doesn't either, so figure me out).

Or perhaps fat isn't the cause of diabetes or heart disease or perhaps out of the plastic we've been using?

The point here is we really can't assume. Obesity can no longer be a scapegoat for society ills.  Fat and thin people eat crap, have diabetes and heart disease.

Another edition of cool fat chicks in the news!

Chubby Girl Records launched with plus-size consumers in mind Gospel songtress Sherrie Keys has launched Chubby Girl Records, with the goal of not only featuring plus-size Gospel artists but "a unique opportunity to positively reach out to plus-size consumers" with a new clothing line.

The flabulous Marilyn Wann on Netherlands Radio.  Ignore some of the fat hatred in the beginning cause it's a cool interview.

Business caters to plus-size women Taneisha Carr has a business called World of Curves, which cater's exclusively to the women's plus-size industry. Carr puts on plus-size fashion shows and also publishes a World of Curves life-style magazine for plus-size women.

The Power of the Blog and happy anniversary!

Seems that Sarah Palin was drafted as the Republican party VP due to help from a young conservative blogger.  This post isn’t about her, but the power of blogging.  If a single blogger can get someone selected for a high office, what can hundreds of fat blogs, websites, e-mail list, social networking pages do for us?

We may not have enough money for TV, radio or big time magazine ads but we can rule the web with only a library card or regular internet access.  Website and blogs can be hosted for free or very cheaply (for those like me who don’t like ads, I pay about $60 a year.)  Remember this world doesn't like to give a voice to fat people, we aren't even supposed to have heads!  If they don't show us, we have to use the web to show ourselves!

When I first started blogging three years ago this month, I did it as a companion piece to my book. I never thought it would get more popular as my book.  When I first started my first post had 11 views, now I average about 100-500 the day after I post.  The blog was mentioned in the NY Times and ABC news.   And the fatosphere is growing.  We have Big Fat Blog for news; We have Junkfood Science, First Do no Harm, and suethsayings  who takes on weight loss and obesity industry; for fashion we have the Pretty Pear and Fatshionista. For Body love we have BBWW, and Body Love;  For Size Acceptance and anti-size discrimination we have Big Fat Deal, The F-Word, and of course Fat Chicks Rule!

Short but sweet

Short post tonight due to the labor day holiday (that and I'm tired out from a barbecue).  So here are some stories about some fab fat chicks in the news.

Remember last week's rant about Japan, their draconian law against fat people and Marilyn Wann's fat crane response to it?  Well her story is mentioned in the SFweekly.  Please those who are good at Origami Please send her some cranes! (And give me some lessons!)

The wonderful Substantia Jones has a (slightly edited) letter published in the New York Times helping to tote Health at Every Size.