In the past I have been a critic of Let's Move and still am. I have no problem with encouraging healthy eating and movement for children. I am for making tasty nutritious lunches in school and schools having enough money to offer gym classes and sports. I do not agree that it should be done to eliminate all fatness. For one thing, there will always be fat children, and two encouraging children to adhere to a thin ideal will only lead to body and eating disorders.
Recently a Republican Congressmember Jim Sensenbrenner criticized Mrs. Obama's rear end. Let's forget for a moment that Ms. Obama is the first lady of the US, a Harvard educated lawyer, a former dean and all she is now is a typically woman, judged by appearence rather than accomplishments.
I could also mention how choosing weight based rather than health based for Let's Move and Healthy Eating Initiatives opened her up to attack if her body wasn't a thin ideal.
I could mention how Jim Sensenbrenner is not a slender reed himself.
But I won't. Because this isn't about Let's Move, or who's fit or not, this is about fat hatred. Fat hatred against Michelle Obama, fat hatred against Jim Sensenbrenner. Fat hatred against all fat people by using fat as something horrific, something insulting and the worst thing you can ever be. It's time to stop, it's time to remove the negativity out of fat, time to stop insulting each other based on weight because we can do better as people and a society that to use insults based on how a person looks.
Very well put. Maybe it might make her realize that body shaming is never ok.
Posted by: Ashley | December 26, 2011 at 01:07 PM