Comments | moonborn: Why am I a raving lunatic?

moonborn

Why am I a raving lunatic?

Apr 23, 2008 13:28

I don't feel like I can mention ANYTHING feminist in 3D without peoples' eyes going glazed over, lately. I've had several mini-flounces, shunnings or just people drawing back from what I'm guessing they think is my 'extremism', here and online ( Read more... )

feminism

Leave a comment

Back to all threads

thebluebells April 23 2008, 04:41:04 UTC

I know what it's like to be very passionate about something -- I was the same way during the election campaign last year, heh. Generally I agree with what you wrote above, although I think that the weight issue is always going to be there, no matter how hard feminists try to argue otherwise. IMO, there are just too many studies linking being overweight with a whole range of poor health outcomes, and the evidence is even stronger for obesity. Look at all of the health campaigns that are out there designed to target overweight children before they turn into overweight adults. In addition, there are all of these celebrities who are skinny. Unfortunately, I think that thin is always going to be the ideal image.

moonborn April 23 2008, 05:20:07 UTC

I think that thin is always going to be the ideal image.

I think that's a pervasive meme. One that anyone who studies art history may want to arguing with you about.

I don't think I'm very clear about the whole "fat" thing - mostly because I'm still sorting it out in my own head.
But what I've got so far is:
I know fat can be an indicator of ill-health.
A know the stuff talking about it indicating poor health gets more publicity than the studies that have been done which indicate otherwise - and that the first lot of studies outnumber the second lot.
I know a lot of news reporting about these studies takes that indication and constructs it as definitely means that you will get/beThe parts where I veer away from accepted popular thought are ( ... )

Looooong reply, sorry! moonborn April 23 2008, 05:20:22 UTC

Mentally I'm still sorting through it all ( ... )

Re: Looooong reply, sorry! thebluebells April 23 2008, 06:07:01 UTC

*nods* I agree, and I think that right before giving birth is probably the worst possible time for you to be thinking about body issues. As far as I know, most women feel overweight, tired and crampy at this stage.

I don't think that a BMI is the best indicator of health either. I don't ever exercise and I eat what I want (though very healthily in general), and I have a normal BMI partly because of genetics. What I am interested in are those studies about apple shapes vs pear shapes, in that if you naturally carry more weight around your middle, you are more likely to have heart-related problems. I haven't read them in detail, but they do seem to be more accurate than BMI studies.

On one hand, I think that those comments made to you by your midwives were inappropriate, but then again, there is a lot of research about the risks of being overweight while pregnant. I don't know if they were just trying to give you advice, but went about it completely the wrong way (the "eating chocolate" comment was definitely uncalled for ( ... )

Re: Looooong reply, sorry! moonborn April 23 2008, 06:57:45 UTC

those studies about apple shapes vs pear shapesThe reason I agree with Kate Harding's statement "fat is a feminist issue" ties into this, actually - a few of the reports on those studies that I came across spoke of how men tend to gain weight in an apple pattern, whereas women tend more towards pear (again, YMMV, this is a generality at best). But women seem to be the ones that get the most hung up on weight and weight issues ( ... )

Back to all threads