health issues, size acceptance, and contentment with our bodies as women

[seldearslj]

I was participating in a conversation about size acceptance, prejudice, and living with ourselves. It was about body image, the food we eat, shape, size, and health, and the discussions were interesting at first

Comments

[wiliqueen]

I think at least part of the difference is that people don't look at you or me eating the burger and fries and assume it's what we eat all the time.

I've been meaning to post about a couple of the articles amilyn linked to last week, and the comment discussions associated with them. They point up what an elusive thing moderation really is in US culture at least -- not only do people not know how to do things in moderation, there's widespread difficulty grasping what it even is. One blogger said flat-out that nobody had yet been able to demonstrate to her any discernible difference between "eating in moderation" and "being on a diet," and several commenters agreed with her

[seldearslj]

I want to talk with you more about the concept of 'moderation' and how elusive it is to capture in the US psyche - that's quite fascinating.

That epidemic disconnect blows my mind.

To a degree, it does mine, too. My mother had a saying, "Elegant sufficiency, not elephant sufficiency." And I use it now to describe when I'm comfortably full, not stuffed.

Do you have the time to find the links Amy posted last week? I'd love to read the articles.

[wiliqueen]

It was a flocked post on July 1. This is the particular link I was thinking of:

http://harrietbrown.blogspot.com/2009/05/they-dont-even-know-theyre-doing-it.html

I'll need to hunt to find the one with the other comments I mentioned -- I think maybe it was a secondary link.

I do want to do a full post about it; just not sure when it'll happen. Next week at the earliest.

[seldearslj]

*boggles*

That's just...extremist. Frankly, it's Health Terrorism.

Yes, you watch what you eat and don't indulge all the time, because your body can't take it. Your digestion can't process it fast enough, your metabolism goes apeshit at how much stuff you've given it (as well as the kind of stuff it's being given) - and yes, there is an element of limitation to it!

However 'restraint' does not have to equal 'denial'.

*sigh* The point the poster was making was a good one - the language of that article was problematic in so many ways. The comments...well, I'm stuck between being horrified and wanting to hit something very hard.

[amilyn]

I want to talk with you more about the concept of 'moderation' and how elusive it is to capture in the US psyche

This is something that I SUCK at across the boards: moderation. It's something I agree that Americans, especially in the public sphere of discourse SUCK at. Middle ground, reasoning, rational, moderation and seeing the extremes and finding something that is NOT those...NOT an American strength.

[seldearslj]

I just commented to Val above, and I've come to the realisation that you just noted in your post - that a lot of western cultures suck at middle ground, and particularly American culture.

There's this belief that 'restraint' equals 'denial'. That if one is watching one's food intake or trying to be healthy, then you're automatically on a diet.

[amilyn]

Yep. What you said.