We need to learn more

A dear friend of mine sent me a link to a New York Times glowing review of a book for little girls, ages 6 to 8 years of age, titled I Get So Hungry.  My heart sank as I read the review. Thankfully she also sent a link to a response to this review.  It was printed on the web site Junkfood Science and written by the site’s creator, Sandy Szwarc, BSN, RN, CCP.  Sandy was just as disturbed as I was by this article.

Basically, stereotypes about fat people abounded in the Times article. Sandy asks some important questions:

How many children’s books out there have become venues to teach young people prejudice and reinforce stereotypes of others? How many children’s books are being published to scare young girls about their bodies and health, convince them that they have emotional problems, and that their self worth depends on what they look like? The fact this book was published at all, let alone applauded in mainstream media, is the saddest testament of all to the failure of science education.

Sandy goes on to explain how the book actually contained even more stereotypes than the review:

The New York Times review was just a hint of the popular stereotypes and misinformation about obesity in this book. The young fat girl in this story is pictured as a sad, lonely child, spending her time sitting alone on the couch, watching TV and mindlessly eating giant bowlfuls of potato chips to deal with her emotions. Her mother is said to irresponsibly feed her a diet of fried foods, soda and junk food, with no fruits and vegetables. This gluttony and overeating is portrayed as the reason why she and her mother are both fat.

It gets more disturbing. All of the fat characters are described as gobbling food so fast they can barely taste what they’re eating. Her mother lies to the doctor about what the family eats and buys donuts to comfort her feelings of sadness. The girl’s fat teacher has a medical crisis, and a teacher whispers that it’s because she is fat. Frightened by her teacher’s illness, the little girl believes she needs to lose weight.

Throughout the book, the little girl is teased and taunted about her weight and feels sad, but once she’s thin, her friends say that there’s no longer any reason to tease her. In other words, it also teaches kids that it’s okay to make fun of fat children.

I work in the public school system. It is disturbing to see the weight-based teasing that happens among students but even more disturbing to witness the stereotypes and misinformation espoused by the educators themselves.  A few days ago I met with a legislator’s representative. What I encountered was a person who had the stereotypes of fat people so deeply ingrained in her psyche that she could not hear how filled with “weightism” her words were when she lamented the “obese Hispanic parents who buy only sugar for their already fat children.”   I trust that this woman means well but the misinformation she has been “fed” about fat people has created a glaring blind spot of prejudice.  Sandy says it best:

One only has to read the on line forums of troubled young people struggling with weight and eating issues and food fears to see how many lives have been devastated by years of indoctrination and internalization of these stereotypes. The fact these stereotypes aren’t even recognized as such reveals how ingrained weight stereotypes have become in our culture.

A children’s book writing similarly about children born with physical handicaps; or children with differences like big ears or noses, stuttering speech or unusual clothes would elicit intense public responses from advocacy groups. But there is no such advocacy for fat children.

I presented last week in a college nutrition class.  I noticed that when I talked about the natural variety in body shapes and the detrimental effects of focusing on weight versus health and fitness there was a palpable discomfort in the room. Before I left I encouraged those who felt themselves reacting negatively to my words around fat and weight to have the courage to sit with that discomfort for a while and to ask themselves: What is it I believe about fat? About fat people? Where did I learn those beliefs?  Are they truly accurate? Do I feel threatened by the thought that “fat” may not be “bad?”  Why do I feel that way?

I left the students with resources for them to learn more if they so choose. 

Blessings until next time,

Doris

Comments

[Kyla]

wow, I had not heard of this book, but it sounds awful for many reasons. Thanks for speaking up.

[Kyla]

wow, I had not heard of this book, but it sounds awful for many reasons. Thanks for speaking up.