The Washington Post ran an article by Blaine Harden yesterday entitled, "For Japanese women, a competition to be thin." Basically, Harden reports that while US women are gaining weight Japanese women are losing. She quoted Hisako Watanabe, a child psychiatrist and assistant professor of pediatrics at the Keio University School of Medicine in Tokyo, "Japanese women are outstandingly tense and critical of each other. There is a pervasive habit among women to monitor each other with a serious sharp eye to see what kind of slimness they have."
My husband and I have the opportunity to travel across the US for the work we do for Andrea's Voice Foundation and so we meet and speak with thousands of people of all ages each year. Although the ethnicities and ages are diverse, I am well aware that the majority of these individuals either work for a university or treatment facility or are students at a university or clients at a treatment facility, so our conversations could not be said to represent a true cross-section of the population. With that disclosure, we too, hear of the common practice of critically viewing others' bodies and its devastating consequences. This competition for the coveted (and imaginary) "thinnest" award reeks havoc on making deep connections with others and assures the maintenance of a "me against you" attitude.
The clue to ending this ill-fated competition was found in the article itself, although Harden did not recognize it as such. She reported that "adult men and children of both sexes are gaining weight at a pace that worries the government." In their attempt to "head off heart disease and other obesity-related illnesses" the Japanese government instituted "girth measurements at work-funded physical examinations and encouraging the rotund to diet and exercise." Harden then quotes doctors who state that these requirements are absolutely necessary and make sense for those with weight issues "but ...for adult women, it sends exactly the wrong signals."
That is what we in the Health At Every Size movement have been saying for years now. When we focus on WEIGHT and BODY SIZE instead of HEALTH and FITNESS no one wins: those who are fat just feel horrible about themselves and those who are thin are scared to death of becoming fat.
Ellyn Satter, a therapist and Registered Dietitian and author of numerous books, recently sent an open letter to First Lady Michelle Obama. The subject line read "Child obesity: Help without harming." Although Satter's email focuses on what works when it comes to preventing childhood obesity, it has a great paragraph on why it's important not to focus on weight. The consequences of labeling children based on weight are applicable to people of all ages:
Don’t talk about child obesity. Research shows that children who are labeled overweight or obese feel flawed in every way–not smart, not physically capable and not worthy. Parents who fear obesity hesitate to gratify their child’s hunger for fear s/he will get fat. Such labeling is not only counterproductive, it is unnecessary. From birth, child obesity can be prevented—and treated—by maintaining a division of responsibility (DOR) in feeding: Parents do the what, where, when of feeding and children do the how much and whether of eating. The DOR is recognized by the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Food and Nutrition Service of the USDA and its programs (WIC, School Nutrition, Child Care Food Program), Public Health, Head Start, and CDC, among others. 1
Eating disorders are making their way around the world, especially to those cultures adopting Westernized ideals. How sad it would be if our commonality with the world community is reduced to our focus on weight.
- Do we compare our body and its size to others' bodies?
- Are we making negative judgments about ourselves and others based on body size?
- If so, how does that affect our choices around what and how much to eat?
- What can we do today to help end our collective obsession with weight?
For my answers , please read any three or four of my previous blog entries--it does seem to be one of my favorite "soap boxes." I'd love to hear your answers to these questions.
Blessings until next time,
Doris
1 Copyright © 2010 by Ellyn Satter. Published at www.EllynSatter.com.
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