Call to Action —
Last week, we spent a significant portion of time flooding Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta with phone calls, emails, tweets and Facebook posts attempting to shame them into submission.
The result? CHOA is digging in its heels with CHOA’s Chairman of the Board, Doug Hertz, writing a defiant Op-Ed in the Atlanta Journal Constitution on Friday (information on how to write a reply with a letter to the editor here).
This week, we stop attempting to shame the shameless. Instead, we are asking everyone who is outraged that these billboards continue to shame fat children to join us in requesting that professional organizations issue statements condemning Strong4Life’s ad campaign. Read more…
Unnatural Allies —
Over a year ago, Marilyn Wann and I had a falling out over the role dieters should play in Fat Acceptance. I said and did some things I regret and, as a result, she unfriended me on Facebook.
I was devastated. I shattered her faith and trust in me, and now the Mother of modern Fat Acceptance had cut me off. Read more…
Rags to Riches for Hispanics
From Prada to Nada is based on the Jane Austin novel, Sense and Sensibility. The premise is simple: two rich, young women lose their father and money, and have to learn to deal with life like every other working class person trying to make it in this crazy, mixed-up world. I was actually very surprised (and pleased) to see that not only were two women cast as the leads in this film, but their characters were Hispanic.
Try as I might, though, that’s the nicest thing I have to say about this film. Read more…
Counting Chickens —
Last week, I sliced and diced the FAQ on Strong4Life’s website, explaining how the cost estimates associated with obesity are being conflated, and obfuscated, by Strong4Life’s willful manipulation of the facts.
Setting aside the factual issues with their claims that fat kids are costing Georgians “a lot of money,” I find the financial argument that justifies the shaming of fat children to be extremely distasteful and misguided. We have seen this kind of “do anything to save a buck” mentality at work before in even graver situations.
Translated, this Nazi-era poster says*, “This person suffering from hereditary defects costs the community 60,000 Reichsmark during his lifetime. Fellow Germans, that is your money, too.”
Cut and Paste —
The following is an example of the letter I have been using for the Call to Action. I’ve tweaked it a bit to include information on our recent efforts, and I am posting this here so that you may use this letter either as a template or inspiration or example of how to appeal to the various organizations we have listed without starting over on each one. There is nothing wrong with cutting and pasting the whole thing. Your words don’t have to be original, just your voice. Read more…
All righty then, after all that’s been going on with CHOA, I thought I was done with ranting. I guess not, not after reading about this school on Long Island that wants kids to wear monitoring bracelets 24/7. Read more…
Customer Service —
So, get this…
Yesterday, I posted my video in which I called out Strong4Life for having Phase 2 of their campaign in the can already, and included a clip from the Today Show interview where I first saw them.
The Fat Lady Swims
I love to swim.
When I was a kid in Southern California, summer days were spent moving back and forth between the beach and our backyard pool, with some sprinkler/Slip and Slide time in between. I still remember all of our pool games and how it felt to just float under the sun. I loved boogie boarding and going out over my head in the ocean because it seemed so dangerous. The tide would take me down the beach and I’d get out and look for my mom’s big red umbrella (and her, reading romance novels under it) and walk back to do it again.
I also swam competitively from the time I was 10 until I was 17. It’s safe to say that I spent a lot of my childhood in a swimsuit. Read more…
Digital Manipulation —
Hat tip to Wendy Brown for the links to the story on Chloe and her YouTube video.
Welcome to Week Three of our stand against Strong4Life.
This is the week when the rubber really hits the road.
Jennifer Hudson: Can it get much sadder than this?
I hardly need to introduce Jennifer Hudson, nor do I need to remind you of her recent decision to shill for Weight Watchers. Yesterday, however, I saw this on TV:
See, I had never heard of Jennifer Hudson before I saw her Weight Watchers commercials. I didn’t know what she looked like before WW. If I had recognized her, I would have known what to expect, but I didn’t. Read more…
It’s Recipe Time
I was going to do a serious post this week but because the Strong4Life controversy has taxed us all, I think it’s time to go in an opposite direction and post something more light-hearted. And since us fatties are supposed to love food topics, how about a recipe? Read more…
fiercefatties
dufmanno
vesta44
jenincanada
atchka
erylin
lexiedi
joannadeadwinter
dr deah
shaunta
roundgirlrocks
hlkolaya
lifeonfats
bronwenofhindscroft
osufem
