One more serious issue to point out about this whole obesity obsession -
this kind of excessive state and medical-sanctioned focus on impossible
standards of physical appearance and performance is in fact a known
aspect of fascism. It indicates a degree of social intolerance which is
becoming extreme.
These kind of 'standards' have been used deliberately and systematically
to denigrate and oppress women, non-Europeans, religious minorities and
persons with disabilities (among others) for centuries.
The original history underlying this probably dates back to Biblical
times, where a person's physical characteristics were routinely
associated with either 'good' or 'evil'. This became highly evident in
Europe during the Burning Times. The Nazis escalated this form of
persecution to an extreme degree during their reign.
This is a no-win situation and the worst form of victim-blaming -
although the person affected may actually be primarily a 'victim' of
society's scorn over physical attributes which are entirely beyond their
control and which may not even specifically be a health issue. In the
end it boils down to other peoples' sense of aesthetics being offended
as opposed to being a valid indicator of someone's true state of
physical well-being.
I for one find this obsessive, narrow, judgmental, out of context
official focus on certain physical characteristics (to the exclusion of
most other personal attributes) to be highly alarming. People need to be
valued in all their diversity, no matter what color, shape or size they
may come in.
Graeme
Adam P. Coutts wrote:
> an innovative individual protective mechanism for the impending
> obesity epidemic! I think it's US based.
>
> http://www.harrietcarter.com/Detail.cfm?pth=13&Cat=111&prod=4594&sr=1
>
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