http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/weigheddown/25786 A Massachusetts bill aims to add weight and height to the list of characteristics people cannot use to discriminate with. From the Chicago Tribune: Currently, people can seek protection under the Americans with Disabilities Act, but they must prove their obesity is a disability and, in some cases, that it is caused by physical traits beyond their control. &quot;Right now, fat is just a marker of bad character, an undesirable personal trait that people bring on themselves,&quot; said (Anna) Kirkland, (an assistant professor of women's studies and political science at the University of Michigan) who prefers the word fat to the ambiguity of overweight and the clinical-sounding obese. &quot;What you're doing is forcing the law to force social change.&quot; The text of the bill is attached to this post. I found this section of the Tribune story particularly intriguing: But not everyone, including the corpulent, considers anti-weight-bias legislation a good idea. &quot;Legislation happens when people are too childish to police themselves,&quot; said Sue Ann Jaffarian, author of the Odelia Grey mystery series starring a 220-pound heroine who is a reflection of her creator. &quot;But, as a fat woman, I don't want a green light,&quot; said Jaffarian, 55, who worries that such a law would validate what some consider unhealthy weight. &quot;The downside of legislation is that the prejudice would go more underground.&quot; Should &quot;fatism&quot; be banned? (Read a Q&amp;A I did with Rebecca Puhl, director of research and anti-stigma initiatives at the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale University, in the post &quot;Sexism, racism...fatism?&quot; on this blog.) Here's how Tufts University's newspaper, The Tufts Daily, weighed in, no pun intended: It is also important to note the necessity of public health education. Some critics of the proposed bill argue that it encourages obesity or allows for protection against discrimination based on lifestyle choices. Obesity is very rarely a lifestyle choice: Most people who are clinically obese, or even overweight, are not ordering five Big Macs every morning. Rather, they usually suffer from a metabolism or a thyroid condition that makes it more difficult to remain thin than it would be for other people - even if they have the same diet. The problem exists not in individual behaviors, but in a society that makes it difficult (especially for those of lower socioeconomic status) to remain healthy. Those who worry about encouraging obesity should concern themselves not with opposing this bill, but rather with encouraging public health measures that would help combat America's weight problem. One Chicago Tribune reader sees the recession as a solution to this. I think this issue will take care of itself without legislation. Due to energy costs and world competition, the cost of everything is going to skyrocket, especially food. According to some news media reports last week, there is s a looming world-wide food shortage. Therefore, people will loose weight because they won't be able to afford or find the food. We should embrace famine as a means to make us healthier...don't know about that one... I'd love to hear your thoughts on this issue. &nbsp; &mdash; Emily Hagedorn, health reporter (661) 395-7510 ehagedorn@bakersfield.com A Massachusetts bill aims to add weight and height to the list of characteristics people cannot use to discriminate with. From the Chicago Tribune: Currently, people can seek protection under the Americans with Disabilities Act, but they must prove their obesity is a disability and, in some cases, that it is caused by physical traits beyond their control. &quot;Right now, fat is just a marker of bad character, an undesirable personal trait that people bring on themselves,&quot; said (Anna) Kirkland, (an assistant professor of women's studies and political science at the University of Michigan) who prefers the word fat to the ambiguity of overweight and the clinical-sounding obese. &quot;What you're doing is forcing the law to force social change.&quot; The text of the bill is attached to this post. I found this section of the Tribune story particularly intriguing: But not everyone, including the corpulent, considers anti-weight-bias legislation a good idea. &quot;Legislation happens when people are too childish to police themselves,&quot; said Sue Ann Jaffarian, author of the Odelia Grey mystery series starring a 220-pound heroine who is a reflection of her creator. &quot;But, as a fat woman, I don't want a green light,&quot; said Jaffarian, 55, who worries that such a law would validate what some consider unhealthy weight. &quot;The downside of legislation is that the prejudice would go more underground.&quot; Should &quot;fatism&quot; be banned? (Read a Q&amp;A I did with Rebecca Puhl, director of research and anti-stigma initiatives at the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale University, in the post &quot;Sexism, racism...fatism?&quot; on this blog.) Here's how Tufts University's newspaper, The Tufts Daily, weighed in, no pun intended: It is also important to note the necessity of public health education. Some critics of the proposed bill argue that it encourages obesity or allows for protection against discrimination based on lifestyle choices. Obesity is very rarely a lifestyle choice: Most people who are clinically obese, or even overweight, are not ordering five Big Macs every morning. Rather, they usually suffer from a metabolism or a thyroid condition that makes it more difficult to remain thin than it would be for other people - even if they have the same diet. The problem exists not in individual behaviors, but in a society that makes it difficult (especially for those of lower socioeconomic status) to remain healthy. Those who worry about encouraging obesity should concern themselves not with opposing this bill, but rather with encouraging public health measures that would help combat America's weight problem. One Chicago Tribune reader sees the recession as a solution to this. I think this issue will take care of itself without legislation. Due to energy costs and world competition, the cost of everything is going to skyrocket, especially food. According to some news media reports last week, there is s a looming world-wide food shortage. Therefore, people will loose weight because they won't be able to afford or find the food. We should embrace famine as a means to make us healthier...don't know about that one... I'd love to hear your thoughts on this issue. &nbsp; &mdash; Emily Hagedorn, health reporter (661) 395-7510 ehagedorn@bakersfield.com en-us <p><i>&quot;Sexism...racism...fatism?&quot;</i></p> <p>People cannot choose what race or sex they are. They can choose whether or not they are fat.</p> <p>If someone is representing a business, and that someone is a fat slob, it makes the business look something less than stellar.</p> <p>Even Rep.&nbsp;Fat Slob Jerrold Nadler (his given name) lost a good amount of weight, and his opinions are now taken seriously. If that water buffalo can do it, <i>anyone</i> can.</p> http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/weigheddown/25786/#c_231756 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/weigheddown/25786/#c_231756 <p><i>&quot;Sexism...racism...fatism?&quot;</i></p> <p>People cannot choose what race or sex they are. They can choose whether or not they are fat.</p> <p>If someone is representing a business, and that someone is a fat slob, it makes the business look something less than stellar.</p> <p>Even Rep.&nbsp;Fat Slob Jerrold Nadler (his given name) lost a good amount of weight, and his opinions are now taken seriously. If that water buffalo can do it, <i>anyone</i> can.</p> <p>We are one of the few countries in the world where a person dying of starvation makes headline news. It is a rare occurrence. Malnourished children is cause for child protective services to intercede. Associating gluttony, however, with overweight is usually a prejudiced and unfair stereotype.</p> <p>&quot;Disability&quot; implies that a person is physically or mentally handicapped beyond the ability to function as a &quot;normal&quot; person. More specifically, he (or she) cannot be employed and compensated with wages because their disability prevents them from being considered for a job.</p> <p>&quot;Rehabilitation&quot; implies that there are means to overcome, rectify, or compensate a disability. An amputee can be fitted with a prosthetic limb; poor eyesight can be aided with glasses; education and training can replace an obsolete job.</p> <p>A disability that cannot be overcome is a &quot;permanent disability&quot; and that person is not suited for the job market. Their basic needs are provided by the taxpayer through social security or welfare.</p> <p>These considerations are applied everyday to people. Some are refused. Some are given the means to correct the disability. Some are qualified as permanently disabled. Being fat is not necessarily a disability. If it is, the condition should be judged by the same determinations of any disability. A mandated regimen of diet and exercise may be sufficient. Perhaps an operation to restrict food intake. Perhaps psychotherapy.&nbsp; We are not created equal with the same healthy physical traits. Life can be awfully unfair in that regard. If obesity is a result of natural causes to the extent that a person cannot seek employment, then of course, he should be regarded as permanently disabled and accorded the considerations of any other disability.</p> http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/weigheddown/25786/#c_231815 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/weigheddown/25786/#c_231815 <p>We are one of the few countries in the world where a person dying of starvation makes headline news. It is a rare occurrence. Malnourished children is cause for child protective services to intercede. Associating gluttony, however, with overweight is usually a prejudiced and unfair stereotype.</p> <p>&quot;Disability&quot; implies that a person is physically or mentally handicapped beyond the ability to function as a &quot;normal&quot; person. More specifically, he (or she) cannot be employed and compensated with wages because their disability prevents them from being considered for a job.</p> <p>&quot;Rehabilitation&quot; implies that there are means to overcome, rectify, or compensate a disability. An amputee can be fitted with a prosthetic limb; poor eyesight can be aided with glasses; education and training can replace an obsolete job.</p> <p>A disability that cannot be overcome is a &quot;permanent disability&quot; and that person is not suited for the job market. Their basic needs are provided by the taxpayer through social security or welfare.</p> <p>These considerations are applied everyday to people. Some are refused. Some are given the means to correct the disability. Some are qualified as permanently disabled. Being fat is not necessarily a disability. If it is, the condition should be judged by the same determinations of any disability. A mandated regimen of diet and exercise may be sufficient. Perhaps an operation to restrict food intake. Perhaps psychotherapy.&nbsp; We are not created equal with the same healthy physical traits. Life can be awfully unfair in that regard. If obesity is a result of natural causes to the extent that a person cannot seek employment, then of course, he should be regarded as permanently disabled and accorded the considerations of any other disability.</p> <p>What if they made fatness a felony? Would Oprah do time?</p> http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/weigheddown/25786/#c_231857 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/weigheddown/25786/#c_231857 <p>What if they made fatness a felony? Would Oprah do time?</p> <p>But Oprah--and Dr. Phil--have mental disorders. So do most of their guests.</p> http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/weigheddown/25786/#c_231913 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/weigheddown/25786/#c_231913 <p>But Oprah--and Dr. Phil--have mental disorders. So do most of their guests.</p> <p>So do most Americans.&nbsp; We get along.</p> http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/weigheddown/25786/#c_231919 http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/weigheddown/25786/#c_231919 <p>So do most Americans.&nbsp; We get along.</p>