Media and Research Roundup - February 2023
Image of eyeglasses and a pen lying on an open notebook in front of a laptop
By Bill and Terri Weitze
CONTENT WARNING: Some articles featured in the Media & Research Roundup may refer to stigmatizing events or use stigmatizing language.
January 17, 2023: In an NPR interview, Aubrey Gordon reviews some of the myths about fat people from her book You Just Need to Lose Weight and 19 Other Myths About Fat People.
January 17, 2023: A person, one who considers themselves a fat ally and activist, fat shamed their girlfriend and asks for advice. Heather Logan's response is forthright and heartfelt, without any fluffy glossing over of just how wrong and cruel fat shaming is.
January 18, 2023: Elyse Resch and Evelyn Tribole, co-authors of Intuitive Eating: A Revolutionary Anti-Diet Approach (1995), explain their understanding of intuitive eating, the science behind it, why it should be weight neutral, and their experiences as registered dietitians using intuitive eating in their practices.
January 21, 2023: Ragen Chastain pushes back against claims that the new guidelines for pediatric weight management interventions will decrease eating disorders. (See related item, 1st Jan 24 entry.)
January 22, 2023: Rachel Goode studies eating disorders among Black women, who are often left out of this type of research. Goode is trying to break the stereotypes that lead to Black women not receiving correct and/or earlier diagnosis.
January 23, 2023: While eating disorders are often suffered by adolescents and young adults, it appears that these disorders can occur (or reoccur) among perimenopausal and early postmenopausal women, usually due to body dissatisfaction.
January 23, 2023: Tenor Limmie Pulliam stopped performing for 12 years because of the body shaming he experienced, despite having a magnificent voice. Now he's back and determined to claim the career in classical music he deserves as a black man in a larger-sized body.
January 24, 2023: Using the weight loss surgery (WLS) of a 15-year old as a starting point, USA Today shows its bias while professing to present both sides in the argument for and against drug and surgical interventions for children, following the American Academy of Pediatrics' (AAP) publication of their new guidelines. Here is a New York Times opinion piece which strongly opposes the new guidelines. Here is ASDAH's Opposition to AAP's guidelines.
January 24, 2023: The pros and cons of semaglutides, such as Ozempic and Wegovy, used to attempt weight loss are outlined. See related item, Feb 2 entry.)
January 24, 2023: Esther Rothblum and Brandie Solovay appear on Reset with Sasha-Ann Simmons to talk about the lack of protection from employment discrimination experienced by fat people.
January 25, 2023: A recent study of patients between the ages of 18 and 34 years who have had WLS finds a significantly higher risk of death due to suicide, accidents and cirrhosis of the liver.
January 28, 2023: The desire to lose weight prior to a wedding can lead to a long-term eating disorder. Kelsey Herbers shares her personal experience with this.
February 2023: Alisa Michele shares how a doctor's comments when she was 6 years old led to years of disordered eating, and her fear that the new AAP guidelines will lead to more of the same for today's children.
February 1, 2023: A doctor talks about the problem of healthcare physicians fat shaming patients, the harm it can cause, and how focusing on weight often means ignoring symptoms of serious conditions.
February 2, 2023: The semaglutide drugs, touted as effective for weight loss, are expensive and for the most part not covered by insurance and Medicare. Insurance companies are questioning the effectiveness of the drugs, which have serious side effects. Ironically, these same companies do cover weight loss surgery.
February 9, 2023: Marley Blonsky has reclaimed her childhood love of biking. As a fat bicyclist, she is faced with many questions and obstacles, which she deals with through her blog All Bodies on Bikes and the nonprofit organization of the same name.
Pic is of Terri and Bill Weitze, a Caucasian couple, both wearing glasses
Terri and Bill Weitze have been active within NAAFA for years, and they currently coauthor the Media and Research Roundup in the NAAFA Newsletter. They both live and work in Michigan, and met through a fat-positive bulletin board system before the days of the World Wide Web.