Mike & Juliet Video!

Interesting. I had a few thoughts while watching that. I thought Rachel and Monique did a great job, and Rachel brought up key points that unfortunately didn't get expounded upon. It seemed like she and the other side were talking at cross purposes. The idea was brought up that regardless of how healthy you are, obesity in the long term poses great health risks. However, the doctor nor Meme couldn't talk about a huge thing--the issue that dieting doesn't work, and creates greater health risks than it supposedly fixes since losing and gaining cycles are linked to health risks compared to maintaining a steady weight. The idea that the BMI standards being lowered were done for health reasons is highly controversial, given that moderate overweight has the best longevity outcome, at least in a one or two studies. Rachel did several times make the point very well that regardless of health, fat people deserve to be treated with respect and not profiled.

Meme seemed to think that people were saying not to diet because the danger is anorexia, and that is a small one compared to the risks of being fat. But she totally misses that disordered eating with dieting is not necessarily anorexia, it is far more likely to be binge eating in response to so few calories over time. Also, there is some evidence that in some cases, fat is a symptom of a health issue, not the cause of them and I wonder how the doctor would have addressed that.

Thin is in, think of the outcry that would arise if that were a headline. Yeah, whatever. Thin is the privileged class in the size arena, that message is all around. Meme needs to make herself more aware of this if she doesn't get it.

And finally, there are health risks associated with other groups. We usually approach that discussion as how we can treat specific health concerns, not just change their status so that their risk will automatically go down. I wish that was how we could approach it with fat people.

Oh, that doctor pissed me off. Right away she jumped to the BMI as being the definative in what is healthy and what is at risk for disease. She was doing her best not to be biased, I think, but it seemed fairly obvious which side she was on. Monique and Rachel both did terrific, though. Rachel was very articulate and poised and Monique was very inspiring and passionate and open in speaking about her past. And I love the way Rachel just talked right over MeMe Roth that one time, forcing her to shut her face! I wish there had been more time for the segment. But lately there seems to be an increase in media interest in Fat Acceptance, if only because it will get them ratings, so maybe we will see more in the future. Maybe somebody will do a whole show on us!

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"A diet counselor once told me that all overweight people are angry with their mothers and channel their frustrations into overeating. So I guess that means all thin people are happy, calm, and have resolved their Oedipal entanglements."

Where the Hell did Meme Roth pull the statistic that obesity kills 800 people per day? Good Lord.

Sarahbear, I was thinking the same thing about someone doing a whole show just about "us". Why does there always have to be the naysayer in the room??? Grrrrrrrrrrr!!!!! I don't get where she comes off saying even if all your numbers are good, you're still at risk "later". What the hell???? At risk for WHAT???

I was so proud of Mo and Rachel both! Nice to have such articulate representatives!

Despite the all-too-brief nature of the piece that didn't really allow a meaninful discussion to get going, I thought Rachel and Monique did a fantastic job with what they were given.

But where oh where did they dig up that doctor from? BMI is the best indicator of health? Don't eat white food? Don't 'drink your calories?' I'm with Sarahbear on this - why does there *always* have to be a basher, in this case spouting diet tips (and despite her assertions to the contrary, that's what they were) on a segment about fat acceptance?

As for MeMe, well meh-meh. As people on here have mentioned previously, she's a prime example of how far someone can go armed with an official-sounding title and a few dangerously inaccurate statistics. She brought nothing new to the debate whatsoever.

But all I really wanted to add to what's already been said is that I only wish the fat people of the UK had such articulate and sassy advocates as Rachel, Monique, and all the other fat bloggers whose 15 minutes is yet to come. From tiny acorns and all that...

Geez, where did that doctor get her license from? A Cracker Jack box???

Well, her comments did some good, though. My daughters and I just had an in depth conversation about how "white" food effects different people in different ways, based on actual blood sugar measurements my husband and I took just before, 1/2 hour after, 2 hours, then 4 hours after eating, which we then charted and compared. The same amount of white rice, served the same way, sent my husband's blood sugars soaring, while mine barely blipped. We charted our blood sugar levels like that for a couple weeks and found out that I'm in far more danger from low blood sugar levels than he is from high blood sugars and a family history of T2 diabetes.

Blanket statements like that doctor was making are not only silly, but potentially dangerous.

No white food? Does that mean I have to stop eating fish? Fish is white (at least the fish I like, oooooo, I still have trout in the deep freeze ).

Monique and Rachael did a fantastic job. It give me a glimmer of hope that the tide is starting to turn against fat-bashing.

I had a doctor tell me that "no white food" thing once years ago. So, no cauliflower then? So stupid!

Mememememe's been backpedaling for quite a while now. Her blog seems to have gone quiet. What HAS she been doing before this came up? I think she's noticed that she's made herself an object of ridicule with her insane rhetoric (like saying cupcakes are the same as antifreeze, because - and being roundly mocked for it) and that lying about what she's said previously isn't working, and now she's afraid. It would be kind of sad if I didn't hate her so much.

Zero isn't a size, it's a warning sign. - Carson Kressley

I also thought Rachel and Mo did a good job given the circumstances, I found it moving the emotion nearly overwhelmed both of them when they referred to how much they self-hatred they had to deal with, especially as children. That's one of the things that is so sinister about the way they keep wanting to make it about the children.

I thought the doctor sounded even more unhinged than MeMe to be honest, and I say that after not even expecting anything of her, given that she is a lady parts doctor. The no 'white foods', thing apart, I thought her stating that being fat is alright now but in future your risks for problems goes up, crumbs, is she talking about ageing? But hey, I'm not a doctor!

I think it's really telling that you could see how happy, relaxed and natural Rachel and Monique looked, and every time the camera was on MeMe she looked tenser than a piano wire and just...miserable.

The doctor did sound worse than Mememememe, wriggle. And that's in part because Mememememe is lying about what she's said before, backpedaling, whitewashing, and saying things she really doesn't believe. Unless she's had an epiphany, which clearly she has not. If I were to judge her on this appearance alone, I would think she was misguided but well-meaning and not too crazy.

IMO she's been running scared for some time now already. I can't feel too sad if she's getting a much-needed comeuppance for her damaging spewage. If you ever start to think she's not so bad, remember that cupcakes = antifreeze, and eating a cupcake is like putting a loaded gun in your mouth. And then remember the bans.

Zero isn't a size, it's a warning sign. - Carson Kressley