Out of the Mouths of Babes

Funny - for all the talk I've heard about generations of kids becoming more accepting of others racially and sexually, there's very little out there that has suggested they've become more open to size diversity.

Take for instance this article from Longview, WA's Daily News. They polled 533 students about food, fat, and the like.

The largest number of students, however, identified obesity as a self-perpetuated problem caused by laziness. These students were the most likely to use words such as "gross" or "sickening."

"It's stupid that people don't have enough self control to stay healthy," one teen said.

"It is just another word for fat," wrote another. "And people are just more lazy now. As a result, they are fat."

Using language common to many replies, a teen said, "It's disgusting that there's so many fat people in the world. It really grosses me out when I see it."

Now, the comments run the spectrum. Some are aware that too much of an emphasis on fat could cause kids to develop eating disorders. But there's a lot of misinformation out there amongst these comments. The stereotype that fat people are lazy and/or out of control is still out there.

Interesting:

A whopping 480 of [those surveyed] never or only sometimes pay attention to media reports on nutrition. ... When they answered an open question about news on obesity, however, some said it makes a difference. ... One teen said a lot of the news is true, "but I believe some of it is just to scare us." Another wrote, "new studies are out all the time and it's hard to know what to believe."

So how do we collectively talk with kids and teens about fat acceptance and fat equality? I think we need to bring it into the discussion within the context of accepting all people, no matter what their backgrounds are. I'd like to hear your ideas, as well.