PETA gets under my skin. again.

Dear PETA,

I thought we were getting along a little better. After all, I haven't been enraged with you since your bout with transphobia in 2009 (although this probably just means I just haven't paying any attention to the media).

But we're back to square one. I saw this ad featuring NBA scout Bonnie-Jil Lafflin on Ecorazzi and nearly hit the roof. I simply cannot stand when veganism or vegetarianism are pitched as weight loss plans.

Being veg is not a magic weight loss pill. And frankly, this ad is just riding the

wave of hate your body/fat phobia/loathe yourself/diet diet diet insanity that creates more insecurity than confidence.

Furthermore, being veg doesn't make a person healthy; there are plenty of unhealthy vegans/vegetarians that do not eat well-balanced meals, do not exercise, or go to town on highly-processed, high-sodium mock meats.

Health is not about weight. If you are healthy, an appropriate weight will follow. This ad is just about weight, and frankly, it undermines the ethical, environmental, and food safety implications underpinning a healthy veg lifestyle.

Hey PETA, stick with throwing paint, hosting demonstrations, and releasing undercover footage. Your posters and commercials are an embarrassment to vegans who support you--myself included.

weightism and politics

Is the New Jersey governor's race using weightist undertones as a new campaign strategy?

Opinions differ on whether or not incumbent Jon Corzine is taking jabs at opponent Christopher Christie's weight. The ad says that Christie "threw his weight around" to get out of tickets, and shows Christie "stepping out of an S.U.V. in extreme slow motion, his extra girth moving, just as slowly, in several different directions at once." full article.

Bottom line: weight is a socially acceptable form of discrimination (along with, I'd say, regional accent). Are commentators projecting weightism onto the ad, or is "he's fat" really the implied message? You decide.

MY BODY IS NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS

Let me set the scene: It's 10 pm, I have just purchased my favorite cherry lollipop from 7/11, and I'm taking a moment to pause and enjoy the artificial flavors on the sidewalk.

Then a middle-aged man exits his car, takes one look at me, and with a tone of bewilderment and arrogance asks (with an obnoxious look on his face to top it off), "Are you pregnant?"

"No," I reply, matching his ugly glare with an are-you-on-drugs sort of squint.

"Oh, sorry. I was going to say that you are too young."

At this point, the man enters 7/11 and I get into my car. Dumbfounded, I need a moment to get my thoughts together, when I decide it is only appropriate to chase this man down. I re-enter 7/11, find the man at the cash register, and point my artificially-flavored cherry lollipop at him.

"So what if I am pregnant? What business is it of yours? I don't care what you think my body looks like, MY BODY IS NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS."

Not much of a talker now, the man awkwardly mustered up an, "I agree."

As a woman, it seems like my body is automatically subjected to some heightened degree of commentary and observation. Whether it's sexual harassment, or the housekeeper telling my mom that I am "mas gorda," far too many people feel entitled to giving me an unwarranted and unwanted opinions.

Let me introduce a small concept called "boundaries." My body is mine. It's not yours. It's none of your business. Keep it to yourself.

yoga for all sizes

I never thought about this, but the typical yoga experience is designed for smaller, more fit people.

Poses considered standard for those who are fit or slim — standing with the feet together in mountain pose, kneeling with the forehead on the mat in child’s pose — are often difficult or even impossible for heavier students. Forward bends and twists are hindered by extra girth. Weight-bearing exercises like arm balances can also be more difficult.

Yoga studios like Buddha Body Yoga are springing up and catering to plus-size clients only.

“I’m not interested in teaching small people,” said Mr. Hayes, 49, who has been teaching the Manhattan class for five years. “There are so many other classes for them.”

Mr. Hayes, who is 5-foot-11 and weighs 250 pounds, said that the concern goes beyond feeling bad because you don’t look like the 22-year-old actress on the next mat. Most yoga classes, even beginner courses, don’t address the needs of big bodies, he said. Check out the full article

former tennis star talks about binge eating disorder

Former tennis star Monica Seles talks about her struggle with binge eating disorder and what worked for her. Some highlights that emphasize the need for healthier, balanced eating instead of a crazed diet diet diet mentality:

Why do you think getting rid of the experts was the first step in helping you solve your problem?

I had to throw out the word diet. I love food. That’s who I am. I enjoy a good meal. I’ve got to accept who I am. I’ve had enough of people telling me what to do. I had to do this one thing for myself, not for my mother, for the media or for my career.

I threw out every single diet notion I’d learned. I allowed myself to eat every single food group. My extreme cravings went away. I allowed myself to have cookies or pasta. I stopped dieting and I started living life. That’s how I lost 37 pounds.

You talk about making small changes to gain control of the eating binges. What were some of those changes?

I love to walk. Everybody told me walking was a waste of time. I started walking half an hour because my foot was in a cast. I started slowly, but now I walk seven days a week every week for maybe an hour or maybe just 45 minutes. And I put pasta and bread back into my life. In the beginning I would struggle. I’d say, “let me just go for a walk” and slowly shift my mind. It took my mind off of that intense pressure I felt that I needed to eat right away to calm me down. Read the full article

the politics of seat sizes on airplanes

I do not know how to resolve the issue of seat sizes on airplanes and varying body sizes. As it stands, individuals who do not fit in an airplane seat are put on another flight with two empty seats next to one another. Proposals of a "fat tax" are alarming weight acceptance activists.

Somehow, someway, this issue needs to be adequately addressed in ways that avoid humiliation. Last year, United received 700 complaints about "seat infringement." Check out the full article and tell me how you would resolve this issue.

using human fat to power SUVs

A Beverly Hills plastic surgeon, with the permission of his patients, used their fat to power his car. Haha. That makes me laugh. Apparently he had to stop because it is illegal under California law to use human medical waste to power vehicles--although I can't imagine why. Read the full article.

more shocking news regarding the diet industry

It seems like the FDA is actually being productive as of late. In addition to pointing out the bullshit claims of Diet Coke Plus, the FDA has found:

more than 25 weight-loss products contain undeclared, active pharmaceutical ingredients that may jeopardize the health of consumers. Ingredients contained in these products include sibutramine (a controlled substance), rimonabant (not approved in the United States), phenytoin (an antiseizure drug), and phenolphthalein (used in chemical experiments and is suspected to cause cancer). Some of the products are promoted as "dietary supplements" or claim to contain only "herbal" ingredients and are sold online and in some stores, according to the FDA. They are not FDA approved and are considered illegal. (full article)

You can check a list of products here.

Diet Coke Plus is more like a minus

It is not very shocking that the FDA has found that Diet Coke Plus makes a claim to contain nutritious content, but does not comply to the standards of that claim. Moreover, the FDA does not find it appropriate to fortify snack foods (interesting). Coke has 15 days to respond.

training the "feminine" body

What with my inconspicuous consumption of a snazzy new gym membership, I decided that I should inconspicuously consume some personal training sessions as well.

While discussing my goals with my new trainer (10 pull ups!), I couldn't help but notice--over and over and over again--the emphasis placed on social constructions of gender, and what exactly it means to be and look "feminine."

Since my goal is to get super strong, I was assured that I would be guided through this process appropriately as to maintain a "feminine" body--and presumably not look bulky and "masculine."

I couldn't help but think how difficult it must be for female body builders, who have been undoubtedly interrogated why they would ever want to look "big" and "manly".

All I'm saying is, if I am going to pull my own weight in life, I best be able to pull up my weight on a silly little bar.

hormones to cure obesity?

This concerns me:

Researchers are studying variations of a family of human hormones - known as N-acylphosphatidylethanolamines, or NAPEs - for their effectiveness in controlling appetite and therefore obesity. (full article)

Obesity is not about some abnormal and insatiable hunger. I lack exact scientific figures, but I would venture to guess that actual obesity is caused by binge eating that is likely emotional, and/or poor understandings of food, health and nutrition, and/or lack of physical activity.

Learning how to process emotions alone can drastically curb emotional or compulsive eating.

Try a holistic approach--not simply hormones in pill form.

oh, the "fitness" industry

As I focus on framing food in terms of health, calorie-counting, carb-phobia and the like have no place in my life. I know what my body needs to be full, I know what my body needs to be strong, and I know what I enjoy eating. It truly makes me happy to eat things that grow from the earth in their natural and unprocessed forms.

Along those lines, I also like to push my body to its physical limits because a) it feels good, b) it maintains my cardiovascular system and rejuvenates my body and mind, c) it's the only way to alleviate my anxiety.

Recently at the gym, I was offered a free personal training session in an effort to get me purchasing packages again. I gladly accepted, having fond memories of my old trainer.

Then I met "Mr. T"--who has to walk with his legs unnaturally spread apart because his behemoth leg muscles are in the way of an ordinary gait. He might as well have had "steroid junkie" tattooed on his ass.

Don't get me wrong, I appreciated Mr. T's friendly personality and challenging weight-lifting regimens. But then it crept up--the ubiquitous and dangerously self-deprecating attitude toward "health" and "sex-appeal."

My favorite quote was "You could stand to tone your outer thighs."

What is more intriguing to me is that he views this "honesty" as being a good trainer--as if through policing the contours of my body and pinpointing my perceived weaknesses, he could offer me the golden keys to perfection, improve my life, and boost his commission.

Bitch please. I am so sad for that drug-popping, bench-pressing addict who likely spends hours every day pumping iron to make sure every single muscle in his body is grossly over-developed--not to mention he likely suffers from male body dysmorphic disorder. The sad and petty misfortune of obsessing over the exterior only indicates internal unfulfillment with life and self.

More to point--I am as healthy as they come. I live a life of of fresh vegetables, fruit, legumes, whole grains and nuts, with some fucking fabulous vegan cupcakes to get my goat when I so desire. I am very fit, and you know what? I'm incredibly intelligent, ambitious, and extremely sexy. In fact, my thighs have their own natural, healthy and strong shape, which if they were to change significantly (smaller and toner, as Mr. T would like), that would only be an indication of unhealthiness.

Newsflash: all bodies are different. Real health looks different on everyone. I have a fabulously round ass--I will never wear an itsy bitsy pair of jeans.

This warped idea of "health"--the hard and ripped size 0-2 that all women "should" have who work out and eat well--is statistically false and realistically ignorant. It's so sad to watch people chase around bull shit instead of enjoying their bodies and their lives.

Not to mention, if a person is unhappy with my outer thigh (how lame does that sound? I laugh even writing it), that person has no place in my life--and especially in my bed.

There was a time in my life when Mr. T's comments could have devastated me--but now, I feel proud of myself, proud of my body, and sad for the people who suffer the way Mr. T (and our culture at large) surely does.

Needless to say, he is not my new trainer.

weight is not a reliable barometer of health

New research reaffirms what has been apparent all along--weightism and image in western society obscure ideas of "health" to the detriment of being healthy all together.

Many overweight and obese people are metabolically healthy, while large
numbers of slim people have health problems typically associated with obesity, a
new study shows...

While it’s long been known that it’s better to be fit and fat than
being thin and sedentary, the new data are believed to be the first time
researchers have documented the unreliability of body size as an indicator for
overall health.

Study author MaryFran Sowers, a University of Michigan obesity
researcher, told The Associated Press that the results show that stereotypes
about body size can be misleading, and that even ‘’less voluptuous'’ people can
have risk factors commonly associated with obesity.
Dr. Sowers said that
when it comes to weight and health risks, “We’re really talking about taking a
look with a very different lens.'’ (full
article)

Weightism and Size Acceptance

Oprah tries veganism for the right reasons

When I heard that Oprah was attempting a 21-day vegan cleanse, I immediately suspected that she was pulling a Skinny Bitch, and would undermine veganism by turning it into a weight-loss frenzy. Concerned she would add on to cultural precedent that has convoluted the mindful life style philosophies of veganism with calorie-counting and other obsessive behaviors, I decided to check her blog out for myself.

Much to my delight (and surprise) I came to discover that Oprah's trial of veganism came from an attempt to become a conscious eater--which explained as more than avoiding emotional eating and listening to your body, but considering the origin of food sources and how animals are treated in the process, creating a "spiritual" awakening.

Despite my objection to "spirituality," I like where this is going as a whole.

But her cleanse includes avoiding more than just animal products, but includes alcohol, sugar, and caffeine as well. That sounds a little much for The Colonic.

fat bias worse for women--duh

Yet again another example of did-we-need-a-research-study-for-this?

It only takes a modest weight gain for a woman to experience weight discrimination, but men can gain far more weight before experiencing similar bias, a new study shows.

The notion that society is less tolerant of weight gain in women than men is just one of the findings suggested by a new report from the Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity at Yale University, published this month in the International Journal of Obesity.