News Flash: Fat people are tired of being told 'Just stop eating cookies and exercise'

Pic by monokini

Nice article in the Globe and Mail re. the 1st Canadian Summit on Weight Bias and Discrimination, recently held in Toronto. Here are some bits. Just don't go and read the comments because they are chock full of the (see below) Typical Protestant Work Ethic Answer. The ignorance is astounding.

Dr. Puhl ... noted that increased attention on the health impacts of obesity has, paradoxically, resulted in increased weight-related discrimination. ... The more a person is singled out for weight-related ridicule, the more difficult it becomes to lose weight. Part of the problem is that a common reaction to stress is to eat and drink – and our comfort foods don’t tend to be carrots and broccoli.
...
People who are obese don’t relish their predicament but they tend to avoid seeking professional help – from physicians, dieticians, personal trainers, etc. – because they are often stigmatized and hectored, not supported. “There is a perception that stigma may be a good thing, that it will encourage weight loss,” Dr. Puhl said. “In fact, the opposite is true.” The stigma begins at a young age. About one-third of overweight girls and one-quarter of overweight boys report being bullied because of their weight.
...
Bullying the fat guy is not limited to the schoolyard; it happens in the workplace and the home. And one of the most common protective mechanisms is for overweight people to be self-deprecating, but it is humour tinged in pain.
...
Regardless of social circumstance, family members are one of the most common sources of teasing and put-downs, again on the mistaken belief that people can be shamed into thinness and good health.
The Protestant work ethic – the notion that individuals can achieve anything through hard work and discipline – is pervasive in Canadian society and it colours our attitudes toward people who are overweight/obese.
...
We can’t tax and shame our way out of this public health problem like we did with smoking. We live in a society that is essentially crafted to facilitate weight gain. We have engineered activity out of our daily lives; built cities that are designed for cars not people; made food – particularly unhealthy food – available in abundance and relatively cheaply; placed the greatest value on work and play that is sedentary not active and; put all our health dollars into sickness care rather than prevention, and then wrapped thinness in a veneer of moral superiority. “We need to move beyond ‘eat less’ and ‘exercise more’ to more comprehensive social policies that make it easier to be healthy,” said Dr. Puhl.