Why I Am Not Attending or Watching 'Weight of the Nation'

The national hysteria over obesity has reached a crescendo this week, as the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention hosts the conference, "Weight of the Nation," in Washington, D.C. If you couldn't make it, no worries, more fear-mongering is on the way in a four-part mini-series on HBO to air next week. The show of the same name is produced in coordination with several federal government agencies. The trailer alone almost brought me to tears, seeing all the awful stereotypes of fat people.

As I wrote in my book, focusing on obesity is problematic for many reasons. One, it ensures the focus stays on the individual, instead of the food industry. What do you think when you see a fat person? That it's their fault, they just need to eat better and exercise more. Granted, my public health colleagues are trying to change this conversation to one of the "environment" (far too apolitical a word), but as long as we keep talking about obesity, the framing is all about individual behavior change.

Next, scientific evidence shows that fat people have enough problems dealing with discrimination, bullying, etc., and the last thing they need is more fear-mongering brought to you by the federal government and cable television. All the images I have seen coming from news accounts of the conference are negative. Even while the headlines may attempt to reframe from blame and shame, the images do not. For example, this Reuters story headline reads, "Obesity fight must shift from personal blame -- U.S. panel," but the image is of a fat person. Journalists take note: You are adding to the problem of bias and shame by using these images.

Finally, obsessing over obesity is a great gift to the food industry because this is a problem food companies can supposedly help fix. They can market healthier foods! They can help fund playgrounds and exercise programs! Indeed, the big announcement coming out of the CDC event yesterday was how the first lady's Let's Move program has its newest corporate partner in the frozen vegetable company, Birds Eye, which is launching a marketing campaign to encourage kids to eat their veggies. Problem solved, thanks Birds Eye. Never mind all that junk food marketing to kids, which Let's Move ignores. (If you missed it, this recent excellent Reuters investigation explains the food industry politics at play.)

The only thing bringing me any sanity this week is reading Julie Guthman's excellent critique of the obesity wars, "Weighing In: Obesity, Food Justice, and the Limits of Capitalism." While I think Guthman's style is too academic, she does a good job explaining why obesity is over-hyped and offers some interesting alternative theories to the tired calories in, calories out model. It's the first book I've read in a long time that offers new and challenging insights on this issue. Additional resources I can recommend include:

• A critical thinkers guide to the HBO series
• Deconstructing HBO's "Weight of the Nation"
• Linda Bacon's book, Health at Every Size
• Health at Every Size Community

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Comments

[tyson nutritionfix]

12:28 PM on 05/17/2012

I too believe the hysteria over obesity in the U.S has been overblown and counterproductive. I however disagree with the premise that it is corporations who are at fault. If nobody bought Big Macs, nobody would sell them either.

There are a couple of things to keep in mind about obesity numbers: the American population is aging, and so naturally percentage-wise the older you are, the higher your chances of being overweight are. Also, the newer generation is naturally bigger than the old one, so some of the average gain can also be explained that way.

Many Americans are overweight, but I believe that for true health and weight loss success, the desire to improve must come from a sincere desire based on the potential for improved longevity and quality of life, not from a sort of mass hysteria that targets overweight people. We must allow people to come to their own realizations.

Tyson Johnson, NutritionFix

[hellameangirl]

12:03 AM on 05/15/2012

The cycle must be broken. I remember growing up knowing many adults who smoked tobacco, yet would tell their kids not to and punish them if they were caught smoking.
Yet today I have many overweight friends and family who pass on their terrible eating habits to their kids (notably letting their toddlers drink soda) and I just can't believe it! If parents keep refusing to educate their children on health, then I do think our schools and government have an obligation to step in and do it. We do it for smoking, drinking and drugs, whats so wrong with teaching them the dangers of high fructose corn syrup and the like?

[NotEve]

12:47 PM on 05/13/2012

I fully support policy/industry reform to reduce the environmental factors that are exacerbating this obesity epidemic, however I also recognize that when it comes to obesity individual responsibility and life-style choices are fundamental.

The individual is where the rubber meets the road.

[Gregory A Buford]

11:42 AM on 05/13/2012

Michele~
Thanks for your insights but I have to disagree with you. First, I agree that the food industry is somewhat to blame when fast, processed food is an easier and more affordable option than healthier alternatives. But that is where my agreement ends.

Obesity is a major problem in the US and is getting worse every year. In addition to adult obesity, we are seeing a substantial increase in childhood obesity as well as obesity-related complications including diabetes. These changes have their distinct ramifications on the rising cost of delivering health care to this group of people. It simply costs more.

While it is easy to blame McDonalds, etc for this trend, there is the issue of personal responsibility. No one is making anyone eat this food. We all have our choices and we all have options. We simply need to make the right choices.

Is the average consumer misinformed? That is is as nonsense an idea as saying that smokers don't realize that cigarettes are bad for them. They do but they make the decision to smoke anyway.

Personal responsibility needs to be addressed. We need to stop shifting the blame to our parents, big government, and the corporations for our errors in judgement. In the end, it comes down to the choices we make. And in the end, we really do have to live with the results of those choices.

Gregory A. Buford, MD FACS
www.beautybybuford.com
www.beforliving.com

[NotEve]

12:49 PM on 05/13/2012

I agree, but I would add that unfortunately it is all of us that must live with the results of those choices.

[Gregory A Buford]

01:52 PM on 05/14/2012

I do agree with that point and that is exactly why the rising numbers of obese are a huge problem.  Health care costs are rising an instead of addressing some of the root causes (e.g.:  obesity-related costs), the quick fix for many politicians (on both the right and the left) is to slash reimbursement to physicians. In doing so, they have created a system where 9 out of 10 doctors would not recommend a medical career to their children or friends and where up to 43% are considering early retirement.  These numbers are from a recent and very telling survey funded by the Doctor's Company.  

[mrmfoto]

02:55 PM on 05/11/2012

I just reviewed the companion book for this series and it reads like a polar opposite of your take. The book almost places no individual responsibility and places the blame on external forces. You can read it here. http://www.ctzine.com/the-weight-of-the-nation-a-hbo-documentary-companion-book-review/

[ReggieAWeaver]

10:33 AM on 05/11/2012

As one who attended a screening, it seems to me this critique is a little premature. From the first episode alone, it seemed clear that the documentary will address, both, the individual and the food industry.

[BodyPositivePhD]

11:14 PM on 05/10/2012

Hurricane Fatpanic is coming, and it is not a good thing. Thank you, Michelle, for your courageous stance in the face of so many corporate and political forces with interests in shifting peoples' attention away from our pressing social, environmental, and political troubles to scapegoating fat people.

I am not sure people realize that the photos of people accompanying the "2/3 of Americans are overweight or obese!" actually represent far less than even 1% of the population. Our rates of "obesity" are not skyrocketing, exploding, or moving at all, for most demographic groups. It's great to talk about how to make the environment more healthy for people of all sizes, but let's remember it's just as problematic for the thin kids to miss out on recess and PE as the fat kids. There is no need to frame this as a weight issue and increase the stigma. Have the courage to make the health argument on its own merits and stop targeting fat folks.

http://healthateverysizeblog.org/2012/05/08/the-haes-files-stereotype-management-skills-for-hbo-viewers/

[MarshaHudnall]

10:26 PM on 05/10/2012

I share your feelings that the focus on obesity is taking us nowhere, Michele. To anyone who questions why we can have such a negative response to something we haven't even seen yet, I direct your attention to the trailer.

Here's part of what I wrote on my blog A Weight Lifted which will post tomorrow at www.fitwoman.com/blog/weight-of-the-nation.

"I haven't seen the documentary yet, but I have seen the trailer. It's hard to describe how I feel. Defeated comes to mind, but I'm not ready yet to give up in the face of what to me seems like overwhelming tunnel vision on the part of the people "in charge," e.g., those that have the wherewithal to truly change the national conversation about body weight into something that actually helps people.

Just the tagline "To win, we have to lose" tells me they don't get it. It's not like the vast majority of people who struggle with weight haven't tried. And there seems no recognition of the fact that the trying actually causes most to gain weight."

Imagine a documentary that would actually offer inspiring messages of how to end the multifaceted struggle with weight that is wasting the potential of so many. Not because of their size but because of the struggle that doesn't have to be, and is created or at least greatly exacerbated by the epidemic of body dissatisfaction that it appears this documentary will just add to.

[TrekDesk]

07:14 PM on 05/10/2012

I have to say that we are overly sensitive to major problems facing this country. In order to change behavior one must first acknowledge the reasons for implementing change. This HAS to occur on an individual basis. However half of the equation in this argument is always left out. A large part of the problem is ignored in the coverage of the CDC report: inactivity. While Americans need to move a minimum of 10,000 steps a day we are averaging less than half of that amount according to a study from the University of Tennessee. Diet is critical to the problem, no question. However, we have to change the sedentary environments in schools and in work places to overcome this threat to our nation's health.

I would argue that knowledge does not necessarily equate with vilification especially if Americans are shown that inactive thin people risk similar health problems as inactive overweight individuals. We have to face the facts first in order to fix the problem.

[Fall Ferguson]

06:23 PM on 05/10/2012

Thank you, Michele Simon, for turning a critical lens on this documentary and the larger question of whether we should be framing our public health efforts around "obesity." Stigmatizing larger bodies and feeding the "culture of thin" that leads to weight cycling and eating disorders will never be good policy. And changing our food supply and creating health-promoting infrastructures will always be good policy, because they promote health, period. There is no need to frame the need for better food policies and health promoting infrastructures around the "obesity" meme.

I just wrote a blog post about my concerns about the WOTN serieshttp://healthateverysizeblog.org/2012/05/10/the-haes-files-top-10-reasons-to-be-concerned-about-the-weight-of-the-nation-documentary/

[Jeff Okey]

05:25 PM on 05/10/2012

I agree that we inadvertently cause shame among the overweight and obese. Blame games and finger pointing are counterproductive. Confronting obesity is a shared responsibility that will take the cooperation of many sectors including the food and beverage industries. I don't agree with this writer's dismissal of Weight of the Nation. I find that counterproductive. Anything that gets the discussion moving around this issue is a good thing. I can understand the sensitivities of the overweight and obese. Stigmatizing people is counterproductive as well. But Weight of the Nation hasn't even aired and this woman is already criticizing it. That to me is the fatal flaw in her very weak argument.

[HealthHabits]

04:44 PM on 05/10/2012

I plan on watching the show if only for the reason that it will increase the issue of obesity in the public eye.

I have no doubt that they will get the causes / solutions all wrong, but if it creates a national dialogue, other (smarter) voices may be heard

[avery t]

04:34 PM on 05/10/2012

Regarding paragraph two, it sort of IS their fault. I mean, people control what enters their bodies and when and how much their bodies move.

Regarding paragraph three, how can you use the word "scientific" to describe sociological studies about discrimination? Most often, "scientific" means "related to medical studies or studies involving biology, chemistry, or physics."

I complete do not understand your fourth paragraph. How is it a gift to the food industry? The soft drink makers fight reforms tooth and nail. Also, in general, I think Michelle Obama's points and suggestions are 100% valid and useful.

I'm sorry, but nothing about your essay seems very rational.

[SBrooks99]

04:17 AM on 05/11/2012

Hi Avery, I think Michelle is referring to the many studies that show increases in discrimination against fat people. There is quite a bit of reseach supporting that weightism creeps into many aspect of lives.
I'm wondering, however, if you may be referring to the science of weight and health. If one is to look at the data and reseach you'll see that there is no good science that shows weight causes disease and costs more health care $. Unfortunately, most of what we see in mainstream media is a very skewed and misinterpretation of data around weight, health and disease. If you are interested in looking at this more closely, I highly recommend reading Linda Bacon's book. Michelle referenced is above. Additionally, the ASDAH website can be a useful site as well.

[NotEve]

12:59 PM on 05/13/2012

There is actually a significant amount of evidence regarding both the increased rate of chronic diseases and increased associated health care costs of obesity. The lines become more grey in the 'overweight' category. The evidence that I've seen suggests a spectrum, as more weight is gained and the threshold is crossed into obesity the individual and society experiences increasing amounts of chronic disease and associated health care costs.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111031220558.htm

http://w3.fmed.ulaval.ca/chaireobesite/education/docs/spencerevb3-bestpracticechildren.pdf

http://ukpmc.ac.uk/abstract/MED/7712363/reload=0;jsessionid=uGpCDVd0YIbp26dPYU5t.6

http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/