Limbaugh went on his radio show to criticize the menu the Obamas served at a dinner for French President Francois He managed to make the whole shindig all about the President’s concerns about income equality, or rather how it somehow negated any argument that there is such a thing.

Then, he turned his attention to Michelle Obama’s rear end. Daily Kos’ ProgLegs reports:

You’ll notice that this dress is bigger than the president of France.  Here, let me make one more adjustment here and I’ll show you this again.  Take a look at that picture.  The little guy in the middle is the socialist dictator — well, not dictator.  He’s the socialist president of France.  On the left, that’s not Oprah. Don’t confuse that.  That’s Michelle Obama.  I saw a picture of this from the rear.  That’s why I thought it was Oprah.

Limbaugh blurting out that he thought Mrs. Obama was Oprah from the back is par for the course. I guess black women all look alike from behind. Still, this sounds oddly familiar. There was another conservative who commented on Michelle Obama’s weight. He too focused on the size of her butt more than anything else.

Republican congressman James Sensenbrenner was at a church event less than three years ago. He mentioned that Mrs. Obama has no reason to lead a campaign against obesity. Why? Because he says she’s got a big butt.

Let me be upfront with everyone. I love curvy women. I adore thinkness. I like big butts, and I can not lie. And I think so does Limbaugh and Sensenbrenner, secretly. I think both of them really want to bury their faces in that ass and eat it like a chocolate cake. But them being stanch conservatives, admitting that would destroy their pride faster than attending an interracial gay wedding. Not to mention that if they tried anything, they would face serious repercussions from a certain world leader they despise more than liberals themselves.

Also, who are we kiddin’ here. Limbaugh and Sensenbrenner have no room to talk about weight, literally. When was the last time those two looked in the mirror? When was the last time they ever touched their toes, let alone saw them? And have either of them done anything without sweating?

Oh, my, God! Becky, look at her butt!

I’m not into fat shaming, but people like Limbaugh have no shame. He and his conservative clique hate 99 percent of America, especially if they’re not white, male, straight, rich and/or Christian. Limbaugh makes his money picking and choosing things to hate and fear and uses his media platform to spread hate and fear. When dealing with him, you are dealing with a man with a J. Edgar Hoover complex and a 1950’s sitcom view of the world.

Michelle Obama is a beautiful First Lady. Yet, resentful conservatives use her curvaceous figure to humiliate her in their campaign to demonize her husband. This is nothing new though. Some white people seem to categorize curvy black women as “heavy set” or “fat”. Hell, some white people actually believe that most black women are typically large. Even though it’s a stereotype, they believe that before actually seeing real black women in different sizes.

Yes, obesity is a problem in America. Michelle Obama is actively doing something about it. Maybe Limbaugh and Sensenbrenner should worry about their own bodies before they throw their weight around.

The post Rush Limbaugh, James Sensenbrenner, & Michelle Obama’s Booty appeared first on Madness & Reality.

In the early 1990’s we knew that black women were more likely to develop many health problems, and to die of them, than white women. We also knew that most of the previous studies of women’s health had included only small numbers of black women or none at all. We felt that improving the health of black women required more knowledge of the causes of these health problems and also more knowledge about how women stayed healthy. More knowledge meant more research. We decided that we would do our best to take the lead in carrying out that research.

Recently, Boston University’s Black Women’s Health Study has compiled research correlating obesity in Black women with childhood physical and sexual abuse. Yes, you read that right.

According to the above linked article, researchers used participants from the ongoing health studies dating back to 1985 and over 33,000 women responded. 58% of the respondents reported at least one incident of abuse in childhood and adolescence and 11% reported severe abuse.

While the report has yet to be published on BU’s BWHS website, the article on the research to me seems to be nothing more than shoddy generalizations. It would seem that the research may be pushing something more along the lines of:
physical/sexual abuse –> mental illness –> obesity

A major problem is that this has nothing to do with Black folks in particular. In fact, we know that race and ethnicity are trigger words in bad research in order to push certain agendas. Additionally, I’ve spent the better part of my career, working with victims and survivors of intimate partner and sexual violence.

The correlation seems to go as follows: the Black community is more likely to experience obesity as defined by Americanized (oft read: white) standards. This is a result of a number of things that we know and have identified: 1) access to real food – the ‘good’ grocery stores are on the ‘other’ side of town; 2) socioeconomic status – the good-for-you food is more expensive than junk-food, 3) education about food and nutrition, 3) traditional styles of cooking and eating behaviors, and a number of other reasons. We know that the world has been discussing Black women’s bodies for years.

We also know that Black women are sexually assaulted/abused at rates higher than in other communities. Studies indicate 60% of Black women are sexually assaulted before 18. Also, apparently, colored folks use corporal punishment in way higher percentages than non-colored folks; all though, I will say, most research on the matter pisses me off because it’s propaganda used to force Black folks away from spanking. (Yes, I know that spanking is not the same as “physical abuse” and no, I am not a proponent of spanking.)

Voila! Science.

Er..bunk science. In addition to this being simple, poor, over-generalized science, it’s just offensive and misleading. Further, taking into consideration the idea the most survivors of sexual abuse in the general population never speak out, and that often in the monolith known as the Black community there is the attitude that we’re all family and should protect each other and not speak out about such things…

Is there an accurate way to capture such a correlation, especially in comparison to survivors of other ethnicities?

I think it’s another “let’s focus on Black women’s bodies!” article. I’m gonna go on a limb and call bullshit on this one. Don’t believe the hype. However, if you want to view an interesting documentary on food and the issues surrounding obesity, you should check out HBO’s The Weight of the Nation for the free.

Interesting that this hit the headlines at a similar time as NPR’s tumblr linked a very overly general article in Clutch Mag on why some Black folks ignore negative research on spanking; again, not a fan of spanking but also not a fan of faulty correlations like: spanking –> mental illness in the Black community. The author, Kirsten West Savali, cites nationally recognized sources like the National Institutes of Health, but also sources that say violence is a function of poverty. Wild. No shade though.

The post Face-palm of the Week: Boston University Study Says Black Women are Fat Because of Child Abuse appeared first on Madness & Reality.

“What we need is a body-culture revolution in black America. Why? Because too many experts who are involved in the discussion of obesity don’t understand something crucial about black women and fat: many black women are fat because we want to be.”  Randall writes in her op-ed piece.

She goes on to opine…

“How many white girls in the ’60s grew up praying for fat thighs? I know I did. I asked God to give me big thighs like my dancing teacher, Diane. There was no way I wanted to look like Twiggy, the white model whose boy-like build was the dream of white girls. Not with Joe Tex ringing in my ears.”

Needless to say, Randall’s article sparked a flood of rebuttals via New Media, mostly penned by Black women, fed up with being publicly dissected and made to shoulder a burden that should be shared by Black men and actually, a good portion of this country.  Go ahead and add this post to the ‘exasperated’ list of folks who eye-rolled at Randall’s article.

While I’ve gleaned that Randall is attempting to advocate for Black women’s health and wellness, I can’t help but take her to task for using her own personal experiences to speak for and judge everyone else. Across my social media platforms and/or timelines, I read nothing but updates by Black women (including and especially women of size) checking-in at the gym and touting the benefits of “cleaner eating”. A lot of us are in fact, taking our health seriously.  As a relatively healthy, fuller-figured Black woman myself– (full-disclosure, I did have a brief stint with an eating disorder when I was a teen, as a way to will my body slimmer) —  and contrary to what Randall suggests; I don’t walk around fist-pumping in the name of fat nor do I have an aversion to healthy eating habits– (up until about five years ago, I’d been a long-time vegetarian)– or being active. More importantly, I’m not fuller-figured via some man’s request and my experiences don’t mirror every other plus size woman’s. While I admittedly grapple with my body’s fluctuating weight, I don’t wrestle with the idea of being mostly comfortable with myself like many people would prefer… at least not beyond the norm of any woman who fusses over her looks. And it took a bit of work to learn to accept maintaining my body in its fullness, while shirking the opinions and judgement of others, who haven’t a clue about my well-being or social life.

Randall also makes the foolish (and common) mistake of generalizing the preferences of Black men (once again, due to her own personal experiences), suggesting that most of them prefer a woman with a fuller-figure and will express dismay at their partner’s weight loss…

“How many middle-aged white women fear their husbands will find them less attractive if their weight drops to less than 200 pounds? I have yet to meet one.

But I know many black women whose sane, handsome, successful husbands worry when their women start losing weight.”

The backlash from Randall’s article has been palpable, and she has felt the impact and responded to it:

“My statement was that many black women are fat because they want to be. I said the word, “many,” there was no “all.” When I talk about, “want to be,” I use an example of husbands. Let me use an example that’s even more profound to me—grandmothers. My grandmother was big as three houses. She was a brilliant, strong woman who ended up having grandchildren and great-grandchildren that went to Harvard and MIT and the like, to do big things.

When I think of what it is to be powerful and beautiful, I think of her. That’s something I wanted to be. In the heart of my hearts, when I think of strength and beauty, the first thought I have is of her. I am acknowledging her influence on me. I wrote and published four novels in 10 years. That’s doing a lot of work. The way I get that work done is not sleeping much or taking time to exercise and take care of myself. Those are choices I’ve made.

I haven’t gotten fat because of eating horrible foods, but by overwork. That’s a choice that most blacks make—going out and working the job as a domestic servant.”  (source)

And there she goes again…  Alice Randall has made a blanket assumption about a Black men, based on her experiences. Even when she attempts to personalize the article in her follow-up statement, to assert her own internal issues with her body, she seemingly projects it onto other Black women.

This brand of writing, which analyzes Black women’s bodies, rarely ever features anything particularly revelatory we aren’t already aware of or haven’t read lately. The emphasis is always put on Black women and is often written by other women (who are just as culpable for trying to police female bodies).

Living our best lives is important. Indulging a sedentary and excessive lifestyle is detrimental to anyone’s health, so enough with the “Fat Black Women Represent Obesity in America” trope; last year it was “Single, Educated but Sad and Unattractive Black Women” — and that one gets resurrected every now and again.  When it comes to Black female bodies and obesity,  there’s an amalgamation of factors at play and it’s not as cut-and-dry as Alice Randall — (who has a agenda book to promote, apparently) — and other people would like it to be, whether they like and/or agree with it, or not.

For once I’d like to read an analysis about the issue of Black people’s (not just women) health and wellness, which advocates healthful lifestyles, but is supportive in its exploration while presenting carefully documented reasons and solutions. I’d like to read more commentary from licensed experts, who’ve done the field work and painstaking research. Because honestly, these Bloggers, quasi-social scientists, and journalists playing couch-Physician while wagging their fingers at Black women for not “fitting-in” or to try to shame them into submission, is not the way.

The post NYTimes Writer Says, “Black Women Want to be Fat” appeared first on Madness & Reality.

by Joanna

I do not know about the rest of you, but when I was in elementary school, my mother made the choice about what sort of foods I should be eating.  Even though over the years, my own lack of discipline has caused me to become fat, as a child, my mother made sure that I went to school with healthy foods and that I ate balanced meals at home. Yes, we had the occasional indulgent snacks, but by and large our diet was healthy. The thing is, it was our parent’s choice as to what we could and could not eat.

But today, some want to take the choice of what to feed children away from the parents and leave it up to the schools to determine what children should be eating.
At his public school, Little Village Academy on Chicago’s West Side, students are not allowed to pack lunches from home. Unless they have a medical excuse, they must eat the food served in the cafeteria.

Principal Elsa Carmona said her intention is to protect students from their own unhealthful food choices.

“Nutrition wise, it is better for the children to eat at the school,” Carmona said. “It’s about the nutrition and the excellent quality food that they are able to serve (in the lunchroom). It’s milk versus a Coke. But with allergies and any medical issue, of course, we would make an exception.”

Carmona said she created the policy six years ago after watching students bring “bottles of soda and flaming hot chips” on field trips for their lunch. Although she would not name any other schools that employ such practices, she said it was fairly common.

A Chicago Public Schools spokeswoman said she could not say how many schools prohibit packed lunches and that decision is left to the judgment of the principals.

“While there is no formal policy, principals use common sense judgment based on their individual school environments,” Monique Bond wrote in an email. “In this case, this principal is encouraging the healthier choices and attempting to make an impact that extends beyond the classroom.” SOURCENow, first, let me say this. I applaud any efforts by schools to make healthier choices available to their students. But, I am vehemently opposed to any sort of policy that forces a child to only eat the food available at their school. Ultimately, the choice of what to feed a child belongs with the parent, not school administrators. While I do not believe it is in the best interest of a child to send them to school every day with a lunch bag full of chips and sweets, I also do not believe that a school needs to be in control of what goes into the bodies of its students.

I believe that most parents, given the option, will choose healthier foods for their children. The problem is that access to healthy foods is limited for many parents due to income and lack of education about nutrition. So, rather than restricting a child’s choice to bring food from home into school, why not provide educational programs for parents that would enable them to make better choices when packing their children’s meals? Why not push to make healthy choices more affordable and available rather than restricting choices during school hours?

To me, forcing a child to eat a meal that the school deems appropriate during school hours does nothing to enhance the nutrition of that child when outside of school. Educational and financial support programs are far more effective in insuring proper nutrition than regulating what a child can eat for one meal a day, 180 days a year.

Of course, what it really comes down to is money. For every child that eats in the school cafeteria, the district receives a certain amount of money from the federal government. So, the more children that are forced into eating school lunches, the more money ends up in the pockets of the school district and the vendors that provide the food. And, it does not matter that many of the children would rather go hungry than eat the lunches that the school supplies.
At Little Village, most students must take the meals served in the cafeteria or go hungry or both. During a recent visit to the school, dozens of students took the lunch but threw most of it in the garbage uneaten.

Though CPS has improved the nutritional quality of its meals this year, it also has seen a drop-off in meal participation among students, many of whom say the food tastes bad.

“Some of the kids don’t like the food they give at our school for lunch or breakfast,” said Little Village parent Erica Martinez. “So it would be a good idea if they could bring their lunch so they could at least eat something.”

“(My grandson) is really picky about what he eats,” said Anna Torrez, who was picking up the boy from school. “I think they should be able to bring their lunch. Other schools let them. But at this school, they don’t.” SOURCEI also think that policies that force a child to eat only food that the school provides causes the child to become turned off by good nutrition. There are so many options for healthy foods, but the meals provided by schools are often terrible tasting. Is forcing kids to eat food that tastes awful but is “good for them” really the answer to combating obesity and poor nutrition?

Again, I believe the answer lies in educating students and parents about healthy food choices AND in teaching them how to make choices that are not only good for them, but that taste good as well. A lifetime a good nutritional habits will be the developed by teaching families how to eat and cook healthy options, NOT by forcing children to eat food that tastes awful just because it is “good for them”. After all, is it beneficial in the long run to have children believe that healthy and tasty are never compatible? Because forcing kids to eat food that they find unpalatable will lead to precisely that mindset.

The post Would Banning Packed Lunches at Schools Produce Healthier Kids? appeared first on Madness & Reality.

(H/T The Insane Asylum)

I dunno just exactly who should be offended. Should it be fat people? Hoes? Overweight women? I do know the good Christian restaurant in the clip below is full of shit. Frankly, they’re just hatin’ on the sister who owns the joint. I mean judging by the clip, I don’t see people lining up to eat Jesus Burgers, so…

The post Should “Fat Ho Burger” Be Considered Offensive? appeared first on Madness & Reality.

I did something the other night that I have not done since I was in college: I wrote a letter to the editor of the newspaper. I read an editorial the other day in which the writer made a ludicrous assertion that Food Stamps are making poor people fat. He then went on to state that Food Stamps should be discontinued, as should school breakfast and lunch programs. I guess he is of the opinion that it is better to be malnourished than to be a bit overweight.

The basic premise of his opinion is flawed. He claims that poor people eat more because they get such a huge amount of Food Stamps that they overeat rather than lose out on the Stamps. This is just about the most ridiculous thing I have heard! First of all, it is not like Food Stamps gives an exorbitant amount of assistance. $668 for a family of four is not a huge amount of money for a month’s worth of food. People who rely on the Food Stamps program have to make food choices that will allow them to get the most for that money, and the cost of so-called “health foods” are prohibitive.

Let’s face it, the less nutritional value and the more fat in a food the less the food costs in many cases. For example, chicken wings and legs are 1/2 to 1/3 the cost of chicken breasts. Yes, they are higher in fat than breasts, so nutritionally the wiser choice would be breasts. However, if you are on a limited food budget, the legs and wings would be the better choice. Similarly, sugar-free and fat-free versions of many other foods cost more than the regular versions. In addition, generic foods are cheaper than name brands, and most of the time, generics do not come in lower fat versions.

The writer then went on to bash free school breakfasts and lunches. He says that they are no longer needed, and that the nutritional standards for those meals are poor. He cites the fact that school breakfast programs are required to provide 30% of the total caloric recommendation for the day, as are the lunch programs. OK, breakfast and lunch come to 60% of the recommended calories. That makes perfect sense to me, and is well balanced. 30% of the calories could then be used for dinner and 10% for a snack or dessert. What is wrong with that? It has been proven that children who have a healthy breakfast perform better in school. Why would we want to take food out of children’s mouths?

If the writer thinks that poor people are too fat, why not advocate nutritional education programs? Why not revamp the standards for school meals rather than eliminate them? Food Stamps and free school meals are necessary to many people, particularly the working poor. This writers flawed logic is dangerous to those who need assistance the most.

The post Are Food Stamps Making Poor People Fat? appeared first on Madness & Reality.

By Tracy Renee Jones

After reading a post that appeared at theFreshXpress.com titled “Why Do Big Girls Get a Bad Wrap (Big is Beautiful)” I felt the need to address a few issues. The piece sought to analyze societies feelings towards larger people; why do some people prefer large lovers and why others choose to overlook them as potential love interests. The piece was written in a neutral tone so as not to offend any reader. At some point in the comments section commenters began to debate over the difference between what is considered ‘thick’ and what is straight out ‘fat’.

I am a thick girl and often find myself caught in the middle of a description debacle. I have thick legs and wide hips. I’ve been a terrible disappointment to a few blind dates who broke the news to me that I “wasn’t big enough for them”, apparently my size 12 was anorexic. I consider myself always a few pounds (!?) off from the weight I would like to be.

Strangely enough, there are men who I’ve met that think they are scoring points with me by telling me that they “love to watch their woman” eat. Or that they would “like to fatten me up by cooking for me or taking me out to dine often”. Surely the screw face expression I gave them let them know that I wasn’t the slightest bit turned on by the concept of encouraged gluttony. Who does that!?

There is a campaign in place that promotes body acceptance of people whose body type is not considered ‘the standard’. I’m all for body acceptance for any group of people who fall outside of the currently acceptable norms EXCEPT for fat people. I know I”m gonna catch hell for this one but I could give a dam.

There is nothing sexy about being fat in my opinion; in addition being fat is just as much of a social burden as is being a smoker or a drug addict. Being fat is a contributing factor to so many personal health issues. If people justifiably don’t feel they should be responsible for providing health care for smokers and drug addicts once their lifestyle becomes a health risk then why is it okay for those same people to bear the burden of accommodating people that are only that way because they won’t back their asses up from the table. I support what ever mental health assistance is needed to over come ANY of these ill habits but I won’t contribute to the mass dissolution that these practices are merely ‘lifestyle choices’.

Large people cause a social burden by forcing the rest of society to accommodate their bulge. They require different housing arrangements, they require additional medical providers and specialists. People can get so big they are unable to move around and must then collect disability and with that comes special consideration for housing and other social programs. How much does it cost for those reinforced beds, for those required knee braces and electronic wheelchairs they use to zip up and down the aisle at Walmart? These things should be freed up to be more available for the vulnerable members of society that are not this way due to the poor choices they made.

To be clear, I am not talking about those that are heavy due to health (mental) issues. I’m talking about people who would be a healthier weight but for the fact that they stuff themselves with fatty processed foods and sit on their huge asses. But that’s mean of me to say, right? Fat people are fat because of some special reason and it’s not nice to point out that they hold some responsibility for the condition they are in.

I also understand the health risks involved in being overweight. I am a small woman and my height is not meant to accommodate being overweight. I’ve gained plenty of weight over the years due to either pregnancy or injury. There is nothing nice about my otherwise healthy knees giving out while I ascend stairs; I realized how serious weight can affect one’s health when I started wheezing and gasping for breath in my sleep. No sleep from tossing and turning due to back pain, cracking and popping joints when I moved the slightest bit and the realization that I was becoming a prisoner in my own body helped me become determined to drop the weight as soon as I was able.

The ‘fat liberation’ movement’s stance is that overweight people are targets of hatred and discrimination. Society also subjects obese women to more social pressure than obese men. Disregard and disrespect towards obese people can often be seen in media outlets as fat people are ridiculed or pitied. Fat people may feel discriminated against by the lack of equal access to transportation and employment.

Some people that champion the issues of fat people are also against those that ‘celebrate’ fat as a sexual characteristic. The movement argues that fat fetishism undermines social movements towards fat acceptance, through counter-productive objectification and dehumanization of fat people. They argue that often, many fat fetishists derive sexual pleasure from the immobility, disability, and/or helplessness of the fat person. Some people take issue with the fact that these fat people are further encouraged to gain weight for the pleasure of those who ‘love’ them.

Fat fetishism include those that find fondling an overweight person’s adipose tissue arousing. They may be aroused by the presence of a pannus or other hanging flaps of skin such as those on the thighs, arms, and back. Those who are attracted to overweight men may be aroused by a fat man’s larger breasts (a condition called pseudogynecomastia). A male fat fetishist may enjoy inserting his penis between the deep folds of skin on an overweight person’s body, and thrusting to orgasm in a practice similar to mammary intercourse. There are others that become aroused by the smell of mold within skin flaps or the scent of lover so large that she/he is unable to achieve proper hygiene.

There are several terms that refer to the roles adopted within the fat fetish culture. A feeder is an individual who feeds another person. A feedee may be characterized as an individual choosing to gain weight with the aid of a feeder. A gainer is similar to a feedee, but gainers generally seek to gain by their own hand, although they may welcome encouragement by an encourager. An appreciator is a fat admirer in the gaining community who is not interested in either gaining or encouraging, but is content to sit and watch those who do participate in gaining weight for the sexual gratification of themselves and others.

Immobility refers to the state in which someone has either given up walking and exercise in order to gain more weight quicker, usually by sitting in the same place without moving for days, weeks or months and eating nonstop. The person may become so weighted down by their body that movement is either impossible or impractical (such as extreme slowness or getting stuck in door frames).

Although this may not meet the requirements of a sexual neurosis, one thing became clear to me while researching this subject. Some men maybe aroused by fat women for one of two negative reasons A) it makes them feel in control of another human being and B) these men get off on the humiliating aspect of obesity (they are sadists).

I do want to point out to the women who think they are being ‘admired’ that they may be dealing with a set of anxieties and psychological pathologies within themselves and others, rather than aesthetic trend in beauty. This denial may be a fantasy that is being used to escape low-self esteem and their own masochist impulses. Fat acceptance doesn’t seem as much of a celebration once you dissect some of the motivations behind the ‘BIG IS BEAUTIFUL’ spiel.

Am I writing this to be a mean old bitch? Nope, although I’ll be accused of such regardless. I write this to highlight the ways in which being overweight may not be in anyone’s best interest and to highlight the ways in which we can sometimes trick ourselves into believing that unhealthy actions are perfectly normal.

I realize that healthy food is not always readily available; like others I’ve lived in neighborhoods that had no easily accessible supermarkets. My solution was to take public transportation to the nearest one. The money spent on car fare was easily justified by the better options those supermarkets offered. I would walk to that same supermarket during the warmer months. And even if you can get no further than the neighborhood bodega, choosing to purchase and eat oatmeal or a non-sugary cereal with skim milk is a healthier and more affordable solution than that box of chicken you can cop at the Halal joint around the way.

My point is that people are much more responsible for the condition they find themselves in then they allow themselves to believe. No amount of clothes from Ashley Stewart can beautify a heart condition, nor the potential underlying self esteem problems big people may be experiencing. Rather than ask why does a man or woman choose or decline to choose to deal with a fat person as a love interest; I ask why does that fat person choose to not love themselves enough to take an interest in their health and their quality of life? If there is a missing love connection it would be between the person and themselves and not with those who do or do not choose to have them as a romantic partner.

The post Big, Sexy, & Unhealthy appeared first on Madness & Reality.

by Joanna (JuJuBe)

Well, you all will be happy to know that the supposed “obesity epidemic” among teenagers has NOTHING TO DO with the fact that there are fast food restaurants on just about every corner of every city in the country. It is TOTALLY UNRELATED to the ever increasing number of processed, high fat, low nutrition products available on supermarket shelves. Parents, it is NOT YOUR FAULT that your kid is getting fat, because it is has NOTHING TO DO WITH the chicken nuggets and pizza you are feeding him three meals a day Nope… the truth is… it is all the fault of….. THOSE DAMNED ILLEGALS!!!

Yes, it is true!! Those pesky Mexicans are making American kids fat!!! According the the Center for Immigration Studies, the REAL REASON kids in the US are getting fatter is because of ILLEGALS who are coming in and… gasp… mowing our lawns!! Because the truth is, mowing lawns was what was keeping American kids fit in past generations. Not running around with their friends outside! Not playing sports! Not moving, jumping and playing in real life instead of in a video game! Nope, it was MOWING LAWNS that did the trick!

See, now you all can breathe a sigh of relief. It is NOT OUR FAULT that American kids are fatter than ever! Not at all! Forget about telling your kids to shut off the TV and the video games and go play outside. Don’t bother encouraging them to play sports either. And fast food? Feel free to feed your kids Mickey D’s and Burger King every night of the week, because THAT IS NOT WHY THEY ARE OBESE!!! Nope… the reason your kids are fat is because some damn Mexican is stealing their jobs mowing lawns and delivering newspapers!

So, if we get rid of all of those pesky illegals, apparently, our kids will start mowing the lawn and raking leaves again, and magically all of those pounds they put on will just drop right off!

And oh yeah, there will be less traffic, lower gas prices, and more effective schools! Who knew the solution to all of our woes was so simple???

The post Illegal Immigration is making YOUR kids FAT!!! appeared first on Madness & Reality.

By Eco.Soul.Intellectual

Sometimes you gotta put your foot in a little ass, and recently it was a narrow, pale Korean ass talking a whole bunch of shit in Atlanta.

You’ve already heard the news. An overweight black woman was charged extra at a nail salon because of her weight. According to the owner, big asses are breaking the spa chairs; resulting in an extra charge to cover future repairs.

Uhhhh, aren’t you supposed to put maintenance and repairs in your budget?

And since I’ve lived in Atlanta, I can verify that there ain’t nothing but big booties and thick chicks all through that city. Sooooo, maybe that salon owner needs to pack her shit and relocate.

That is why I’m calling women of every race who is over 200 lbs to visit that salon in Decatur and break all those bitches chairs. Get your feet all crusty and squat the fuck on them chairs and dare a bitch to tell you to move.

According to fat studies, discriminating against overweight, obese, fluffy, and big-boned people are grossly under-reported biases.

This incident is beyond insensitive, but to tell you the truth, I’ve been to Korea, and have spoken to some cool folk over there who keep it real on the perceptions that are spread in the country about African-Americans.
When I was in 18-years-old in Korea, a woman suggested that I could stand to lose some weight. I cringed but looked at her figure that was just nipples and an asshole and laughed. Perceptions of body beauty are definitely cultural.

Now don’t get me wrong, I’ve met some cool Koreans. But I also know how the pursuit of capital in this society will twist the worldviews of many. Ask the black folk who support the Arizona immigration bill.

Unfortunately, in the eye of many immigrant merchants, black Americans are mindless consumers who are trusted as far as their dollar hits the cashier’s hand.

On the flip side, that sister could stand to lose some pounds. Regardless if black folk like them thick or not. She was a little unhealthy. And I’m saying this becuase I love my sisters and we collectively need to work it out more.
Plus, the former patron prolly went there to get a cheap discount that exploited workers who sit in those toxic fumes all day. And I bet you a thousand dollars, she found another Korean owner who is talking more shit under her breath while she exfoliates the dead skin from her swollen feet.

Pay a little more money and go to a salon that respects you and your swollen ankles.

Blog on…EcoSoul

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By Joanna (JuJuBe)

Obesity — defined as a body mass index, of 30 or higher — was associated with a 25 percent increase in the likelihood of major depression, bipolar disorder and panic disorder.

Although the risk of depression over a lifetime is about 20 percent, the study indicated that it is 28 percent among people who are obese, a statistically significant difference.

The link between obesity and mental illness was most pronounced among those who were more educated and had higher incomes. The association may be as high as 44 percent among individuals who had attended some college, according to the research. No significant differences between the sexes were found.

The study sparked debate over the chicken-and-egg question of which comes first — obesity or mental illness. One expert suggested that the two conditions perpetuate one another.”Source

I remember riding in a cab one day and discussing my experiences with mental illness with the driver. He told me “Just lose weight and all of your mental health issues will go away.” I was offended. 

But then I really sat and thought about what he said. I had to question whether there was kernel of truth to what he was saying. All my life I had told myself that if I was just thin, I would be happy. Then, these doctors had come along and told me that I was “mentally ill”- that I had a biological condition not related to my weight that caused me to suffer from depression, mood swings, and an inability to participate in health, mutually beneficial relationships.

It was so easy to accept the word of the doctors. After all, most people believe that an individual is fat because of their own laziness and lack of moral integrity. So, I had walked around believing that since my weight caused me misery, I had brought it all on myself. So, I quickly latched on to the “mental illness” theory because it meant that my issues were NOT MY FAULT.

Over time though, I have come to believe that the intersection of mental health and obesity is far more complex.

I have a condition called “borderline personality disorder” which presents as a severe problem establishing appropriate boundaries, obsessiveness, and fear of abandonment. A chemical component has NOT been established as a causative factor for BPD. It does not respond to medication. Most doctors believe that environmental factors (or “nurture”) have a larger role in the development of BPD than genetic or biological factors (or “nature”). Looking back over my life, I believe that I was so severely traumatized by the bullying I received as a child due to my weight issues that I developed maladaptive ways of coping which resulted in BPD.

So, I really hate my BPD diagnoses. Instead of blaming the people who constantly bullied me and the ones who failed to stand up and protect me, I blame myself. I feel like it was “my fault” that I was fat, and that the people who terrorized me were only responding to a situation I brought upon myself and could have prevented. Maybe if the societal messages that fat people are ugly, stupid, and worthless were not so strong, I would not have developed this disorder. Maybe BPD is not even real. Maybe it is just an excuse for my failure to thrive. I have even gone so far as to tell my doctor that BPD is not a “real” mental illness, and that the real problem is that I am a just a fucked up person (part of me has bought into the idea that most of society perpetuates- that mental illness is not a “real” disability and mentally ill people deserve derision, not support).

I wonder how many children will develop this disorder because they suffered at the hands of bullies? If our society was not so filled with hatred, if discrimination was not so acceptable, could the next generation have better mental health? Why do we consider it OK to mock people, especially children, for being different, and expect that there will not be serious consequences down the line?

I have also been diagnosed as being bipolar, and having generalized anxiety and panic disorder. These I can deal with. In fact, I sometimes ENJOY these diagnoses, since they give me an excuse for my bad behavior and actions. If I hurt someone I love, I can tell them it was the mania talking. When I am too lazy to go shopping, go to work, or even shower, I can say it is because of my depression. And maybe I am telling the truth.

Depression causes changes in appetite. Some people eat exorbitant amounts of food when they are depressed, simply because it provides them comfort. I know when I become extremely down or very anxious, eating helps to relieve some of the tension. So, for many people, depression can lead to weight gain. I believe that depression from childhood contributed to my weight gain when I was younger.

So, did my mental illness cause me to become fat or did the fact that I was fat cause me to become mentally ill? I do not know, but I suspect that the answer is not so cut and dried. I think that I became fat for a variety of reasons, including depression, genetics, and laziness. I believe that the torment I faced at the hands of my peers as a child triggered my predisposition towards depression, and that my depression caused my weight gain to spiral out of control. And from there is was a vicious cycle. The more I ate, the fatter I got.The fatter I got, the more depressed I became. The more depressed I became, the more I ate. And the fatter I got, the more I was tormented. The more I was tormented, the more my coping mechanisms became maladaptive.

I think that if someone had recognized that I was suffering as a child and had interceded on my behalf I would be healthier today. If so much stigma was not attached to being overweight, I would not have gotten to the point where food was my only friend. If I had been treated with kindness instead of ridiculed as a child, I would be a different person than I am today.

Would I be fat? I do not know. Would I have been mentally ill? Again, I cannot answer that question. But, it is what it is. I AM fat. I AM mentally ill. And, if I work really hard, I KNOW I can be a happy, successful person despite both of those facts.

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