The Year in Fat, Part 2

January 15, 2010 | By: Rakisha White

I apologize for taking so long with this post. It’s been a busy month. –Rakisha

5. So Called Pro Health Ads Insult: In September, New York City Health Department unveiled a series of ads warning New Yorkers of the health perils of drinking too much soda and other sugary beverages. Eating balanced meals and exercising every for at least 20 minutes a 5 times a week is the ideal for maintaining a healthy body. (Repeat after me, Being Fat or Overweight Doesn’t Mean You’re Unhealthy! There are skinny unhealthy people, by the way.) We all know this to be true, but there’s no need to force it down our throats with such disgusting ads. Take a look below.

Finally, in an effort to beat people to a bloody pulp encourage people to become vegetarians, PETA posts a billboard in Florida that calls overweight women as “whales.” Besides being blatantly offensive to overweight women and men, it yet again reinforces the idea that women are just pieces of inanimate slabs of meat to be controlled or harangued or manipulated by society and advertisers into conforming to an ideal standard of beauty.

PETA's Now Infamous Ad

4. The DD Boob Tube: Some fat folks couldn’t decide if the sudden spike in fatties on TV during the summer was a plus or a negative. This year we saw a Dancing with the Stars and The Biggest Loser combo called “Dance Your Ass Off” hosted by DWTS alum and Tony award winner Marissa Jaret Winokur. (A show that I enjoyed the few times I saw it although I was always afraid that Marissa’s girdle was going to explode.) We saw the plus-sized version of The Bachelor, More to Love, which was even more repulsive because their were fat girl dating stereotypes abound. Finally, there was Lifetime’s hit dramedy Drop Dead Diva, which featured a size 16 lead character. Unfortunately, the issue of her weight came up a lot. (But DDD has won me over because of breakout star’s Brooke Elliott wonderful acting, and is pro-woman and sisterhood. It also carries the message of that people need to stop judging people from their looks and judge them on their insides.)

3. Glamour Mag Pushes the Fat Agenda: In the September issue of Glamour magazine, there was a naked plus-sized model named Lizzie Miller that sent a shock wave through overweight, fat, chubby, chunky, flabby American women everywhere. Why? Because Lizzie was sitting naked, smiling, and looking beautiful all the while having belly overhang. To follow up on the huge amount of publicity, Glamour magazine featured a spread of seven naked plus-size models in their November 2009 issue. On the flip side, in its September issue, Self magazine doctored cover girl Kelly Clarkson’s picture by shaving at least 20 pounds off her curvy frame.

2. Is She Too Fat to Be Our Health Advocate?: Dr. Regina Benjamin is nation’s new Surgeon General. This accomplished physician was the first African-American woman selected to be on the American Medical Associations’ board of trustees and is health advocate for the poor and for women’s rights. According to the pundits and talking heads at Fox News, Dr. Benjamin is obese and thus unfit to be the United States’ head doc.

1. Riding the Fat Wave to the Oscars: The movie Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire has become the breakout indie movie of the year. Besides the controversial subject matter about a morbidly obese teen being sexually abused by both her mother and father, the movie has been receiving big time buzz for its two leading ladies. There’s plus-size advocate and funny woman, Mo’Nique, who not only debuted her late-night talk show on BET this fall but has been nominated for a Golden Globe nomination. Big screen newcomer Gabourey Sidibe, who plays the lead character, has tons of confidence and has shown to be unapologetic about her weight in interviews. She has also been nominated for a Golden Globe for best actress. Wins in those fields almost guarantees wins at the Oscar. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to see someone big, proud, beautiful and different looking receive the award? Good luck ladies!