Jezebel: Obesity

Yuppie Foodies Hoodwinked By "Health Halo"

Jessica — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 16:20:00 EST

Did you guys know that if you're eating too much, you'll gain weight? Even if the food you're gorging on has healthy buzz words like "trans-fat free" and "organic"? Well, apparently folks in a new study conducted by New York Times science reporter John Tierney were easily distracted by shiny ad-speak and that's why health professionals think they're not losing weight. Tierney refers to the "lite" terminology as the "health halo."

Our collaboration began in a nutritionally correct neighborhood, Brooklyn’s Park Slope, whose celebrated food co-op has a mission statement to sell “organic, minimally processed and healthful foods.” I hit the streets with two questionnaires…Half of the 40 people surveyed were shown pictures of a meal consisting of an Applebee’s Oriental Chicken Salad and a 20-ounce cup of regular Pepsi. (You can see it for yourself at TierneyLab.) On average, they estimated that the meal contained 1,011 calories, which was a little high. The meal actually contained 934 calories — 714 from the salad and 220 from the drink. The other half of the Park Slopers were shown the same salad and drink plus two Fortt’s crackers prominently labeled “Trans Fat Free.” The crackers added 100 calories to the meal, bringing it to 1,034 calories, but their presence skewed people’s estimates in the opposite direction. The average estimate for the whole meal was only 835 calories — 199 calories less than the actual calorie count, and 176 calories less than the average estimate by the other group for the same meal without crackers.

You know what's rich (besides, apparently, those Fortt's crackers)? The French Doctor who helped Tierney conduct the experiment then turns around and accuses Americans of being joyless fatties who are nonetheless obsessed with nutrition. “Being French, I don’t have any problem with people enjoying lots of foods,” says the Frog. “Europeans obsess less about nutrition but know what a reasonable portion size is and when they have had too much food, so they’re not as biased by food and diet fads and are healthier. Too many Americans believe that to lose weight, what you eat matters more than how much you eat. It’s the country where people are the best informed about food and enjoy it the least.”

Health Halo Can Hide the Calories [NY Times]

Study: Overweight Women More Likely To Be Criminals

Jessica — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 09:30:00 EST

The Department of Psychiatry at the University of Connecticut spent a year studying the detailed diaries of 41,218 adults, and they found that significantly overweight women suffer the highest levels of stress — including, perhaps, the stress of bank heists. The Telegraph reports that "overweight women are more likely to lose their jobs, be a victim of crime and have money troubles. They are also more likely to be criminals themselves." And that's not all: "obese women were more likely to face the death of a friend or relative [and] be sacked or made redundant…the workplace was where women experienced the highest level of stress, saying that they felt more discriminated against than their overweight male colleagues."

But, as the normally insensitive Daily Mail points out, discrimination could play a huge part in these findings. "Discrimination leads to low self-esteem which means the victims do not stand up for themselves, losing out on promotion or being first in line when redundancies occur."

The overweight women were also least likely to break up with a longterm partner or get a divorce. Of course, we're always just reading summaries of long reams of research in popular papers, so it's difficult to get a real sense of the study and the corresponding data. But some of the stories about this study wonder: are these women stressed out solely because they're overweight, or does the stress itself lead to the weight gain?

Obesity Is A Curse For Women [Telegraph]
Fat Chance: On The Scales Of Injustice, Overweight Women Always Lose Out

New "Exercise In A Pill" Still Requires, You Know, Exercise

Maria — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 09:30:00 EDT

Couch potatoes: what if scientists told you that you could enjoy all the benefits of exercise without any of that pesky effort and dedication? Sounds good, right? Who doesn't hate doing stuff? Well, researchers at the Salk Institute have found two drugs that can mimic athletic endurance in mice. Of course, theoretically, one still has to do exercise to reap the benefits of these "exercise pills," but that won't stop journalists (and the researchers who oversaw the project) from calling these drugs "exercise in a pill."

The two drugs studied, GW1516 and Aicar, work by increasing a gene-controlling protein called PPAR-delta that remodels the muscle and increasing the growth of Type 1 fibers within the muscle, which makes the muscles resistant to fatigue. There are two types of muscle fibers, Type 1, and Type 2 which tires more easily. Athletes and fit people have lots of Type 1 fibers and people with obesity and diabetes have more Type 2. With the first drug, GW1516, the mice had to have had exercise training to show endurance, while the second drug, Aicar, required no training to show increased endurance.

Basically, this pill isn't a free ride for those too lazy to walk around the corner to go to yoga and want to take a pill to make up for lost gym days; it's more of an enhancement drug for athletes (just in time for the Olympics) but it can also help people who would benefit from exercise but are too weak to do so, like those suffering from diabetes or morbid obesity.

Drug Offer Promises Of Fitness Without Effort [IHT]
Just Sitting Back To Get In Shape: Two Pills Do The Work Of Exercise [WSJ]
'Exercise Pill' Burns Fat— If You're A Mouse [CNN]

Only Coloreds And Communists Are Going To Vote For Obama, Cont'd…

Moeiscaterwaulingaboutthepatriarchy — Tue, 27 May 2008 18:30:00 EDT

"Whether it’s Billy Ayers or Bernadine Dohrn, Tom Hayden or Jane Fonda, or any of the other lesser-knowns, 60s Marxist radicals are lining up behind Obama." [National Review]
And like check this quote from Francis Fukuyama that acid-dropping borderline ecoterrorist: "It needs to do some symbolic things like, we shouldn't torture people." [Yahoo! News]
"I haven't sat through a single Obama speech without ideologically wincing at something…So why do I find myself still longing for him to win?" (Wild guess: he is hot.) [Andrew Sullivan]
And another Obamican meme blowing up the internet now. [Excons.org]
McCain gave a speech on nukes that was somewhere to the left of Bush and to the right of the Obama/Kissinger (?) side of things and it was high on protesters and low on specifics except that he would "never surrender in Iraq." Oh, Bravo. [Wash Post]

A Detroit seventh grader named Keiara Bell has gained local notoriety calling out politicians over acting like "second graders." No seriously, aside from that text message scandal, a council member called another a "Shrek." [WSJ]
JP Morgan says inflation is set to hit its highest rate in 17 years! Easy for them to say as they did not exactly pay an inflated price for Bear Stearns. [WSJ]
Oh no, America has stopped getting fatter. This could be a terrible sign for numerous economic sectors, from the restaurant industry to the perennially cash-strapped agriculture sector to the entire health care economy, the country's only non-military net job creator in the past ten years…I would predict steady Japan circa 1998-style deflation and a good decade of GDP stagnation, but…yeah, wishful thinking. [NYT]

Justine Henin Retires • Basket-Weaving Brings Women Together

Jessica — Thu, 15 May 2008 17:30:00 EDT

Justine Henin, the # 1-ranked tennis player in the world, is retiring at 25. The battling Belgian is going out on top! • In other sports news, Kashmiri girls are beginning to play soccer more and more. An under-19 tournament will be held in Kargil next month. • A new study has shown that obese adults are twice as likely to suffer from depression (among other mental illnesses) as adults of normal weight. • Nutritionists have found that dairy intake does not necessarily promote weight loss, despite what certain marketing messages would like to have us believe. .• Chemicals called pyrethrins, found in pet shampoos and insecticides, may cause autism in unborn and very young children. • Rwandan women are weaving "peace" baskets to be sold at Macy's; one of the weavers, Iphigenia Mukantabana, a Tutsi, works alongside Epiphania Mukanyndwi, a Hutu — whose husband helped kill Iphigenia's entire family. • A new dating site called RocknRollDating.com pairs people off by musical preference. • The makers of "the original fitness skirt," SkirtSports, are sponsoring the SkirtChaser Race Series in which women wearing skirts are chased by men. • Women working in hard sciences find that it still has an "old boys club" atmosphere, according to a new report from the National Science Foundation. Fifty-two percent drop out of these fields between ages 35 and 40.

"Untouchable" Girl Thrown On Fire • Low Weight And Education-Levels Linked

maria — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 17:30:00 EDT

• A 6-year-old Indian girl was thrown into a fire by a man for being an untouchable. • People of Lesbos insulted by term 'lesbian', sue a gay rights group. • A 94-year old woman becomes Britain's oldest bride. • Sixty-nine percent of mothers ages 18 to 34 incur medical debt. • Afghanistan holds the world's highest maternal mortality rates. • Afghans also jail raped and abused women. • Another reason to switch to lipstick: lip gloss invites skin cancer. • Baby boomers complain that hearing loss puts strain on marriages. • Obesity prevention programs can reduce eating disorders as well as obesity. • Is there a link between a healthy weight and education? • Bare-bottomed prom invites get suspended. • Low birth-weight can lead to greater weight gain in adulthood. • 18th-century opera singers were the original celebrity bad-girls. • Breast-feeding is up: 3 in 4 moms breast-feed their infants.

Sugar-Free Babies

maria — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 10:45:00 EDT

Researchers have found that more American women are entering into pregnancy with diabetes, raising the potential for problems during their pregnancy and infants with diabetes and obesity. The study has found that diabetes increased fivefold among pregnant women 13- to 19-years of age (ack!), and doubled among pregnant women 20- to 39-years of age. The increase in diabetes among pregnant women is due to the rise in obesity, especially among black, Hispanic and Asian/Pacific Islander women. Well, our organic, hearth-baked, locally-grown, grass fed, fruit-juice-sweetened neurotic food obsessions are looking good right now! But considering the age of some of these women (uh, 13?) these problems could stem from lack of access to information about healthy pregnancies, let alone healthy eating habits. [Reuters]

Tyra Tackles The Weighty Issue Of "Fatsploitation"

Tracie — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 19:00:00 EDT

Today, Tyra took on the subject of "fatsploitation", talking to morbidly-obese women (500+ lbs) who make a living using their full figures for nude and lingerie modeling, as well as "squashing," the practice of applying large amounts of pressure on a man with one's own weight. One of the guests was a woman named Queen Raqui, who charges $300 an hour to squash men. She was adamant about the fact that there is nothing sexual about her business, and that she's just about "fat acceptance" as a cause. But I want to call bullshit on that. If she isn't selling sex, why is she catering to this fetish? Furthermore, why does she pose in lingerie on her site and charge a monthly subscription fee? And why are all her clients men? Clip above.

For the first time in almost a century, life ...

Jessica — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 10:45:00 EDT

For the first time in almost a century, life expectancy has dropped for some American women. According to a study published today in PLoS Medicine, a journal of the Public Library of Science, life expectancy for women has declined in 1,000 counties. The Washington Post reports that those 1,000 counties are home to 12% of the nation's women — most of them poor and located in the Deep South, Appalachia, and the lower Midwest. "The most dramatic change occurred in two areas in southwestern Virginia (Radford City and Pulaski County), where women's life expectancy has decreased by more than five years since 1983," says the Post. Study leader Dr. Christopher J.L. Murray attributes some of the decline to the growing obesity epidemic and the related increase in heart disease and type 2 diabetes. The other reason for the decline is the uptick in women smoking. "I think this is a harbinger. This is not going to be isolated to this set of counties, is my guess," Murray told the Post. [WaPo]

Girls are joining organized sports in record ...

maria — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 16:20:00 EDT

Girls are joining organized sports in record numbers, but their participation (and performance) in physical activity outside of organized sports is declining. A recent study by the University of Minnesota finds that while more and more girls are joining teams and reaping the physical and mental benefits, the girls that have higher risks of obesity, diabetes, and poor academic performance (namely: "girls of color [in] lower socioeconomic groups") have little access to organized sports. In addition, "stereotypical standards of femininity" and the physical education's focus on the "motor elite" rather than developing skill has led to young women participating less and less in physical activity outside of organized sports. Maybe that has something to do with the popularity of frail-thin celebrities over "mannish-looking" toned women that these girls look up to? [Eureka Alert]

Weight Discrimination Is Rampant The World Over

Jessica — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 09:30:00 EDT

A little junk in the trunk could cost you a career in Japan, according to new government guidelines. Bloomberg reports that "Companies will be required to cut the number of overweight workers and dependents by 10 percent as of 2012 and 25 percent by 2015. Failing to do so will result in a surcharge of as much as 10 percent on contributions to a fund for elderly care." What is "overweight" in Japan? For men, it's a waistline of over 33.5 inches (85 centimeters), though other health indicators will also be used, like blood pressure, nicotine use, body mass and cholesterol. The Japanese are instituting these stringent penalties to combat the rising cost of health care and the growing obesity problem; health care spending rose 23% from 1995 to 2005. Even Sumo wrestlers, long heralded by the Japanese, are feeling the pressure to downsize: "Konishiki, whom fans call 'the Dump Truck' and who was the all- time heaviest competitor at more than 600 pounds, underwent gastric bypass surgery last month," reports Bloomberg.

But people being discriminated against because of their weight is not just specific to Japan. According to a new survey from Yale, 5% of men and twice as many women say they've faced weight discrimination, whether at the office or just generalized rude treatment. Reuters reports that "Women were particularly likely to perceive weight bias, with twice as many women as men reporting such discrimination."

It gets worse. Women who are only slightly overweight perceive comparable levels of discrimination as severely overweight men and are "particularly likely to perceive weight bias, with twice as many women as men reporting such discrimination." Says Yale researcher Dr. Rebecca M. Puhl, this is probably due to "the stringent and unrealistic ideals of thinness that are placed on women in North America."

Japan's Bulging Waistlines Trigger Flab Tests in Land of Sumo [Bloomberg, via Al Dente Blog via Andrew Sullivan]
Weight Discrimination Common, U.S. Survey Finds [Reuters]

"Hi Tracie! I'm Writing This Story About People Who Grew Up As Chubby Kids"

Tracie — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 16:00:00 EDT

I've definitely struggled with my weight, but my troubles started when I was an adult and started (and stopped) doing certain drugs, causing me to yo-yo like Anna Nicole Smith. I've dealt with the extra pounds in both healthy (the gym, Weight Watchers) and unhealthy (prescription diet pills, laxatives) ways. I've learned to accept that my relationships with food and my own reflection in the mirror are kind of like a marriage: I love them, but it takes a lot of work, patience, and forgiveness to get through the day-to-day struggles of living together. So knowing that, imagine my touchiness when I received the following email:

Hi Tracie, So I'm writing this story for [redacted] about people who grew up as chubby kids and became successful, more svelte adults (Obama, Bill Clinton, Gwen Stefani, Meredith Viera, etc.). I want to hear from other people who struggled with weight issues when they were kids. I heard you might be someone to talk about this. If I'm totally wrong or you're uncomfortable speaking on the record, I understand completely! But let me know if you'd be willing to chat for the article, we can talk on background/anonymously as well. I am a former fat kid and know how these things go. Anyway, let me know!

This is seriously one of the most ridiculous emails I've received. I know the girl writing to me didn't mean to offend in any way, and it's really not her fault, but my gut reaction when I first read it was a rubber-necked, "Bitch!" See, the thing is, I was never fat as a child. Check out that picture of me and my sister. I've never looked so svelte in a bikini! But all kidding aside, I guess mainly I was offended by the fact that this woman and some other person had actually discussed how I used to be "fat". I wrote her back and told her that I couldn't help her with her story. But I'm still dying to know who offered up my name, mostly because it just reeks of underminer-ness.

Fat & Smart? Or Skinny & Stupid?

Anna — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 12:30:00 EDT

The Today show had a segment this morning ostensibly about "brains and beauty" that actually concerned some internet game "Would you rather be fat or [blank]", in which people go online and pick the "disability" they would prefer over suffering from obesity. In predictable fashion, Today show producers sent their cameras out on the street and interviewed a half-dozen people (all of them women, of course), asking "Would you rather be 40 pounds overweight and smart, or skinny and stupid?" Almost every one of the respondents picked poundage and brain cells over being svelte and stupid, except for one woman, who gave an amusing, politically-incorrect answer she will no doubt get shit for. Clip above. (A more in-depth, in-studio discussion can be seen here.)

Related: Would You Rather Be Fat Or Blank? [NBC News]

Shocker: Fat Boys Have It Easier Than Fat Girls

Moe — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 16:00:20 EST

I am not one of those people who tries to pretend there is some upside to being born a female. I just try to remind myself things like "at least I'm not blind!" and "at least I wasn't born in Algeria!" etc. etc. when I get all "victim"-y feeling about it. Because we get less pay and less respect and more hormones and more emotions and more responsibilities and more vulnerability to STDs and, it even turns out today, we get more emotional distress when our husbands or boyfriends get cancer than they even do.So anyway, no, this revelation is not going to shock you anymore than it would Judd Apatow, but it is much easier to be a fat boy than it is a fat girl. Writer Sandy Hingston has a chubby son and daughter, and while the son, a football player, looks at his size as something of an awesome feat, her daughter got an eating disorder. "By 10th grade, she was Kate Moss-thin. I was impressed by her self-control — until her hair began to fall out in clumps."

With the help of a therapist, she conquered her eating disorder. But now I was totally confused on what messages to send my kids about food. Of course I wanted Marcy healthy — but damn, she sure had looked good when she was thin. Except for the hair.

Hingston (a former colleague of mine, full disclosure) writes with an almost morbid fascination at her son's swelling size:

ake got big like a beanstalk, like a fairy-tale mushroom, big like Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox. Jake got big overnight, went from boy to man in a twinkling, so quickly that I really thought if I sat by his bed, I could see him grow. His feet and hands turned massive. His forearms became immense.

And with little but resigned sympathy at her daughter's trip back up the scale:

Last summer, a few months before my dad died, Marcy and I went to visit him. As she settled in beside him on his sofa, he observed, with cruel accuracy, "You look like you're putting on some weight." Marcy burst into tears and ran out of the room. I wanted to run as well, from a rush of old memories: Dad tucking a slim sister on either side of me before snapping the picture for our Christmas card. Dad frowning at me at Thanksgiving dinner, scolding "Not so much pie!" in front of everyone. Dad offering to pay me a hundred bucks if I'd just lose 25 pounds ... He was a kind man, a good man, but he didn't understand about girls and size and shame. Though he did realize something was amiss, at least: On our next visit, he confided to me that he'd told a number of female friends about his remark to Marcy, and that every last one of them upbraided him for being a heartless pig. Jake happened to be along on this visit, and Dad took the opportunity to ask him: "So, what do you weigh these days?"
"Three hundred 20," Jake said.

My dad smiled indulgently. Then he turned and asked me, "How can two kids be so different?"

Ugh. I know it's wrong to speak ill of the dead, but fuck him. Alas, Hingston's only consolation for her daughter is that she someday gives birth to a fat son:

I hope she has sons someday. I hope they're big, too. I hope she gets the chance to revel in what otherwise has been a curse for her. It doesn't make up for society's scorn, not completely. But it's oddly, beautifully empowering, just the same.

Ugh. You know what sounds more empowering than giving birth right now? Beer.

Living Large [Philadelphia Magazine]

The Skinny On Entertainment Tonight's Hunger For Eating Disorders

Slut Machine — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 18:00:00 EST

I'm obsessed with "the entertainment news hour" of The Insider and Entertainment Tonight. I just feel like I'm in a Paul Verhoeven-like society whenever I watch the show, with all its sparkly graphics and ridiculous commentary. It's like a giant hand that reaches into people's skulls to pet their brains, and wipe away any excess brain cells. Recently, it occured to me that the ratio of time spent actually reporting on stories and time spent teasing the stories might be dangerously close... and I was right! After the jump, an analysis of yesterday's episodes, with a pie chart! And speaking of pie, did you ever notice TI and ET's obsession with obesity and anorexia? Either people are eating too much or too little. Above is a clip of the shows' coverage of Temptresse—the new William Hung of American Idol— and "the anorexic twins."

Last night The Insider devoted 3 minutes and 25 seconds to the anorexic twins, while Entertainment Tonight devoted 3 minutes and 9 seconds to Temptresse's and her mother's obesity. Overall, The Insider spent 12.76 minutes reporting actual news, while 7.85 minutes were spent teasing what would be reported. The other 9 minutes were devoted to commercials.

Entertainment Tonight spent 13 minutes reporting, 6 minutes teasing, and 11 minutes on commercials.

Tyra Takes On Sexual Squashing Fetish

Slut Machine — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 11:00:00 EST

Yesterday's Tyra was supposed to be about "unlikely couples" who fall in love, but it ended up being about people with fetishes who happen to find one another and make it work. One of the couples featured was Eddie and Gem. Eddie, is an average-sized dude who has always been into plus-sized — or rather, morbidly obese — women, found his soul mate in Gem, who indulges his fantasy of watching her eat (carbs, in particular), and also engages in "squashing," which is when she plops down on his body repeatedly, or just lays on top of him, applying large amounts of pressure to his body with her own weight. As for Tyra herself, well, she seemed completely freaked out, but she's weird about sex even when it's at its most vanilla. Clip above.

Skinny Bitches Are Breaking Our Health Care System

Anna — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 09:30:00 EST

Well, they're not, actually; that was just a way to draw your eyes to this item! But on a day when both the economy and the failing health care system are in the forefront of voters' minds, we were fascinated by the following news now all over the wires: overweight and obese individuals are easier — and cheaper — to treat. Dutch researchers writing in the journal the Public Library of Science Medicine report that the healthier the person, the more expensive their medical care over the course of their lives: about $417,000 for the thin and healthy, $371,000 for the obese and $326,000 for smokers. Logical, yes — smokers and the morbidly obese don't tend to live particularly long lives — but the findings, taken from mathematical models of three (hypothetical) groups of 1,000 people, may a big bucket of heavy cream on the argument the obesity epidemic contributes to higher health care costs.

Oh, and about that obesity epidemic: Science Daily reports that, after examining the average population weight gain in the United States over the past 42 years, British doctors are arguing that claims about the problem "often exceed the scientific evidence" and that "the categories of normal, overweight and obese is entirely arbitrary and at odds with the underlying evidence about the association between body mass index and mortality." Health economists and epidemiologists counter that the associated health care problems associated with obesity — diabetes, heart disease, elevated blood pressure — are not only well-established but growing. Whatever the experts say, the least we can do today, if not get on a treadmill and eat a spinach salad with steamed chicken, is exercise our right to vote.

Actually, A Long Healthy Life Costs More [MSNBC]
Fat People Cheaper To Treat, Study Says [Breitbart]
Is The Obesity Epidemic Exaggerated? [ScienceDaily]

Mississippi To Ban Fat People From Eating In Public!?

Moe — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 12:00:00 EST

The Mississippi State House is proposing a law that would ban restaurants from serving people with a BMI higher than 30. On one hand, of course, you could say that's no worse than laws preventing bartenders from serving another shot of whiskey to that guy who just chipped a tooth falling off his stool. On the other hand, of course, an obese person is not going to use the opportunity afforded by an unnecessary plate of chicken and dumplings to pinch the ass of the waitress, puke in the bathroom sink, take a piss next to your dumpster and ram into an oncoming car on the way home, so there's really not much of a comparison. More seriously though, would it work? Wouldn't the nation's fat people, faces hot with the shame of being weighed publicly on a scale outside the Outback Steakhouse, simply drive straight to the nearest convenience store and pick up a few pints of Karamel Sutra to cool off? Aren't our seriously fat citizens too poor to indulge in that much Panera bread anyway? Moreover, did Rep. W.T. Mayhall not hear? Americans are officially no longer the fats of the world. Just like with that whole economy racket, we're being surpassed by the Euros!

And Finland, Germany, Greece, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Malta all have a higher proportion of overweight adults than the United States, according to a report by the International Obesity Task Force in 2005.

Seriously, WTF, Greece and Cyprus? So much for the Mediterranean diet! If you manage to get fat off olives and red wine, do you have any idea how fat you'd be if you were born in the land of the deep-fried Oreo???

Anyway, suffice it to say that no one expects the bill to pass, but you can't fault them for trying to combat obesity, which could result in mass foot amputations remember, in new and innovative ways. And obesity is not the only terrible societal ill they are targeting!

Many bills are likely to fall to the wayside, such as HB 282, which discourages restaurants from serving certain kinds of food to obese people, and HB 291, which authorizes castration as part of a sentence for a rape conviction.

I fucking love this country.

No Fat People Allowed: Only The Slim Will Be Allowed To Dine In Public! [JunkFoodScience]
EU Introduces Food Labeling To Cut Obesity Rates
Legislative Update, Week 3: Cigs And Cells [Jackson Free Press]
Related: Passenger Only Gets Half Her Seat On Delta Flight [Consumerist]

12-Year-Old Girl Gets Liposuction, Hot Pink Bikini

Slut Machine — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 18:00:00 EST

The Insider has been following the weight-loss journey of Brooke, a heavy-set sixth grader from Texas who turned to liposuction to drop the extra pounds after "diet and exercise didn't work." We aren't just calling bullshit on this — we're screaming bullshit on it it. Diet and exercise happens to work for everyone, you just have to apply yourself. And if it doesn't work for you, then that means you have some sort of medical condition like diabeedus or a thyroid disorder. Also, at her heaviest, that girl weighed 218 lbs. Sure, that's not thin, but it isn't morbidly obese either. Anyway, her mother insists the liposuction saved her life but we're convinced that her mom is a nut and her doctor is a quack for allowing this girl to be put under general anesthesia multiple times. Check out the clip above, and find out the twist ending. Spoiler alert: It involves more surgery!

NYC Billionaire Mayor Totally Hates Babymakers

Jessica — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 17:00:00 EST

Another woman has accused Bloomberg L.P. of discriminating against the pregnant. Monica Prestia has joined the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's lawsuit against the financial giant. Apparently a barren supervisor was "openly hostile" to the fertile Prestia. That sort of sounds like the fertile crescent. Now I can't stop thinking about vaginas. [NY Times]
Doctors say that exercise helps people who suffer from fibromyalgia. You know, for those few minutes a day when they're not experiencing crippling pain. [Science Daily]
Most hysterectomies are still done the invasive way, by opening up the abdomen and taking out the uterus. Another, less invasive option? The uterus can be extracted through the vagina. On the upside, it leaves no scars. The downside is they're taking your uterus out through your vagina. [Reuters]

Ugh, this guy deserves the chair: a man in Tennessee is accused of shocking his two teenage daughters with electric collars used on dogs and then raping them. [ABC News]

President Moron vetoed a bill that would have provided $310.9 million in family-planning services which would have provided services for 139,000 women. I can't wait for election 2008. [Feminist Majority Foundation]

Some obese women with BMIs over 35 are being denied in-vitro fertilization because of their weight. The British Fertility Society says that IVF should only be offered to women whose BMI is 30 or under because "Obesity reduces the chances that a woman will conceive naturally and decreases the possibility that fertility treatment will be successful." [BBC News]

F-- & Happy Might Not Be So Impossible

mcarpentier — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 18:00:00 EST

Did you ever think to yourself, "You know what? I might be overweight but I'm actually not unhappy about that. I look decent, I feel healthy, fuck it, I don't want to deny myself food or spend hours at the gym!"? And then did you subsequently feel a little guilty about that (maybe after a visit to your doctor) because you keep hearing that refrain in your head about dying sooner and getting diseases and whatever? Well, today, doctors have some slightly less crappy news for those women with BMIs between 25 and 30: you might not actually die that much quicker, maybe. A run down of the results, after the jump.

So, the federal government classifies people with BMIs between 25 and 30 as "overweight" and those with BMIs of over 30 as "obese." Of course, two-thirds of Americans are technically over their federally mandated BMI for their height, which kinda means that "overweight" is now functionally equivalent to normal, Hollywood and fashion mags be damned, but whatevs.

Point is, the scientists examined cause of death data for 2.3 million Americans from 2004 and found that, while obesity had a strong statistical correlation with excess deaths due to diabetes, kidney and heart disease and with fat-related cancers (breast, uterine, ovarian, kidney, colon, esophageal and pancreatic), obesity wasn't actually strongly associated with an increased risk in cancer deaths.

But being only overweight didn't have any correlation with excess death due to heart disease or cancer at all, though there was an association with diabetes and kidney disease. But the really good news was that being overweight was actually associated with a decreased risk of almost every other kind of non-heart, non-cancer-related death, including injury, tuberculosis, emphysema, pneumonia, and Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases.

Dr. Katherine M. Flegal, the lead research scientist on the study at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, says not to start packing on the pounds, though: "The take-home message is that the relationship between fat and mortality is more complicated than we tend to think." Yeah, plus, being skinny and/or alive at 90 is no compensation for a lifetime without chocolate, bread, pasta, bacon, cheese, steak and every other type of delicious food that isn't good for the size of our hips.

Being Overweight Isn't All Bad, Study Says [Washington Post]

Poor American eaters! You know how transfat ...

Jennifer — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 12:45:00 EST

Poor American eaters! You know how transfat is, like, going to totally kill you or something and that's why it's been snatched from all of our food? Well, there's one small problem: An ideal replacement fat hasn't really been identified; most of the fats being used in replacement (palm kernel oil, palm oil, coconut oil) are actually higher in saturated fat, thus not exactly making your snack foods any "healthier." Which means our country is destined to wallow in obesity until everyone starts following the Alice Waters-whole-seasonal-foods mantra. [WSJ]

Adorable Bearded Monkeys Discovered in East Africa

Jessica — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 16:00:25 EST

Cutest discovery evs?? A new population of these owl-looking motherfuckers called De Brazza's monkeys — thought to be near extinction — were found in Kenya. Look at that face! Don't you kind of want one? [National Geographic]
Britney, you best be letting Sean and Jayden get some shut-eye. A new study shows that lack of sleep may lead to obesity in children. [CBS News]
Addicted to drugs? Try battling your crack cravings through virtual reality. According to a Duke U. professor, "What we're trying to do is take people into a virtual crack-related neighborhood or crack-related setting and have them experience cravings, just like they would in the real world." [ABC News]

From the department of Obvious Studies: "The research is clear that divorce with conflict is unquestionably bad for the kids." [MSNBC]
Everyone deals with grief differently, says new research. "Some people suffer interminable grief, and others show no distress at all." [Psychology Today]
Cougars on the prowl can get Gardasil soon! According to the HPV vaccine manufacturer Merck, the company may soon approve Gardasil for women aged 26-45. The vaccine is currently only available for females ages 9-26. [MSNBC]

One poor little English squirrel is the ...

Jennifer — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 18:45:00 EDT

One poor little English squirrel is the latest victim of the ongoing obesity epidemic in England. It broke into a supposedly squirrel-proof bird feeder and ate so many nuts it too big to get out. The squirrel was rescued, at which point it ran off into the woods. Probably to purge, we assume. [Guardian]

Atoosa Stirs Up Anorexia Vs. Obesity Debate

Dodai — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 19:00:00 EDT

Former Seventeen editor and alpha Alpha Kitty Atoosa Rubenstein has alerted us to this story on her MySpace blog: Plus-sized model Nancy Hayssen posed in "lollipop-inspired baubles" in response to Oliviero Toscani's Nolita ad featuring anorexic Isabelle Caro. "Let me know what you think," Atoosa prompts. "Is Nancy (the plus-sized model) sending the right message?" Lots of Atoosa's "friends" chimed in. 18-year-old FAB from Sweden says, "To be 'stick-thin' is NOT healthy and not okay. It is a slow suicide. But then again, being overweight, and eating a bunch of junk, clogging your arteries, giving yourself a higher risk of heart attacks, strokes, etc... is NOT GOOD EITHER! We should be promoting bodies like Cameron Diaz... or Jennifer Aniston!" (Wait, Cameron Diaz is not stick thin?) Tanasha, also 18, writes, "It's good to see someone with so much confidence in a world where appearance is everything."

Miss Kate, 19, and from the Pacific Northwest, posted: "I think if anyone wants to go into modeling they should be healthy. I never liked models until I started watching America's Next Top Model hosted by Tyra Banks. She supports skinny and plus sized models. But she wants all her girls to be in the best shape possible. Tyra is an amazing person and I think she pushes models to be healthy and fit. I agree with Nancy and I disagree with her. It is important to love yourself but at the same time its not healthy to be obese." But our fave comment came from 22-year-old Countess Sexy Socks, who wrote of Nancy Hayssen, "I do believe she is trusting her gut." LOL! Atoosa's Space [MySpace]

J. Lo Should Have Her Baby Shower At Red Lobster

amparry — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 15:00:08 EDT

Contrary to what will undoubtedly be tomorrow's breaking health news report, pregnant women should eat fish, despite the mercury risk. [CBSNews]
Police in the UK have turned their attention away from the city pubs where sex slaves are sold on the down low and are now focusing their efforts on suburbia. And people say us city folk are lacking in values... [The Independent]
Talk about a major fuck up. A woman who was told she had breast cancer after a biopsy and then had a double mastectomy found out after the fact that her slide got mixed up with someone else's and she never had cancer to begin with. [ABC News]
While the HPV-strain that causes cervical cancer is only a minor annoyance for men, a leading specialist says that they should still get the HPV-vaccine to help stop the spread of the virus. C'mon guys, they'll give you a lollipop! [Daily Mail]

The Hummer is headed Down Under and a significant portion of its prospected buyers are women. What the fuck ladies? Just because your country already has a hole in the ozone layer directly above does not mean you should turn your SPF-50'd back on Mother Nature! [News.com.au]
A new study says that obese women who become pregnant could actually lose a little weight instead of gaining — doing so helps lessen the likelihood of pregnancy related high-blood pressure or having to have a Caesarean. [MSNBC]
Women are starting businesses at twice the rate of men, but those businesses are also doing, um, quite poorly. Whatever, we sold two dozen of our rhinestoned tampon holders last Christmas, and our mom said that was just awesome. [NY Times]
The work of female filmmakers in Tunisia may not get many props at home, where women are expected to be in the kitchen and not the editing room, but they're getting loads of acclaim in European and American art houses. Slumber Party Double Feature: Can't Buy Me Love and Bedouin Hacker! We'll bring the popcorn. [Christian Science Monitor]
Ugh. A 2003 Veterans Administration health care system survey reported that 28 percent of female soldiers experienced at least one sexual assault during military service which, combined with combat trauma, makes them more likely to suffer from PTSD. [NPR]
On a somewhat related note, more women are entering West Point than ever. Don't say we didn't warn you. [ABC News]
Scientists have made their first significant genetic discovery for why certain women suffer from severe PMS, otherwise known as premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD). Whatever, just get us a fucking cure already, you lazy bastards. Jesus! Fuck!!! [Science Daily]

Something's Wrong With The Body Mass Index

Dodai — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 12:00:00 EDT

If you've ever calculated your BMI (body mass index) and groaned at the category you found yourself in, you're not alone. And a post on the blog Feministe links to a collection of photos put together by a woman named Kate Harding. Harding asked friends — and any other women — to volunteer photographs, height and weight information. The result? Pictures that shock. Because a woman with what you might consider to be a "normal" body is, by BMI standards, "overweight."

A tall, curvy woman falls in the obese category. Harding's friend Laurie, who is 5 feet tall and wears a size 4, is "overweight." The pictures highlight not only what a failure a "standard" index can be, but also challenges what we expect to see when we think of terms like "morbidly obese." The World Heath Organization claims that there are over 1 billion overweight adults on our planet. And clearly, not all of them are both "morbidly obese" and triathletes, like Sarah, the woman pictured. But people around the world come in so many different shapes, sizes and proportions — does having a standard index help the ones who actually need it?

The Obesity Epidemic, In Pictures [Feministe]
Why BMI Is a Crock, In Pictures [Shakesville]
Related: BMI Calculator [CDC]
Obesity and Overweight [WHO]

CNN Schools Us On The Concept Of Female Frenemies

amparry — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 16:00:00 EDT

CNN the news network, known for its in-depth coverage of the Paris Hilton Goes To Prison Scandal, gets all deep in their exploration of "frenemies". Listen, sometimes really shallow girls turn on their friends over things like boys, and drugs, and fame. Is that so hard to understand? [CNN]
A professor at Harvard's Dental School says dentists should be at the forefront of combating domestic abuse, as the most common injuries are to the victims' head and neck areas. [Boston Globe]
Research supposedly shows that men who were born to overweight mothers have "poorer quality" sperm. In other words, KFed may LOOK cheap, but his spunk is actually quite expensive. [Daily Mail]

Black women are at a higher risk of developing the most deadly form of breast cancer and 77% are more likely to die of the disease than white women. Mother Nature is a fucking racist. [CBSNews]
Speaking of breast cancer, survivors of double mastectomies will bare all in an upcoming calendar. Normally we'd decorate our cube with a lovely Anne Geddes calendar or something, but this sounds like the kind of objectification we can get behind. [USA Today]
Duke Medical School has hired Dr. Nancy Andrews as the first woman to lead its prestigious medical school. The other medical schools in the Top Ten are all run by men. One small step for womankind... just another day on the job for man. [Breitbart]
A pair of friends may have worked together to commit over 20 rapes and upwards of 60 additional sexual assaults in Melbourne, Australia over the last decade. The assaults were dubbed "The Hot Chocolate Rapes" because the loathsome criminals slipped drugged their victims with roofie-laced hot drinks. Hopefully someone will be inspired by these two pigs and will give their disgusting willies a good scalding. [NEWS.com.au]
There's been a huge crackdown on brothels across England, but law enforcement has also discovered that many of the UK's sex slaves have been auctioned off at pubs — this is why we go to wine bars. [Guardian]
Democratic NY Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney wants to establish a global women's rights office that will have the government advocating for women around the world. Fingers crossed that Bush actually signs off on that! [Ms. Magazine]
The Times of London erroniously labeled Christina Aguilera and Avril Lavigne anti-choice in its story about Amnesty International's new abortion stance, alienating some of its rock star supporters. Oh, and it also erroniously reported that Aguilera and Avril are, in fact, "rock stars". [The Times of London]

Fat Women Don't Get Pregnant

amparry — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 16:30:00 EDT

Apparently, the fatter women get, the harder it is for them to conceive. Funny, it used to be the more underweight a woman was, the harder it was to get pregnant. But Nicole Richie, who just weighed in at a buck o' five, sure turned that nonsense on its head! [The Guardian]
Speaking of pregnancy and overweight women, more mothers in the United States are dying from childbirth than they have for decades, and, well, obesity may be partly to blame. [MSNBC]
A recent study says that spending more time in the sun could help prevent breast and colon cancer. Hey, how about we all stop listening to scientists? Starting now? [Daily Mail]

Mitt Romney is following the anti-choice movement's lead when it comes to restricting access to contraception. Eighty-six anti-choice groups have come out against all forms of contraception, but the media's lack of coverage about this agenda means that a candidate like Romney's support of such measures goes relatively unnoticed. To be safe, buy out your local drugstore's condom supply — except the Duane Reade on Houston and Broadway in NYC. We've got dibs. [Daily Kos]
Great, just great. The World Health Organization says another deadly disease, on par with AIDS, is inevitable. Hopefully this one won't have anything to do with fucking, because lord knows you won't be able to protect yourself with anything but pulling and praying. [News-Medical.Net]
A new law was signed by New York Governor Spitzer yesterday that would force indicted rape suspects to get an HIV test, if their victim requested it. Previously, victims could only request an HIV test after conviction. [NY Times]
There are 5,000 prostitutes under the age of 18 in the UK — a shocking statistic, but not as shocking as the report that there are 1.2 million children and babies trafficked each year, worldwide. Can we please move to Mars? [BBC News]
The Catholic Church has denounced Amnesty International's new stance on limited abortion rights. Big freakin' shocker. [Ms.]
The Playboy Bunnies are crossing the pond, as the company plans to open a store/restaurant/casino in London. Yay, new friends from Pete Doherty to party with! [Reuters]

Don't You Know? Jordan's Breasts Are For Flashing Not Nursing!

amparry — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 16:30:00 EDT

Breast milk proponents in the UK are calling for a ban on baby formula advertisements after an ad appeared alongside a photo of mammary-enhanced new mom Jordan in a gossip rag. Um, clearly she was just worried about the baby suffocating. [Daily Mail]
Statistics show that while more women vote than men, single gals don't vote as much as married women. People, register to vote already! [Feministing]
A female Air Force officer is facing a court martial for refusing to testify in her own rape case. The charges against the alleged rapists were dropped and now she's being charged with underage drinking and "committing indecent acts". If convicted, she'll have to register as a sex offender. The mind boggles. [Houston Chronicle]

Not that this is a heinous crimes competition or anything, but this story about a British sicko who raped a teenage girl and forced her into prostitution in return for gasoline may make us even sicker. Seriously, what the fuck is wrong with the world? [Guardian]
Doulas are out and you are in! Today the new birthing accomplice is you, your baby daddy, and a big ol' full length mirror! Apparently, unassisted home births are on the rise in the UK. [Daily Mail]
Girls are entering puberty as early as six years old, with everything from television to divorced parents to blame. Mother Nature, you are so cruel. [Daily Mail]
The Nation's Barbara Ehrenreich thinks it's pretty wack that Why Am I Tempted (WAIT) doesn't require its abstinence trainers to actually abstain from sex themselves. Totally agree. Besides, wouldn't you rather hear the truth — that lotsa men are 'eh' in the sack and you're better off waiting until you can find one who's at least good at oral — if abstinence is going to be rammed down your throat? [The Nation]
A new study conducted on Finnish female twins suggests that the rate of anorexia might be underestimated and that the eating disorder actually occurs in as many as 270 out of 100,000 women. Count us out — we just ate a delicious salami sandwich. [Reuters]
Children of single dads are less likely to get routine check-ups with their doctor or have medical insurance. Well, Britney, at least you have something to suggest you might possibly may be a better parent than K-Fed. But it's still probably not enough. [Reuters]
If you're mega chubs before you get pregnant, your baby is more likely to have birth defects — luckily, the chances of that are still pretty midge, so don't start dieting for Junior just yet. [CNN]
Ending on a lighter, more grrl-power note, movies from women directors are flooding the big screen, says CNN, and they're not all crappy romantic comedies either. Oh, but there's bad news. The Director's Guild of America still is only 7% female. Pout. [CNN]

As Always, Oprah Winfrey Is Ruining It For The Rest Of Us

Anna — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 17:00:06 EDT

Women between the ages of 50 and 70 are about to become the richest demographic in the United States, claims writer Marti Barletta. We'd see this as cause for celebration except that the inclusion of Oprah Winfrey probably skewed things a bit! [AdAge]
Leaders of the Sikh community in Delhi are calling for an end to over-the-top wedding celebrations, claiming that such events cost so much money for the brides' families that they could contribute to female infanticide or the aborting of female fetuses. [Times Of London]
The same researchers who developed the HPV/cervical cancer drug Gardisil are working on a drug found in tobacco (of all things!) that could be used to prevent cervical cancer among women in India. [USA Today]
The heavier a woman is before she becomes pregnant, the higher her risk for complications such as pre-eclampsia, premature birth and high blood pressure. [Reuters]

Talk about hearts of darkness: A United Nations expert is reporting that the atrocities being committed by rebel groups and armed forces against women in one province of the Congo include not only rape but genital injury via bullets or knives and the forced ingestion of feces or human flesh. [Washington Post]
Girls who play sports in high school are more likely to get college diplomas than other girls, a new study from Brigham Young University has found. [WSJ]
One woman in the NY Times' obituaries section today: Odile Crick, 86, whose sketch of the double helix of DNA "came to symbolize man's discovery of the biological basis of life and evolution." [NY Times]

Why Skinny Bitches Hate Fatties: It's Called Survival, Stupid!

Dodai — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 11:00:30 EDT

Diet Blog spotted a story in The Independent about a new study suggesting that there's a biological reason why skinny people are grossed out by fat people. The Independent reports that researchers found that the behavioral immune system "can be triggered into action at the sight of obesity because it doesn't like the look of what it sees, and associates it with infection." The scientists state that the same way humans are nauseated by the hint of bad food and appalled by rashes and lesions, there are "signals of disgust" prompted by the sight of an obese body "to encourage avoidance and survival." Ugh. We always knew skinny bitches were haters (we thought it was hunger!) — but now they've got the excuse of evolution?
Why Slim People Don't Like Fat People [DietBlog via The Independent]

Gimpy Serena Williams Doesn't Let The Terrorists Win

Anna — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 17:33:05 EDT

Our favorite tennis-playing Williams sister, Serena, opened a can of major whupass at Wimbledon earlier today, despite a strained calf muscle. She'll go after Justine Henin in the quarterfinals next. [SportsIllustrated]
Forget Alli. Scientists may have found a natural chemical — "liposuction in a bottle!" — that prevents the formation of fat. [ABCNews]
This is just the news we needed to hear: It's shared housework, not kids, that help makes a relationship work. [DailyMail]
Trying not to get pregnant? Good for you! Just one tip: You'll increase your changes of remaining happily barren if you really stress yourself out. [BBC]

Breastfeeding their children may make some women feel superior, but it's no guarantee that their kids won't grow up fat and unhappy. [Yahoo]
Women are less likely than men to get a good night's sleep, suffer moodswings. Tell us something we don't know already? [DailyMail]

Hillary Clinton's Got The X-Chromosome Factor In Her Favor

Anna — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 15:36:49 EDT

Will women help elect the first female U.S. president? Female support for Hillary Clinton is propelling her to the top of the Democratic presidential heap. [Politico]
More proof that men get dumb when they get horny: Almost 10% of men are downloading porn at work. [Telegraph]
An Aussie study says that overweight, single women are more likely to raise children with weight issues. One question: Does 'single' mean not in a relationship? Or just 'unmarried'? [Babble]
Pro-life wingnuts think that the ban of partial-birth abortion is a good thing because it will be replaced by more dangerous methods that are more likely to seriously injure the woman or make her sterile. [Feministe]

Having hot flashes is a good sign... for breast cancer survivors. [ABCNews]
Justin Henin-Hardenne defeated Serena Williams at The French Open today. [BBC]
Feministing's Jessica Valenti finally weighs in (no pun intended) on the magazine cover of naked punk singer Beth Ditto. Also: jessica will be on the Colbert Report tonight. [Feministing]
What happens to breast implants after death? Not a lot, it seems! [Esquire]

What It's Like To Be A (Fat) Girl

Anna — Fri, 11 May 2007 16:20:13 EDT

Everyone loves YouTube's "A Fat Rant". [NYTimes]
Three formerly-overweight British women describe the traumas that finally got them to diet. [DailyMirror]
Speaking of Brits: Two-thirds of British women fantasize about having group sex but only one-third like to get spanked? Something's rotten in the state of Denmark. [TheSun]
Another reason to hate your smug married friends. Family Studies professor Stephanie Coontz says that married couples are "less likely to visit, call, and offer practical help to neighbors, parents and other relatives." [HuffingtonPost]

Is it called rape if a man pretending to be your boyfriend climbs into your bed and has sex with you in the dark? Apparently not, according to the state of Massachusetts. [Feministing]
We knew it! Milk does not necessarily do a body good. [NYTimes]
Ugh. A midwife has been jailed after pulling a new mother's umbilical cord so hard that the woman began hemorrhaging. [GuardianUK]