The methods to combat childhood obesity are incredibly diverse. The NFL-sponsored Play 60 campaign encourages children to be active for at least 60 minutes every day. Other campaigns have a harsher tough-love approach, such as Georgia’s Strong4Life ads. These ads received widespread attention a few years ago — the ads ran with slogans, including “Being fat takes the fun out of being a kid” and “Big bones didn’t make me this way, big meals did.” These hard-hitting slogans are examples of what is now an established fat-shaming regiment — a disgusting approach to encouraging weight loss.
To deny fat-shaming and weight discrimination’s existence would be to look past a handful of newsworthy instances this past summer. For example, the Boy Scouts denied children with a BMI over 40 from participating in one of their largest trips. A chef was denied a visa to New Zealand because of his weight. A woman was asked to leave a waterpark because her bathing suit was too small for her size. Borgata Casino waitresses sued their employer because they were barred from having more than 7 percent body mass. And a University of New Mexico professor’s tweet suggested that overweight individuals would have trouble completing their doctoral based on their lack of willpower to control their weight.
If these methods are meant to encourage children to lose weight, a recent study that observed over 6,000 overweight adults over age 50 shows otherwise. Results concluded that individuals, who are already overweight and were the victims of fat-shaming and other discrimination, are more than twice as likely to be obese at their next scheduled weigh-in. Obese adults who were victimized were more than three times as likely to remain obese at their next check-in. Furthermore, other statistical surveys concluded that the 5 percent of children in the United States with a BMI 20 percent higher than the 95th percentile are in increased danger of serious disease or early death. If adults cannot digest negative reinforcement methods, how should we expect children in this atmosphere to survive?
Needless to say, children in school do not need bullies.We often compare those who are overweight to animals and equate the words lazy, unmotivated and ignorant with the word fat. Ads warn of becoming beached whales and gyms entice potential customers by promising beach bodies. These are all means of destroying confidence, eliminating motive and preventing healthy social relationships. High levels of eating disorders should come as no surprise as we continue to consider being fat as merely a horrendous aesthetic condition. Improving health seems only to be fine print beneath these initiatives.
There must be a less disgraceful way to control eating disorders not based on frustration, but have a concrete plan instead. It is known that children do not respond to negative reinforcement and evidently, neither do adults. Children must be treated accordingly, which includes constant encouragement. Should a 10-year-old be expected to monitor his diet, exercise and be healthy on his own? Should he be expected to make such a drastic life change after being told he is fat? These are unreasonable expectations of children who are, in most cases, the victims of severe disservice by their guardians.
Media campaigns should encourage children who are overweight to participate in, rather than avoid, activities. Once children realize participation can be enjoyable, they might find this as an incentive to be more active. This is only the first component. Fat-shaming must also be diminished, as its effects overshadow any positive initiatives.
Obesity is a dangerous condition with serious health ramifications. However, constant ridicule will not solve the problem — unfortunately it has taken until now for this to be proven.
A version of this article appeared in the Thursday, Sept. 19 print edition. John Santucci III is a contributing columnist. Email him at [email protected].
