Inflicting white neuroses on nonwhite women

Los Angeles Times ^ | September 21, 2007 | Paul F. Campos

[jwalburg]

Americans are obsessed with fat because fatness has become a symbol for poverty, downward mobility, nonwhiteness and socially marginal status in general. Fear and hatred of fat has very little to do with the health risks associated with being "overweight" and "obese" (which are wholly imaginary and highly exaggerated

[KJC1]

No I didn’t read the article or the comments. Having said that what struck me most was how fat women used to be revered from Rubenesque to the South Pacific, where the fatter the better. It was indicative of wealth.

Now, being fat isn’t great, but being fat certainly didn’t start with American culture.

[Cobra64]

Conservatives are thin. Libs are fat.

[TheThinker]

Fatness is a symbol of non-whiteness and poverty?

First there’s plenty of fat white people. Second, you’re not as poor as you think if you can afford to buy enough food to make yourself obese. You’re just wasting your income on excess food instead of wealth generation.

[ashtanga]

Diet is pretty easy. Plenty of clean water, raw veggies, raw fruits, a few almonds, lean cuts of meat, salmon, tuna and sardines. Drop the grains. Add to this sufficient sleep and exercise. There. It did not cost you a penny, and you can now eat like you are rich.

[DoughtyOne]

Anymore that’s pretty much what you get when you read papers like Pravda on the Pacific.

I can remember reading the paper when I was a kid. They didn’t treat adults like simpletons back then.

[Sandreckoner]

“No, fatness is a symbol of low or no self-esteem, no motivation, and no self-control.”

Good god, the more I read FR on these topics the more I wonder what happened to the idea that conservatives were _less_ likely to adopt psychobabble bullsh*t.

[mamelukesabre]

In the far east, people eat a VERY high carb diet and they are all extremely thin. Meat is used mainly as a seasoning on rice. Explain to me why that is? I’d say the american diet is more a problem of quantity, not quality as you would suggest. Also, activity level is a factor too. Just 30-40 years ago in this country people used to actually walk places.

[mamelukesabre]

“...the women are fatter and there are at least 10 fold more...”
~~~~~~~~~~~

No Way! You actually counted their folds? How’d you get away with that?

[muir_redwoods]

"Fear and hatred of fat has very little to do with the health risks associated with being "overweight" and "obese" (which are wholly imaginary and highly exaggerated, respectively), and everything to do with the symbolic meanings that thin and fat bodies have in this culture."

Excuse me? How can "overweight" and "obese" be "wholly imaginary and highly exaggerated, respectively" ?

[doodad]

My sampling of demographics around Atlanta would seem to support this. In our office, which ranges from execs to entry level, I don’t need one hand to count the in shape black women out of a population of about 120 total people. Seriously, it is 4. Number of black women total is about 30.

[Popman]

This article is stupid to the point of being insulting.

I agree.

It is the L.A. Times so it must fill it's daily PC agenda quota to ease their guilty minds

[Farmer Dean]

Help!My eyes have been poisoned.

[mdmathis6]

“Interesting that more women than men run races these days.”

1. The men encourage this because it gets the little woman out of the house and out of the shopping malls for a saturday or a sunday,

2. Sports games can be viewed in peace.

3. The kids don’t get harped on to clean their rooms.

4. That afternoon couch nap can be completely enjoyed without that guilt inducing nagging or her exxagerated sighing being directed you way!
being directed your way

[southern rock]

From the article:

Poor individuals are less likely to work for companies with fitness facilities, and there is no discretionary income to join health clubs

Uh-oh. Do I smell a plug for some government programs/mandates?

[cgbg]

This article is seriously stupid.

Yesterday I was visiting the local Wal Mart and grocery store with my wife.

I pointed out to my wife that over ninety per cent of the people I saw (of all ages) were seriously overweight.

They were all whites.

There is nothing "neurotic" about keeping in good shape. If you don't do it for yourself you should do it so others don't have to look at your ugly fat rear end or beer belly.

[Hardastarboard]

running repetition 1/2 miles at race pace at age 53 years with a former heart condition failure and recent blood clot

Does your doctor know about this? This sounds like a death wish!

[metesky]

... fatness has become a symbol for... nonwhiteness...

So in Maine, one of the whitest states in the Union, all those tubby white broads I see at the market are really black?

[capitalist229]

If you want to lose fat do it at a slow pace.

First minimize carb intake, breakfast bagel, lunch cheeseburger, dinner foot long sub. Diet soda.

My regimen is to get up at 4:15 go to work, leave at 2, play 9 holes of golf, 10 minutes at night on rowing machine.

Not taxing by any means.

If you want to feel and look great you can.

Or you can rebel (like a teenager) against what you feel is political correctness (it isn't) by smoking and over eating.

Conservatism is about choices and personal responsibility.

BUMP

[brewer1516]

Thanks for the “diet” tip Rev. Luther.

[Kozak]

the health risks associated with being "overweight" and "obese" (which are wholly imaginary and highly exaggerated

Thats all I need to see.