Comments on: Generation XXL

By: Jussi Kallioniemi

Jussi Kallioniemi — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 19:43:22 +0000

Funny, just noticed that you had been using the same term “fatventure” as we had for our little fat losing contest (which, as of today, ended up being a fat gaining contest atleast personally).

We even had a fancy website for it: http://www.fatventure.com/ ;D

By: Liza

Liza — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 11:40:37 +0000

How about teaching kids to not torture other kids about their appearance? And actually doing something about it if you catch them being mean?

I can’t count the number of times I would tell teachers I was being made fun of for being fat and they’d basically tell me to work it out myself. My mom said if that happened again I should start punching the kids. My brother took that advice, I never did. At least not until 8th grade when I shoved some girl over in gym class for making fun of me trying to jump shot.

By: Amy

Amy — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 00:50:54 +0000

I actually wrote this letter to the editor in The Oregonian, it was published:

November 28, 2007
Dear Editors,

I pass by a billboard every morning and every evening. There is a picture of a young girl and a phrase that says “I WILL NOT BE PART OF THE XXL GENERATION”. This message is cruel and hurtful. Once again, a very clear message to all girls and women of Portland. If you are overweight, then you are worthless. I would like to take this opportunity to exclaim, I am overweight. This is not the proudest exclamation. However, it is most certainly not the most important. I have a few other things to exclaim: I am a first generation college graduate with a BS in Psychology. I recently earned an MS in Special Education. I am married to a wonderful man, and he loves me not matter what. I have just begun a fantastic career, as a teacher for children with high emotional needs. These are just a few of my accomplishments as an overweight woman. Perhaps Kaiser’s message should be” “I WILL NOT BE PART OF THE: DROPOUT GENERATION, ALCOHOLICS GENERATION, DRUG USER GENERATION, SPOUSAL ABUSE GENERATION, WEIGHT OBSESSED GENERATION”

Sincerely,
Amy

By: heartfire

heartfire — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 20:13:34 +0000

Like my daughter needs any help worrying about her weight! She does just fine being anxious on her own, thank you. Seven years old and she’s already worring about whether or not certain clothes make her look fat. And she’s a hyperpicky eater. A pox on comapnies that play on the insecurities of children.

By: littlem

littlem — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 02:41:12 +0000

One six-year-old girl presented to a paediatrician with food avoidance, excessive exercising and fear of weight gain but had not been diagnosed with anorexia because she was not severely underweight.

UNbelievable.

The denial. It buuuuuuuuuuuurns.

By: There'sMoreToYouThanJustFat

There'sMoreToYouThanJustFat — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 13:51:35 +0000

Why can’t we take the focus off of being fat, and just put the focus on being active?

I was a fat kid, I’m a fat adult. But, as a kid we were always biking, swimming, playing, running, rollerskating etc.

By shaming fat kids, you’re only making it a) harder for the kids who are already fat, or are healthy just heavy *like that isn’t hard enough* b) putting scary pressure on developing minds and bodies and c) making the real culprit, fat. It’s not fat that should be the problem, it should be health.

By: Jackie

Jackie — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 04:00:52 +0000

They really are overdramatizing the eat healthy message, by associating them with real problems. I’m sorry, drinking soda is not the same as a chronic Alcohol addiction. Hanging out with someone who plays video games, is better than hanging out with a group of kids doing drugs.

The people who make these ads must have never delt with someone with a real addiction, let alone even watch an episode of Intervention I presume.

Not only does this set up children for eating disorders, it puts the real tragedy of drug and Alcohol addiction away from the spotlight. I don’t think someone with an Alcohol addicted friend or family member would think it’s cute, to associate a horrible disease like that with simply drinking soda.

How many children need to DIE before people realize the cost of making children afraid to eat.

By: Louise

Louise — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 22:25:27 +0000

Those worried about this should contact Kaiser and perhaps also Linda Bacon (http://www.lindabacon.org/), nutrition professor and HAES advocate, who is apparently trying to work with them to get more HAES-friendly policies and programs. Kaiser recently withdrew an offensive anti-obesity billboard after complaints were raised. A clear coherent complaint might jsut get results.

By: Rosemary Grace

Rosemary Grace — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 22:18:09 +0000

I saw that ad butterfly, I thought it was cute! I liked it because it showed him, still chubby and adorable, but playing soft ball and running about, and it gave him the ironic persona of a middle aged guy talking about his wild youth: “the drinking was the worst” cut to him chugging soda. The image accompanying “wrong crowd” was him playing a video games while a teenager slept on the sofa behind him.

By: butterfly

butterfly — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 21:25:53 +0000

KP also runs a television ad featuring a chubby (and adorable) little boy, maybe 7 or 8 years old, making a confession to the audience about how awful it is to be fat, walking around alone with chocolate stains on his mouth, and then sighing that he got that way because he hung out “with the wrong crowd.”

Wrong crowd? Meaning a leather-jacket wearing, motorcyle riding fat gang tempting him with cupcakes or something? Wow, way to link body weight with morality, KP!

I feel for parents today. How do you protect your kids from so many harmful messages?