Russell Williams
Well-Known Member
I just watched Maryland Wann on TV. She explained that she was healthy and on the show she fought hard against opposition viewpoints. I have two comments that I have been making over the years:
One) -- Over the years I have seen fat people, many of whom were personal friends, get on TV and explain that they are healthy. I have felt that when they say this they lose the audience. Over the years I have told my friends that while they are healthy now there will come a time when there are no longer healthy. At that time they will still be fat. I prefer the response of a healthy fat person saying, "At this time I am healthy and fat. Eventually I will be less healthy and still fat. Thin or fat, healthy or ill, in what ever body I happen to find myself I have the right to full participation in the American democracy and to be evaluated on my abilities and character and not by numbers on a scale or on my laboratory report."
Two) -- The thin man in the interview explained that the number of cigarette smokers had been reduced and therefore the number of fat people could be reduced. A possible response to that would be, "Yes, people can completely stop smoking and they can completely stop eating. If they completely stop smoking they get healthier. If they completely stop eating in a relatively short time they become dead." People do not tell a smoker to only smoke a few cigarettes a day nor do they tell an alcoholic to only take a few drinks a day. To use the addictive model with fat people is to tell them that they are addicted to food and that each day they should only eat a little bit of the addictive substance.
Yours truly,
Russell Williams
One) -- Over the years I have seen fat people, many of whom were personal friends, get on TV and explain that they are healthy. I have felt that when they say this they lose the audience. Over the years I have told my friends that while they are healthy now there will come a time when there are no longer healthy. At that time they will still be fat. I prefer the response of a healthy fat person saying, "At this time I am healthy and fat. Eventually I will be less healthy and still fat. Thin or fat, healthy or ill, in what ever body I happen to find myself I have the right to full participation in the American democracy and to be evaluated on my abilities and character and not by numbers on a scale or on my laboratory report."
Two) -- The thin man in the interview explained that the number of cigarette smokers had been reduced and therefore the number of fat people could be reduced. A possible response to that would be, "Yes, people can completely stop smoking and they can completely stop eating. If they completely stop smoking they get healthier. If they completely stop eating in a relatively short time they become dead." People do not tell a smoker to only smoke a few cigarettes a day nor do they tell an alcoholic to only take a few drinks a day. To use the addictive model with fat people is to tell them that they are addicted to food and that each day they should only eat a little bit of the addictive substance.
Yours truly,
Russell Williams
