Tabula Rasa:
Size Does Matter; Sizeism is Addressed at Smith
Julie Casper Roth
Issue date: 9/23/04 Section: Opinion
Founding member Sheana Director pointed out that the most common assumption surrounding overweight persons is that they are lazy and eat poorly. The founding members of Size Matters, Director, Colleen Miller and Mary Vick are anything but lazy. Committed students and active in Smith organizations, they clearly don't fit the stereotypes of being "fat and lazy." Organization member Paige Kimble '06, tall and slender at 5'10", remarked that her eating habits are not always healthy. But because poor eating does not always manifest itself in weight gain, Kimble isn't reprimanded for the behavior. Rather, she states she is praised with lines such as "You're so lucky you can eat like that!" To be large, however, and eat the same kind of foods solicits unfair criticism. People make the assumption that an overweight person can't afford to eat poorly.
Director noted that her health check-ups have always yielded normal blood pressure readings and cholesterol levels. Despite this, Director, Miller and Vick agree that seeking health care can be humiliating for the overweight. Vick noted that she can't go into a doctor's office for a common cold without leaving with a calorie intake chart. She and the other interviewees conjectured that apprehension related to visiting the doctor could be one of the major problems related to obesity and health. If health visits can produce anxiety, then overweight patients may actually be delaying visits to the doctor until complications set in.
There is also a contingent of people who suggest that people of size need to exercise. This disregards some of the limits that even Smith has put on such people. At a school full of strong, athletic women, going to the gym can be daunting - and I am indeed daunted! Size Matters is working to set up a space where women who are apprehensive about using the fitness center can do so without feeling conspicuous. They want members of the organization to be more visible at such venues while attending a school that emphasizes ideal/athletic bodies in much of its literature. The same goes for the swimming pool, a place where wearing a swimsuit can prove daunting.
Director noted that her health check-ups have always yielded normal blood pressure readings and cholesterol levels. Despite this, Director, Miller and Vick agree that seeking health care can be humiliating for the overweight. Vick noted that she can't go into a doctor's office for a common cold without leaving with a calorie intake chart. She and the other interviewees conjectured that apprehension related to visiting the doctor could be one of the major problems related to obesity and health. If health visits can produce anxiety, then overweight patients may actually be delaying visits to the doctor until complications set in.
There is also a contingent of people who suggest that people of size need to exercise. This disregards some of the limits that even Smith has put on such people. At a school full of strong, athletic women, going to the gym can be daunting - and I am indeed daunted! Size Matters is working to set up a space where women who are apprehensive about using the fitness center can do so without feeling conspicuous. They want members of the organization to be more visible at such venues while attending a school that emphasizes ideal/athletic bodies in much of its literature. The same goes for the swimming pool, a place where wearing a swimsuit can prove daunting.