for people who don't apologize for their size
Fat Doesn't Kill, Fat Hatred Does
Brian Head died March 26, 1994, right before economics, in his classroom at Etowah High
School in Woodstock, Ga. Brian was killed by a gunshot to his temple. Brian aimed and shot
the gun himself.
Brian was smart, wore combat boots, and worked with the drama club. Brian was 15 years old.
Brian was fat.
The Atlanta Journal reported that teacher Bill Watkins was on hall duty just outside the
classroom where Brian was being tormented that day by a student who pulled his hair and
slapped him.
Brian was shy and fat, often a target for cruel jokes. Freshman Chris Gantz said students
made fun of Brian all the time, and that he got beaten up a lot. It was obvious the taunting
hurt, Chris insisted. Sophomore Jay Ireland commented that students had made fun of Brian's
weight and how he looked since he was in seventh grade.
The last thing Brian said before killing himself was "I'm tired of it!"
Trying By the Seat of Your Pants
A woman who sued the Carmike's Highland 4 Theatre in Tennessee because the seats were too
small won an undisclosed, out-of-court settlement. She'd had her own folding chair but wasn't
allowed to use it. Atlanta's Persons with Disabilities Law Center has similar cases pending,
including one that challenges the common airline policy requiring fat people to pay for two
seats instead of one.
Santa Cruz's Body Image Task Force is negotiating with Oakland-based Harris Group and United
Artists to get better seating in two new, local movie theaters that are in the works. They
got the attention of the theater companies with a letter-writing campaign, a petition drive,
and with the fact that too-narrow seats could violate a city law prohibiting appearance-based
discrimination.
The Harris Group says it will install some love seats with removable arm rests. United
Artists says it is having problems finding companies that make big seats. Yeah, right.
Young, Fat, Gifted & Black
"Young, obese black women are really dangerous to me," said William Tingle, a deputy district
attorney for Alameda County, Ca., who is himself black. That's why he kept three such women
from serving on the jury in a 1993 criminal case against a black man. The state appeals court
upheld his actions. So much for civic duty.
Lawyers are not allowed to exclude jurors based on race. Instead, he told the court the women
were too fat, wore their clothes too tight, and had braided hair, which he regarded as
"radical."
In an interview with The Recorder, a local legal newspaper, he admitted he was once "burned"
by such a juror in a big case, and that fat black women are often hostile toward him. "I've
never liked young, obese black women, and I think they sense that."
Yummy in Your Tummy
"We didn't think it was going to be a terrific problem to call it Chubby Hubby. We thought
people would appreciate the humor. It's a rather affectionate phrase; it's not a phrase used
for denigration. And we wanted to pay homage to people who unapologetically enjoy good food
and good ice cream."
- Alice Blachely, consumer affairs rep for Ben & Jerry's
York, Pa. - B&J's unveiled Chubby Hubby March 15 in hog heaven. Yes, the Employee Riders
Association of the Harley Davidson Motor Co., based here, provided the inaugural parade for
this new flavor treat.
Chubby Hubby is chunks of chocolate-covered, peanut butter-filled pretzels in a rich, vanilla
malt ice cream, with deep ripples of fudge and peanut butter.
But it started as a practical joke that Wendy Gohn and Theresa Pratt played on B&J's lover
Tom Santacroce of York, Pa. They sent Tom on a wild goose chase for Chubby Hubby, a
non-existent new flavor they dreamed up. To atone, they made him a batch of the stuff. It was
so tasty, they wrote to B&J's about it. The rest is 22-percent-butter-fat history!
- M.H.W.
Damned If You Do, Damned If You Diet
"Physicians should be aware that for some obese patients the achievement of what is
considered to be a more healthful body weight may be accompanied by metabolic alterations
that make it difficult to maintain the lower weight." This insight comes from those lovable
obesity researchers and their new, highly respected, body fat 'set point' study.
For example, a 170-pound person who lost 30 pounds to get to that weight will burn about 10
percent to 15 percent fewer calories when they exercise than a person who maintains their
170-pound weight without effort. And if a 180-pound person gains 30 pounds, they will burn
about 10 percent to 15 percent more calories than a person who always weighed 210 pounds.
Dr. Jules Hirsch, senior author of the study, said this research shows that, "Rather than
being an eating disorder, obesity is 'an eating order.' Obese people...eat to maintain the
weight that puts their energy metabolism precisely on target for their height and body
composition."
The study required participants to gain weight.
"Some people might imagine that an obese person, given free rein to eat as much as they want,
would have a field day, but that was absolutely not the case. If anything, the obese subjects
had a harder time gaining the extra 10 percent and were more uncomfortable with it," said Dr.
Leibel.
The study went on for more than 12 weeks. Participants consumed 5,000 to 6,000 calories per
day some weeks, then 800 calories a day some of the weeks, and liquid diets during other
weeks of the study.
What did participants receive for all this fun? Turns out their compensation depended on
their body size. The "normal weight" participants were paid $40 per day. The "obese"
participants got no money at all, but were allowed to stay at the clinical center after the
study ended. They were treated to a special diet until they were no longer fat. Some stayed
for a year, but none were able to maintain their weight loss, just as the study itself
predicted.
Quiz Time
1. Of New York City weight loss centers surveyed, how many gave advance warning or openly
discussed the safety risks of their specific program or of weight loss in general, even when
directly asked?
a) All of them. Weight loss centers have the client's best interest at heart, so they all
would disclose that information.
b) One in 10.
2. A 5'4" tall, 111-pound woman who is considered underweight was told she could lose five
pounds when she went to a weight loss center.
a) True.
b) False.
3. Which answer most accurately describes the procedure for becoming a diet counselor or diet
expert in New York City?
a) Applicants must spend a certain amount of time engaged in the study of nutrition and must
pass a course in counseling. At that point, they are qualified to take the licensing and
registration exam. If they pass the test, they are able to open a diet counseling center.
b) Wannabe diet experts must get business cards made up. The cards should include the new
expert's name and the words diet counselor.