Reducing Obesity Prejudice (Article Review) National University Graduate Program 2014

The articles I reviewed were found and retrieved using National University’s online library search. I

chose to focus my research paper on prejudice reduction in relationship to obesity. I chose this topic

not only because obesity is an epidemic we are facing today but also because it is a sensitive topic in

all classrooms especially Physical Education. We as educators need to understand and advocate for

those that are obese. Our society consists of bullies and individuals who are uneducated in this topic;

it is our duty to make our students aware and sensitive to the obesity epidemic and also how to

appropriately address the issue (focusing on prevention) and those who suffer from it. We need to be

sensitive to those who are obese and get them the support and help they need to become healthy

once again. The first article I found is titled, Anti-fat Prejudice: The Role of Psychology in Explication,

Education and Eradication. The authors Maureen C. McHugh and Ashley E. Kasardo published their

findings in Sex Roles 2012.

Students are told every day they are fat by their peers and in various settings around society today. Brownell put it very well by stating, “In free societies, bias, stigma, prejudice, and discrimination are considered inherently evil, seen as a threat to the health, happiness, and social status of those targeted, but also to a nation’s fundamental values of inclusion and equality” (Brownell 2005, p. 1). This quote could not be truer and with a variety of evils in the world today, teachers face serious adversities that can be managed with education and due diligence. So why is this topic so important today? Let’s look at what research has to say. Brown, Rothblum and their colleagues reported that weight discrimination, the behavioral form of fat prejudice, has increased by 66% over the past decade with prevalence rates now comparable to race-based prejudice. Fat oppression is hatred and discrimination against fat people, especially fat women, solely because of their body size. It is the “stigmatization of being fat, the terror of fat, the rationale for a thousand diets…and exercise programs…It is, like physical and sexual violence against women, sexism in action” (Brown and Rothblum 1989, p. 1). The data does not lie. The fact remains, women, men, children and teenagers who are obese are often victims of discrimination. We as educators have the ability to change the way society looks at obese individuals by educating our students at a young age about this topic. Educating students to eat right, prioritizing a schedule and adopting a regular exercise routine are all excellent steps to becoming a healthy individual. Many diets need to be looked at closer before attempting. The article mentioned yo-yo or cycling dieting, these two diets sound great on the surface where individuals lose extreme amounts of weight. However the individual regains all the weight back. Research shows that the brain to maintain a set point to control weight; each person has an established weight set point and the body attempts to return it after weight loss or gain. Diets do not lower one’s set point. In fact, extreme diets could raise one’s set point and make it harder to lose weight and easier to regain weight after the diet (Coon and Mitterer 2010). There are many consequences to fad diets and diets that have not been proven to work. From my experience, the best way to stay at a healthy weight is to eat plenty of vegetables and fruits on a daily basis. Stay away from processed foods and refined sugars, drink plenty of water when you’re feeling hungry, get at least 8 hours of sleep every night and maintain an exercise routine with progressive changes. Fat cells increase when you are stressed, to keep your stress low do things that are fun and enjoyable. Practice deep breathing and positive self-talk, avoid excessive amounts of anything especially alcohol. By applying these ideas to your daily life, you can be healthy and happy.

To combat the bullies in your classroom, have rules and consequences for breaking them. Any form of discrimination or prejudice has no place at school or anywhere for that matter. Having a 0 tolerance policy and significant consequences will help reduce the problem. Sadly, many of our youth commit suicide or suffer from depression because they do not like the way they look or feel, we can reverse this problem through education. Teach students to appreciate each other for their positive actions in society. Ignoring the negative media outlets is also important. Thin is not always healthy but the media sure makes it look like that. 100 years ago, a woman who was full-figured was considered healthy. Today, thin is healthy according to the media. We need to educate students on BMI (Body Mass Index) to appropriately gauge their fat and muscle content. The first article had some excellent points that can be applied to the physical education world. The article did not mention early education as an important source of anti-discrimination. I would have liked to see the authors draw the parallel between early education on obesity and how it influenced these students who are now working adults. A study on this with a large sample size would be very important in today’s education system. It could prove specific strategies and methods that combat discrimination in the past for today’s advances.

My research into this topic of prejudice and obesity led me to an article titled, The impact of an obesity awareness intervention on anti-fat attitudes and expectations of preservice physical educators. The dissertation was authored by Catherine Ann Tingstrom and published by UMI Dissertations in 2008. The article conducted a study on how physical educators view obesity and the stigma they knowingly and unknowingly have towards this epidemic. I found it intriguing, yet appalling that my profession is in need of a tune-up or intervention and change of attitude. This very prejudice may be stemming partially from teachers today that influence the youth we teach. 

My previous research was informative on two epidemics we are facing today, obesity and prejudice. I wanted to find more strategies of preventing obesity to manage the latter (prejudice) from occurring. The article review will prove helpful in my future as a physical educator in teaching students a healthy physical and mental state of well-being; how to be sensitive to those that are obese and prevention strategies for those who are not obese. We are not clear on what exactly causes obesity but it is common knowledge that improper diet and inadequate physical activity are considered the primary factors contributing to the problem. So why hasn’t the school system raised more awareness about this epidemic and set a proper example? If the solution is diet and exercise, why are Physical Education programs cut and limited in schools? Why are school breakfasts and lunches unhealthy? These are a series of questions I wanted to pose in addition to the points of interest I found in this article. If we have the answer, why is nothing being done? Solutions to the problems would include teaching students to garden, eat organic as much as possible, avoid processed foods and refined sugars. Implement exercise programs and activities after school to counteract the cuts schools make in Physical Education programs, parents should limit the amount of time their children spend on the computer and watching television or playing video games. The nutrition program at schools needs to be completely revamped to incorporate a diet of fruits and vegetables with lean meats and proteins. Parents who have a child that reaches a level of 50% over their Body Mass Index (BMI) will be referred to Child and Protective Services (CPS). Extreme measures need to be taken in order to stop the snowball effect from occurring, which unfortunately looks like it cannot be stopped without mandated action implemented nationally.

Bibliography: Brownell, K. (2005). The social, scientific, and human context of prejudice and discrimination based on weight. In K. D. Brownell, R. M.Puhl, M. B. Schwartz, & L. Rudd (Eds.), Weight Bias: Nature,consequences, and remedies (pp. 1–14). NY: The Guilford Press. Brown, L. S. (1989). Fat-oppressive attitudes and the feminist therapist: Directions for change. In L. S. Brown & E. D. Rothblum (Eds.), Overcoming fear of fat (pp. 19–30). Binghamton, NY: Harrington Park Press. Coon, D., & Mitterer, J. O. (2010). Introduction to psychology:Gateways to mind and behavior (12th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth. McHugh C.M., Kasardo A.E. Anti-fat Prejudice: The Role of Psychology in Explication, Education and Eradication. Sex Roles (2012) 66:617–627 retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.nu.edu/docview/958726635/74BC79AE5E5942D4PQ/1?accountid=25320 Tingstrom, C.A. The impact of an obesity awareness intervention on anti-fat attitudes and expectations of pre-service physical educators. The University of New Mexico, ProQuest, UMI Dissertations Publishing, 2008. 3329471 retrieved from http://ezproxy.nu.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.nu.edu/docview/304525740?accountid=25320