Britain's Health Minister Suggests Calling People "Fat" Would Help Them Lose Weight

by Sarah Menkedick · 2010-07-30 09:16:00 UTC
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In a truly phenomenal moment that throws into doubt the credibility of the British Ministry of Health, Anne Milton, Britain's public health minister, has suggested that calling overweight or obese people "fat" would encourage them to lose weight.

Pause. Let that sink in for a minute. Are you reading The Onion? No, you are not. This is a legitimate suggestion from a public health official. Maybe telling children they're dumb would encourage them to learn more ... or make them feel ashamed, depressed, and demotivated, just like many overweight people feel in countries that demonize them on a regular basis and treat them as disgusting, pathetic outsiders.

Milton made the observation that she would feel less worried if someone called her "obese" than if someone called her "fat." So maybe, as this implies, we're just calling overweight people by the wrong names. Hey, maybe they'd feel even worse if we called them, say, ugly fat repulsive freaks!  Then they'd really want to lose weight!

This argument goes beyond the illogical to the demeaning. It assumes that if overweight people just feel bad enough about themselves, and are socially shunned enough, they'll take action! They probably feel great when they look in the mirror and think they're obese, but once doctors insult them a little more, they'll take heed. Never mind that many overweight people are already socially shunned and made to feel like small children by health professionals, that they're condescended to and belittled ("if you just did this" "why can't you take care of yourself") and that they're stigmatized by society. A little more condescension, a few more insults, that should help!

When will people -- including and especially health professionals -- come around to the conclusion that idolizing extreme thinness and vilifying anything above a size 4 creates some very unhealthy and destructive behaviors, and some traumatic relationships to food? When will it become common knowledge that encouraging women to feel guilt, shame and disgust towards their bodies never engenders any kind of healthy, sustainable, positive growth? Not as long as Anne Milton is in charge, apparently.

Photo credit: InCase.

Sarah Menkedick is a freelance writer currently based in Oaxaca, Mexico. She has spent the last five years teaching, writing and traveling on five continents. She regularly writes about women's rights.
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