March 2018 NAAFA Newsletter
Virtual Advocacy
by Darliene Howell
Darliene Howell

Advocacy is something that all NAAFA members understand; it is action in support of a cause or proposal. In today's world, supporting your causes and standing up for what you believe has become "virtual" (technology based) and allows you to impact decisions made by legislators and others.

Historically, NAAFA members have made phone calls, written letters and joined marches to express their support of causes or proposals. Today, we have a number of other avenues available to us beyond these:

  • send email messages to legislators
  • send text messages to legislators
  • contact legislators through social media
  • create, sign and share online petitions
  • get involved with social media groups in responding to "trolls"
  • share a relevant NAAFA brochure

All of these are great ways to let your voice be heard and I want to share with you information on each.

SEND EMAILS TO LEGISLATORS
Legislators are OUR representatives and they need to hear from us regarding how we want them to vote. One way is to contact them online through www.congress.gov/members. You can look up your federal legislators by state and complete a contact form on the web page of those that represent your District.

SEND TEXT MESSAGES TO LEGISLATORS
An easy way to text your legislator is by using Resistbot. All you have to do is text RESIST to 50409 and they will text back asking basic information. After texting your address to Resistbot, they will tell you who your legislators are and allow you to send a message to any or all of your Federal Legislators. Resistbot will also periodically contact you with information on upcoming votes if you would like to send a text with your input on the vote.

CONTACT LEGISLATORS THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA
Smart legislators have Facebook pages where you can follow and/or contact them on matters that are important to you. Go to www.facebook.com/townhall and put in your address. You will be shown the pages for your state and federal legislators.

CREATE, SIGN AND SHARE ONLINE PETITIONS
Not everything we do has to do with legislation and you can address a variety of concerns through online petitions. There are several online petition sites on the internet but these three are used by a wide audience:

www.care2.com
www.causes.com
www.change.org

Remember that the more people aware of a petition, the better. So share it to social media when you sign a petition.

GET INVOLVED WITH SOCIAL MEDIA GROUPS IN RESPONDING TO "TROLLS"
If you've ever read the comments to an online article talking about fat people, I'm sure you've seen comments by "internet trolls". An internet troll is a person who sows discord on the Internet by starting quarrels or upsetting people by posting inflammatory, extraneous, or off-topic messages. Often you'd like to respond to these trolls but can't spare your sanity points by being the lone voice of reason in the internet wilderness. There is a social media community where you can go for help: www.facebook.com/groups/rollsnottrolls . From the group, "This community has two aspects - there is an activism component where we post links to places online that need an injection of body positive comments. There is also a support component where we post questions, situations etc. with which we could use personal support in doing activism or dealing with the effects of doing activism."

SHARE A RELEVANT NAAFA BROCHURE!
As you are aware, NAAFA has a number of informational brochures that you can read, download and share! Want to share information about how to treat fat people with your physician? There's a brochure for that! Want to share information with your employer or institution of higher education regarding how to treat fat people? There are brochures for that! Simply go to https://www.naafaonline.com/dev2/about/brochures.html and open the brochure you want to share. Copy the URL for the brochure and insert that URL in your email, text, or post to link to the brochure.

Being an advocate may sound scary, but it really is easy. It just takes a little time.

Video of the Month

A Runner's Journey

Movement is good for our bodies. It helps us feel better and improves our health but it does not always mean we will lose weight. This runner shares her journey. Not everyone enjoys running. Find the type of movement that you love and just do what works for you!

https://youtube.com/ watch?v=0uBuj6E4NgU

Quick Links
Health At Every Size and HAES are registered trademarks of the Association for Size Diversity and Health, and are used with permission.
Health At Every Size (HAES) Registry

Do you want to know more about HAES, what it's all about and who is involved? If so then you should visit the HAES Registry at https://haescommunity.com  The Registry is a community site where people decide if they are committed to HAES principles and join the community by taking the pledge and registering. It is a great resource to find HAES-sensitive people and businesses. Check it out today!

Monthly Meme:
#VirtualAdvocacy #EqualityAtEverySize
Video Training
by Cinder Ernst

I was reviewing all the content that I have on YouTube and WOWSERS! I have a lot.

I was noticing that I don't feel like writing lately then it hit me . . . send a video!

This video is two low back stretches done in a chair. Be easy. Start small. If it hurts, STOP. Feel free to email me if you have any questions or concerns.

https://youtu.be/_XjXaMXphQM

I'll send you another one next month, enjoy.

Love,
Cinder

 Editor's Note

Do you have a "no diet talk" Facebook page, BBW/BHM (big beautiful women/big handsome men) gathering, email list, or other presence or event that is consistent with NAAFA's vision of Equality at Every Size and that you'd like people to know about? Email us at pr@naafa.org and we will mention it here. (Note: listing in the NAAFA Newsletter does not constitute endorsement.)

NAAFA Chronicles #26

For our NAAFA Chronicles feature, here is NAAFA's 26th newsletter, September - November 1976:

https://www.naafaonline.com/newsletterstuff/oldnewsletterstuff/Chronicles/Sept-Nov_1976.pdf

You may go to the "Chronicles" tab in the newsletter section of the NAAFA website for more historic newsletters.

Media and Research Roundup
by Bill and Terri Weitze

November 2017: The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends ways to avoid or reduce weight stigma; unfortunately, they are made with an aim to help patients improve their "weight-related health".
https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2017-3034

December 27, 2017: Researchers looking at blood pressure results for elderly patients find that the association between blood pressure and increasing BMI goes away with ambulatory blood pressure monitoring, suggesting that BMI may not be as great a factor as previously believed.
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41371-017-0021-2

January 8, 2018: Despite the problems with and ineffectiveness of this in the past, Mississippi proposes to require school districts to collect height and weight information on students and send explanatory letters to parents.
http://uconnruddcenter.org/files/Legislation%20Database/2018/MS%20 HB%20496_require%20schools%20to%20collect%20BMI%20for%20certain%20 students%20and%20provide%20explanation%20to%20parents.pdf

February 7, 2018: Two years ago, Chile's government imposed strict laws regarding the marketing of foods that are high in sugar, salt, calories or saturated fat because of rising rates of fatness among children. No word yet on whether this is making a difference.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/07/health/obesity-chile-sugar-regulations.html

February 7, 2018: Writer and activist Kiva Bay explores the connection between neo-Nazi and Nazi hatred of fat people.
https://medium.com/@kivabay/ho w-nazis-use-fat-to-excuse-violence-b7da7d18fea8

February 8, 2018: Although the government of Manitoba (Canada) rejected a bill to add weight and size as protected classes against discrimination last year due to the vagueness of the bill, the effects of weight stigma and discrimination are real.
http://uniter.ca/view/confronting-weight-stigma

February 12, 2018: A recent study finds that fat and healthy is achievable for many, and that fat people can lower the health risks commonly associated with being fat, with much less exercise needed to improve health than what would be needed to lose weight.
http://news.yorku.ca/2018/02/12/study-shows-benefits-of-exercise-can-outweigh-health-effects-of-severe-obesity
https://doi.org/10.1186/s40608-018-0183-7

February 15, 2018: Beth Rosen, MS, RD, CDN, explains why people should be horrified with Weight Watchers' new focus on marketing to teenagers as young as 13 years old.
http://goodnessgraciousliving.com/blog/wake-weight-watchers-thinking

February 16, 2018: In patients with metastatic melanoma, obese men survived significantly longer than "normal" weight patients in this study. This effect was not found in women, however.
https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/892746#vp_1
https://doi.org/10.1016/S1470-2045(18)30078-0
https://doi.org/10.1016/S1470-2045(18)30077-9

February 20, 2018: An article put out by ProjectHeal provides some information about weight and health that the weight loss industry would like to ignore.
http://www.businessinsider.com/5-things-the-weight-loss-industry-doesnt-want-you-to-know-2018-2

February 20, 2018: Researchers find that neither a low-fat nor a low-carb diet is superior for weight loss, irrespective of insulin levels or genotype. The study ran for 12-months and does not include any data concerning weight regain or maintenance of weight loss.
http://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2018/02/low-fat-or-low-carb-its-a-draw-study-finds.html
https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2018.0245

February 22, 2018: Mia Bell is bringing fat activism to Regina, Saskatchewan in hopes of reducing negative biases toward fat people.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/fat-activist-1.4546947

February 22, 2018: As part of a San Diego Ironman event, Regan Chastain sets a Guinness World Record as the heaviest person to finish a marathon, bringing visibility to athletes of different sizes.
http://people.com/health/288-lb-woman-heaviest-run-marathon-ironman

February 25, 2018: Papers authored by Cornell professor Brian Wansink, which promoted the message that weight loss is possible for anyone with a few small changes to their environment, are coming under increasing scrutiny as their results are found to be either untrue or unverifiable.
https://www.buzzfeed.com/stephaniemlee/brian-wansink-cornell-p-hacking

February 26, 2018: Research finds that fat cells in fruit flies provide major help in healing wounds and preventing infection, migrating through the fly's body to the wounded area.
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2018-02-fat-cells-wound.html
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.devc el.2018.01.026

February 27, 2018: Substantia Jones discusses her love of (the original series) Star Trek and how Leonard Nimoy's Full Body Project and the press surrounding the release of Nimoy's book made the Adipositivity Project just a little easier.
https://medium.com/@adipositivity/the-day-leonard-nimoy-landed-on-my-planet-de8b20c9721d

February 27, 2018: After speaking with experts, Ellie Krieger concludes that trying to lose or maintain weight may be impossible and/or harmful while focusing on health is good for every body.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/wellness/why-you-should-stop-trying-to-lose-weight/2018/02/26/d5f73ed8-1724-11e8-8b08-027a6ccb38eb_story.html

February 28, 2018: Two Los Angeles doctors were arrested in connection with fraudulent billing and unnecessary medical procedures through GET-THIN Lap Band surgeries.
https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/SoCal-Doctors-Arrested-LapBand-Fraud-475462623.html

February 28, 2018: A new study claims that obese people have a significantly greater risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and CVD-related death compared to those with a lower BMI. However, overweight people, while still more likely to get CVD, have no reduction in life span. In fact, the authors admit that "Prior studies have demonstrated lower all-cause mortality in individuals who are overweight".
https://www.medpagetoday.com/endocrinology/obesity/71437
https://doi.org/10.1001/jamacardio.2018.0022

March 2018: A study with 298 participants finds that substantial weight loss in patients correlates with remission of type 2 diabetes. However, at the time of publication, the study is only one year into the two-year study and requires participants to be on a low calorie diet.
http://www.ncl.ac.uk/research/impact/casestudies/diabetes
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00125-017-4503-0

March 1, 2018: The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force is proposing a recommendation statement that clinicians offer or refer patients with a BMI at or greater than 30 for intensive multi-behavioral interventions; which it claims can lead to significant improvements in weight status. The public has until March 19, 2018 8:00 pm (EST) to comment.
https://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/Page/Document/draft-recommendation-statement/obesity-in-adults-interventions1

March 2, 2018: Thirty million people suffer from an eating disorder and some of them are fat. Plus size fashion blogger Alysse Dalessandro discusses how being in Weight Watchers at the age of 12 led to a long undiagnosed eating disorder because no one believed she could have an eating disorder and be fat.
https://www.thelily.com/fat-people-have-eating-disorders-too-why-dont-we-talk-about-them

March 2, 2018: Joslyn P. Smith's open letter to Oprah Winfrey emphasizes the importance of young women learning that their bodies are theirs, as well as the dangers of body dissatisfaction and possible eating disorders through diets like Weight Watchers.
https://medium.com/@joslynps/an-open-letter-to-oprah-about-weight-watchers-db1dacf45a19

March 3, 2018: Cancer Research UK's new ad campaign claims that obesity causes cancer, despite the fact that science shows a possible correlation between cancer and fatness but not causation. Amanda Elliott goes on to explain how the ad campaign increases fat stigma and phobia.
http://metro.co.uk/2018/03/03/cancer-researchs-obesity-cause-cancer-campaign-ignores-real-issue-medical-fatphobia-7357941

March 5, 2018: A recent study finds that physical activity is associated with substantial risk reduction for people with coronary heart disease; there's no risk reduction with weight loss, but there is reduced risk with weight gain for patients who were "normal" weight at the beginning of the study.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/05/well/move/heart-disease-exercise-weight-loss.html
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacc.2018.01.011

March 5, 2018: A recent study finds that teens who were encouraged to diet by their parents transmit the same negative weight-related and emotional health outcomes to their children.
https://www.today.com/health/teens-urged-diet-do-same-their-own-kids-study-finds-t124506
https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2017-2955

March 7, 2018: A small study finds a significant association of new-onset irritable bowel disease with a past history of bariatric surgery.
https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.14569

March 9, 2018: Ragen Chastain is interviewed on the problems fat people face if they want to become more fit, from lack of clothing and equipment that fit to outright abuse, and how the fitness community can become more welcoming to fat people.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/wellness/why-we-need-to-take-fat-shaming-out-of-fitness-culture/2018/03/08/728365ac-1e31-11e8-9de1-147dd2df3829_story.html

Founded in 1969, NAAFA, the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance, is a non-profit human rights organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for fat people. NAAFA works to eliminate discrimination based on body size and provide fat people with the tools for self-empowerment through public education, advocacy, and member support.
Comments: pr@naafa.org

Any products or services mentioned in articles in this newsletter are for information only and should not be considered endorsements by NAAFA.
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