September 2017 NAAFA Newsletter |
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Update on Hurricane Victim Relief |
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Earlier this month we sent out a special newsletter urging you to send much needed large size clothing to our contact in Texas, Dawn McDowell Brooks, and your response has been tremendous. Big thanks and hugs to Dawn for coordinating our efforts and to all her helpers who are assisting with the lifting, loading and distribution. So few people or organizations even consider the need for clothing in large sizes and we have seen photos of people in dire circumstances.
NAAFA members have always, without fail, stepped up and helped those in need. Clothing has been pouring into Texas from all over the country. People have organized clothing drives and shipped hundreds of pounds of clothing, much of it brand new in original packaging, along with personal care items to be distributed to those recovering from the devastation.
We will share a more detailed report as things continue to unfold, but be assured that the clothing you have shipped or ordered to be shipped is arriving. Boxes and bags of clothing are being distributed to local non-profits who help people without charge. These groups were thrilled to receive large size clothing for both men and women.
Several boxes of clothing were shipped with the relief efforts for the Virgin Islands. Dawn is watching to see what the need will be in Florida and is prepared to direct clothing there as well.
We all know that things are not squared away overnight. Rebuilding lives will be an on-going effort for people of all sizes. I assure you that these people are very grateful for your generosity. If you believe you can do more, the victims of these horrific storms will be most grateful. You may continue to send boxes to: Dawn McDowell Brooks, 17513 Kessler Dr., Pflugerville, TX 78660. Bless you! |
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Busting Myths on Weight and Health
Continuing from last month's video of the month, Dr. Linda Bacon delves into the research and comes up with some surprising results. When you suspend your preconceptions about weight, a very different picture emerges, one that shows that it's the machinery of weight stigma that needs dismantling.
https://lindabacon.org/ videos/busting-myths-health-weight
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Health At Every Size and HAES are registered trademarks of the Association for Size Diversity and Health, and are used with permission.
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Miriam Villchur Berg: 1948-2017 |
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Long-time NAAFA member Miriam Berg passed away on September 5 after a short illness. Age 69, Miriam is pictured here on the right, next to her wife, Nancy Summer, who passed away last year. (Nancy was also a NAAFA member, convention organizer, newsletter editor, and served as its president for a term, all in the 1980s.) The photo is from the late 1990s and was probably taken by Randi Hertz Suriano. The couple were a common sight at NAAFA conventions and NOLOSE conferences when they were held on the east coast. Miriam met Nancy at a NAAFA event around 1989.
Active in many community activities and charities, Miriam was a great musician and musicologist, remembered for writing outstanding program notes for the famous Maverick summer concert series for many years. She also was a co-founder, in 1991, of the Council on Size & Weight Discrimination, and she served as its president until her passing.
The funeral service for Miriam Villchur Berg (September 7at the Woodstock Jewish Congregation) was a beautiful one. For those who were unable to attend, a memorial service is to be held in Woodstock on Saturday, October 28, at 1 PM. Those who wish to attend can contact me for further details. Memorial donations can be made to the Woodstock Jewish Congregation, and/or NAAFA.
--Bill Fabrey (NAAFA Founder, 1969)
billfabrey@amplestuff.com |
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Monthly Meme: National Respect Day |
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I will make a statement about pain and then attempt to explain it. Pain means help is on the way. Here's why. When something hurts, in that moment you shoot off a rocket of desire to feel good. If at that point you could give your attention to satisfying thoughts that feel good – to be able to walk where you want or do what you love – you would start to get some traction and be inspired to what might help you.
I know about these things because I walk this path. I'm writing this column in advance of when it is due because I will be on vacation next month. I am traveling to Munich, meeting a tour group and we are motorcycling through the Alps! Holy smokes!
Lately I have had so much hip pain I can't even ride my bike. How do I find my way through this? I realized that I was so into the pain, worrying about it, trying to do everything I know to help it (and I know a lot) afraid of what was gonna happen on my trip, feeling scared, hopeless, defeated and wimpy. I was not on a good trail.
Then I got a spider bite of my face that kind of blew up, yikes! It hurt and itched and was a little scary. I went to the doctor who said sip Benadryl all day and come back if it gets worse . . . we may need to put you on prednisone. I did not want to take prednisone so I followed his instructions, but it got worse. So in the middle of this spider bite and terrible hip pain and my trip coming up I was an emotional and physical wreck. At this point of desperation I remembered that pain means help is on the way. In that moment I saw that the prednisone would take the edge off this hip pain. I went back to the clinic and got the prednisone (and antibiotics). As I did that, I knew that help was on the way for my hip. In my Pollyanna world view I could see the spider bite was the path of least resistance for me to the hip improvement I needed to find a hopeful place to prepare for my trip.
In my October column I'll tell you how all this worked out for me. I believe that everything is always working out for me, even when it's a spider bite on my face! |
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Two years ago I woke up with one of those wet, red painful rashes under my tummy, you know, that warm cozy place just right to grow yeast. I got angry! I was sure that someone somewhere knew how to stop this from happening. I knew somewhere someone was keeping this secret.
So I started asking friends. The answers were less than stellar. A variety of clothing positioned under their tummies, however unreliable or uncomfortable. I remembered thinking, as a woman explained she cut up her husband's old tee shirts to stuff under her overlapping belly, well that sounds sexy! (sarcasm) But then I saw the look on her face and realized I had actually said it out loud.
I talked to my doctor. She told me that she saw these infections all of the time. They were always infections and not rashes. We talked about these patients waiting longer than they should because they were either embarrassed or just tired of doctors fat shaming them. My friend who is a pharmacist told me that he filled many prescriptions for antifungal cream for infections of the pannis.
I realized then that there was no secret fix and no one seemed too upset by that. It was just the way things were . . . forever. With that in mind I decided there needed to be prevention, and not with chemicals; a garment that prevented the whole thing.
I started on my journey. Sixty two years old and I was going to help my sisters have better lives.
I am by nature an engineer. Construction in fabric comes easily to me. I have sewn many of my own clothes of necessity. No one sold pretty things for women shaped like me, at least nothing long enough to cover my pendulous stomach. Now I set out to style something to prevent the dampness under my tummy from causing skin to skin irritation. I researched and interviewed. I experimented and I worked on the design. I bought panties by the dozen and I sewed!
Eighteen months later I had developed an undergarment with an extra panel that fits under an overlapping belly. With the help of many professionals, I now have a fully patented panty made of high end athletic wear fabric. It breathes and wicks away the sweat that causes the problems and has been thoroughly tested to keep that delicate skin dry and comfortable. There are more specialty features to make it fit our big beautiful bodies. The fabric is silky with good stretch that keeps the shape and size wash after wash! (This is not a compression garment!) No more granny panties. Forever date night ready! Cotton is no longer the gold standard for underwear; nylon, polyester and spandex are no longer our enemies!
Maybe it's time for us to put on our big girl panties and join the party!
Check us out at:
https://dryapron.com
Like us on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/dryapron
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Media and Research Roundup
by Bill and Terri Weitze
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June 10, 2017: In an unpublished study presented at the American Diabetes Association 77th Scientific Sessions in San Diego, researchers find more than half of young adults with type 2 diabetes engage in disordered eating, which can lead to poorer glucose control.
https://www.diabetesselfmanagement.com/blog/eating-disorders-diabetes-2
https://www.healio.com/endocrinology/diabetes/news/online/%7B75f44fc0-054e-49b1-94da-ef4842d95c99%7D/disordered-eating-behavior-in-youths-with-diabetes-diminishes-quality-of-life
June 21, 2017: Why aren't you seeing your friend's posts on Facebook? Because now, if friends don't "like" your posts, they will see fewer of them. To help fight this new ranking system, you should "like" your own posts, which counts as account activity and increases the visibility of your account. This is especially important if you are getting out an important message to your community.
http://www.ricksdailytips.com/why-you-should-always-like-your-own-facebook-posts
June 29, 2017: A study finds that loneliness at the workplace is an increasing problem, correlated with 70% reduced longevity (more than fatness, drinking, or smoking).
https://hbr.org/2017/06/burnout-at-work-isnt-just-about-exhaustion-its-also-about-loneliness
http://heart.bmj.com/content/102/13/1009
August 11, 2017: A study finds that self-compassion is associated with better health outcomes for patients with diabetes.
https://www.healio.com/endocrinology/diabetes/news/in-the-journals/%7B5519234a-8e2d-44f7-a6a7-794a3b05f918%7D/self-compassion-improves-psychological-well-being-self-management-in-diabetes
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/dme.13451/full
August 14, 2017:
Pantagraph's "How Time Flies" column mentions Becky Fox's intent to start a NAAFA Chapter in Bloomington, Illinois 25 years earlier.
http://www.pantagraph.com/opinion/how-time-flies/article_98ce62eb-00eb-5fb3-a352-4daf8ae9a5a6.html
August 14, 2017:
The Atlantic covers the back and forth battle between researchers on whether or not being overweight is intrinsically unhealthy.
https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2017/08/is-fat-bad/536652
August 15, 2017: Plus size model Liris Crosse is having a good year. Chosen as 2017 Model of the Year at Full Figured Fashion Week 2017, she will be one of the regular models for this season of Project Runway, which plans to have a lot more diversity of size in this season.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/features/fashion-style/bs-fe-liris-crosse-project-runway-20170811-story.html
August 15, 2017: It's back to school, and back to dealing with school policies that stress weight over health. Ragen Chastain explains why these policies are not helpful to anyone, and discusses what you can do about it.
http://www.ravishly.com/back-school-body-shaming
August 16, 2017: Unquestionably, Hollywood is out of step with the body-positive movement.
The New York Times discusses some of the history of fat actors, and focuses on Danielle Macdonald, star of the soon to be released movie Patti Cake$.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/16/movies/in-a-body-positive-moment-why-does-hollywood-remain-out-of-step.html
August 23, 2017:
Top Chef host Padma Lakshmi realized that her off-season diet talk was affecting her 7 year old daughter, making Lakshmi realize that the size of her dress for the Emmys is not as important as her daughter having a healthy relationship with food and her own body.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/padma-lakshmi-daughter_us_599dcac9e4b0d8dde99ad66b
August 28, 2017: A recent study finds that people who have less variability in their weight loss during the first 6 to 12 weeks of a weight loss behavior program have a greater likelihood of continued and maintained weight loss after the program ends. The study only looked 2 years out, and the researchers do not know what causes the variability and suggest further study.
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/oby.21925/full
September 1, 2017: Surgeons in the UK believe that weight loss surgery should be greatly increased. The surgeons focus only on good outcomes and ignore the many complications and bad outcomes (including death) from the surgery.
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/sep/01/uk-needs-to-perform-thousands-more-obesity-operations-say-surgeons
September 7, 2017: A neo-Nazi website attacked Heather Heyer, who was killed in Charlottesville when James Alex Fields drove his car into a crowd, calling her valueless because she was fat and had no children. This
bitchmedia article goes on to point out how fat shaming has a long history with white supremacists.
https://www.bitchmedia.org/article/fat-shaming-heather-heyer-white-supremacy
September 8, 2017: Hilary Freeman is criticized for rejecting a nursery school for her daughter because it has a fat teacher. At first she claimed that her concern was if the fat teacher could keep up with active toddlers, but then showed her true colors by commenting on her child possibly learning unhealthy behavior from the teacher.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/mom-refuses-let-child-taught-fat-teacher-185327342.html
September 8, 2017: Emotional eating has been an accepted truth since the 1960s, but some people are now questioning whether the issue is really emotions or reaction to calorie restriction and/or forbidding certain foods.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/wellness/are-we-putting-too-much-blame-on-emotional-eating/2017/09/07/4a1603d0-8dcd-11e7-8df5-c2e5cf46c1e2_story.html
September 8, 2017: Here's a writeup on how pharmaceutical companies push their agenda using paid shills to get op-ed pieces placed in reputable publications.
http://scienceblogs.com/insolence/2017/09/08/a-pharma-shill-working-on-behalf-of-an-industry-astroturf-group-shows-how-easy-it-is-to-publish-propaganda-as-a-legitimate-op-ed
September 11, 2017: FOCUS: The American Psychological Association has published a draft Clinical Practice Guideline for Behavioral Treatment of Obese Children and Adolescents (1st link). Regan Chastain has read all 110 pages, and she presents her concerns that the guidelines support fat phobia over mental health (2nd link). Rebecca Scritchfield discusses how the Guidelines are out-of-step with known science and the statement by the American Academy of Pediatrics that doctors should not recommend weight loss diets to children and adolescents because of accompanying risks and because they do not improve health (3rd link). You can comment on the draft through midnight (Eastern Time) on October 27, 2017 (4th link).
http://apacustomout.apa.org/commentPracGuidelines/Practice/Full%20Obesity%20 Guideline%20Draft%20comment%20version.pdf
http://www.ravishly.com/apa-release-guidelines-fat-shaming-kids-profit
http://health.usnews.com/wellness/for-parents/articles/2017-09-12/an-alternative-to-a-proposed-guideline-suggesting-weight-loss-for-kids
http://apacustomout.apa.org/commentPracGuidelines/Comment.aspx?siteCode=3
September 13, 2017: Christy Harrison, a nutritionist, counselor, and journalist, discusses some problems with a recent study which claims that there is no such thing as being fat and fit, such as the fact the study did not control for weight stigma and weight cycling, which are risk factors for heart disease, independent of body size.
https://christyharrison.com/blog/the-truth-about-that-new-fat-but-fit-study-metabolically-healthy-obesity
http://www.onlinejacc.org/content/70/12/1429 |
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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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