I'm still thinking about our discussion about how weight might be considered a disability. (For those who weren't there, we weren't talking medically, but about how people's bodies are sorted into those that are "normal" and those that are "unacceptable" socially.)I'm not going to do a full review, but I think The Earth, my Butt & other Big Round Things by Carolyn Mackler treats weight in an interesting way. The main character, Virginia, struggles with how people see her as well as how she sees herself. Although she loses weight in the end (trope of disability), she does so on her own terms and makes a clear statement to others about whether her body is up for discussion.
I wonder if it is "possible" to write a story about a "person of size", as I've heard say, and not have them "resolve" their weight "problem"? (Take the quotes seriously!)
This is a fun read. I would love to talk about it! (And if anyone wants to take on the challenge of thinking about size and disability, it might be an interesting project. I would want to talk about what might be tricky about how it is framed.)
5 comments:
I am constantly thinking about this subject and how it pertains to me. In our socially constructed world, not only does weight matter but the way that you carry it as well. Some weight distributions are fine but others impossible. Because of the social impacts, the person affected by their weight carries the psychological burden as well as the weight itself around with them at all times. While it is up to the person themselves ultimately what they do with their body, it doesn't have a clear "solution." Actually there is an article I just read about the recent trend of Fit and fat on forbes.com (http://www.forbes.com/2005/04/06/cx_lrlh_0406fitfat.html) shows that these ideas are not mutually exclusive and redefines what it means to be larger. It is a step in showing that perhaps even though a person may be of size, it doesn't mean that the limited mobility ideas that are generally associated with this state are always true. It show the trend in re identifying and rearranging current stereotypes that are being forced on "people of size." The study in these articles says that theses peopel that are "fit but overweight have a higher survival rate than unfit lean people." This healthier living could be written about and not "resolve the weight problem." To me, it's all about, knowing the state your body is in and making choices to show yourself that you are keeping your body in a state of readiness and not letting it slow to inactivity. Mobility is an essential part of life and as long as a person is able to maintain a state of mobility and activity that isn't overzealous but could be if the moment arrived, they are proving they have control of their bodies and can maintain an equilibrium to some point. As long as a "person of size" is able to keep themselves in a situation that isn't impairing them, I consider it a personal victory to them and shows their body is on their terms.
I think it is really difficult to write a novel about a person of size and not have that person resolve their "problem". Weight is such a taboo subject these days, especially when it comes to children. I think that any discussion around weight needs to be accepting and respectful so that children do not develop negative feelings about being overweight.
Also, this discussion reminded me of that book discussed in class where the young boy goes to camp and turns into a hamster to lose weight - clearly this is not the way to address weight. But how would one address weight in a way that is positive, appropriate, and respectful?
Lastly, if weight is a disability, then it is technically not something that can be "resolved". However, is it responsible and ethical to not encourage children to resolve weight issues if these issues could potentially damage their health?
A little story about how the value of size is a social construction. When I lived in Mali my Malian friends would say to me, when I returned from a trip, the equivalent of "you are looking very fat"! What they meant was that I looked rested and happy, rather than tired and drawn. I never felt that the comment was about the measure of weight or even about my health. Yet, coming from American culture, I always had to fight feeling like they had insulted me. Being larger was also related to gender--women were supposed to be round, while men were supposed to be lean.
When I lived in Austria many of my friends smoked, but were very critical of anyone who was heavier. (Coming from Minnesota which was an early adopter of smoke-free public spaces laws, I grew up surrounded by a lot of judgments around smoking. Although there's certainly a medical rationale for not smoking, it was also framed as revealing something about the moral character of a person if they couldn't "control" their smoking.)
To use an example from the U.S., there's an interesting article titled "I'm Not Fat, I'm Latina" by Christy Haubegger that I'll try to dig out.
Wow! You must have had this discussion in your other section! What an interesting topic. I don't have an exact answer to the question, but it does make me think of some ideas I have. Some "people of size" are that way becasue of genetics or a disease. However, other people of size may be that way because they do not take care of their bodies. I would think that if being very overweight was becasue of a disease it may be considered a disability. However , if it is something that the individual can prevent, it may not be a disability. I know there is no way it can be that cut and dry, but that is just one idea I had.
Also, I would like to comment on Mikes post. I think that it is very surprising that a persons size does not affect their mobility. What about all the health magazines and Weight Loss ads who have people saying, I lost weight and now I am able to be active and have more energy! This is something I would like to look into, I am not sure I agree with the Forbes article. However, it is very interesting information.
Although I am not sure if I consider weight a disability, I think it is a great topic for children's literature. Many children suffer from childhood obesity, and I think it would be a great way to get rid of some of the stereotypes that exist. I am for sure going to pick up the novel you recommended and read it!
The idea that there's an "ideal" weight is so embedded in medical discourse that it is hard to talk about the social construction of "overweight". Even the phrase "suffer from" implies that being heavier must be bad--either physically and/or socially. Add to the fact that we have a culture that values independence and the idea of "self-control"! This is a tough one for me to untangle.
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