Ugh, The National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance

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  • JennW130
    JennW130 Posts: 460 Member
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    If you think your kid is going to be offended by it, then just skip that exhibit. There's like a trillion other things for kids at Disney.
  • crimsontech
    crimsontech Posts: 234 Member
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    Actually, the negative stigma of being overweight is very damaging. Just because those of us who are here are (for the most part) trying to lose weight and make healthy choices for their lives, doesn't mean everyone should or does have those same goals. Being overweight in itself doesn't make you less of a person. For some reason, it's socially acceptable to make fun of the overweight, and it's time for it to stop.

    There are plenty of people who are "overweight" but are perfectly healthy. And some people who like a body with extra curves or plump, male or female. Overweight people should not be ostracized from society or made to feel like failures. The overweight also suffer from the belief that just because they eat too much or exercise too little, that they are also slow-minded, less intelligent, less capable to do almost any job, which is also completely untrue.

    So, let's NOT teach our children that they are failures if they gain a little weight. Let's NOT teach our children that it's OK to make fun of overweight people because they "did it to themselves". And kudos to not having this disgusting exhibit shown to kids in what's supposed to be a happy place!
  • SkinnyShadow
    SkinnyShadow Posts: 106 Member
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    The exhibit should take shots at the parents but they're the ones spending the money so that's not going to happen.

    Personally, I agree with this.

    Whilst the exhibit did sound ok it is really obese kids who will bear the brunt of the teasing / stigma rather than the parents who are making poor choices on their behalf.

    "Shaming" children won't work except in the minority of case in my view.

    Very true. The kids aren't the ones buying the food in the house. Parents aren't parents anymore in America. They're friends to their kids. Remove the junk food from the house, remove the Xbox, the Wii, whatever and make your kids do something besides sit in front of the TV. YOU ARE THE PARENT FOR GOD's SAKE.

    But the way I see it, many parents are not going to change. So sometimes kids have to count on themselves and make their own healthy choices unfortunately. And i think encouraging them to get active is a great idea

    Sometimes change has to start with the kids - ie recycling... in my family, we started recycling A LOT more after it was brought up by my son. Now, we pretty much recycle everything.
  • abatonfan
    abatonfan Posts: 1,120 Member
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    And yet, Disney's food is notoriously unhealthy. So, they're preaching overweight children that they need to "eat healthy", when a majority of the quickly accessible food, like sodas and mickey ice cream bars, are of the unhealthy kind. It would have been better if Disney sent the message that "They can still have a tiny bit of their favorite treats, but moderation is the key" instead of "overweight children eat unhealthy", which is incredibly stigmatized (There's skinny people who binge constantly on pizza, and overweight people eating a million times healthier).
  • pastryari
    pastryari Posts: 8,646 Member
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    Wait, am I reading that correctly? There is actually an organization that is promoting fat acceptance?? Like they WANT people to be fat and think it's okay? It isn't okay, it's UNHEALTHY.
  • 2kidsandadonut
    2kidsandadonut Posts: 140 Member
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    They have beer in the 'world' area of Disney. just sayin.
  • Silverkittycat
    Silverkittycat Posts: 1,997 Member
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    I like the idea of the exhibit, I just wish it wasn't the overweight characters that were the villains, rather, the foods themselves should be the villains.

    Now there's an idea... :laugh:
    Evil food...always holding that gun to my head. Come on. Really?
  • cbl40
    cbl40 Posts: 281 Member
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    Disney food SUCKS! Your choices are the boring iceberg lettuce salad or the fried food. I think I found a baked pototo and banana in the Magic Kindgom, which was sadly my best meal there. I think Disney is doing a great job by promoting healthy living. I haven't read the article or seen what they are doing, but walking around Disney, you see why Americans are notoriously known for being overweight. It is sad. We can do better. :)
  • BAMFMeredith
    BAMFMeredith Posts: 2,829 Member
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    Actually, the negative stigma of being overweight is very damaging. Just because those of us who are here are (for the most part) trying to lose weight and make healthy choices for their lives, doesn't mean everyone should or does have those same goals. Being overweight in itself doesn't make you less of a person. For some reason, it's socially acceptable to make fun of the overweight, and it's time for it to stop.

    There are plenty of people who are "overweight" but are perfectly healthy. And some people who like a body with extra curves or plump, male or female. Overweight people should not be ostracized from society or made to feel like failures. The overweight also suffer from the belief that just because they eat too much or exercise too little, that they are also slow-minded, less intelligent, less capable to do almost any job, which is also completely untrue.

    So, let's NOT teach our children that they are failures if they gain a little weight. Let's NOT teach our children that it's OK to make fun of overweight people because they "did it to themselves". And kudos to not having this disgusting exhibit shown to kids in what's supposed to be a happy place!

    Promoting a healthy lifestyle to children is a "disgusting exhibit"?
  • SkinnyShadow
    SkinnyShadow Posts: 106 Member
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    in-memory-of-leonard-ball-who-hated-fat-people.jpg
    haha... sorry, I just HAD to! :p
    (just learned how to post pics today) :flowerforyou:
  • muffintopteri
    muffintopteri Posts: 83
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    Actually, the negative stigma of being overweight is very damaging. Just because those of us who are here are (for the most part) trying to lose weight and make healthy choices for their lives, doesn't mean everyone should or does have those same goals. Being overweight in itself doesn't make you less of a person. For some reason, it's socially acceptable to make fun of the overweight, and it's time for it to stop.

    There are plenty of people who are "overweight" but are perfectly healthy. And some people who like a body with extra curves or plump, male or female. Overweight people should not be ostracized from society or made to feel like failures. The overweight also suffer from the belief that just because they eat too much or exercise too little, that they are also slow-minded, less intelligent, less capable to do almost any job, which is also completely untrue.

    So, let's NOT teach our children that they are failures if they gain a little weight. Let's NOT teach our children that it's OK to make fun of overweight people because they "did it to themselves". And kudos to not having this disgusting exhibit shown to kids in what's supposed to be a happy place!


    I have to say I agree. Why is Disney involved in something like this anyway? Technology sure. Cartoons, fun, games, rides, shows, sure. But social issues? Health issues? What the heck. Do what you are good at and leave the rest to someone else. I'm just thinking how awful an overweight child feels already about how they look and then to see that? It's just stupid. Put in a kid friendly healthy food restaurant and leave it at that. But the name of that organization? Is that for real?
  • cbl40
    cbl40 Posts: 281 Member
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    I teach my kids not to eat too much junk, and to get exercise, so they don't get fat. I'm a monster.






    LOL!
  • Kenzietea2
    Kenzietea2 Posts: 1,132 Member
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    Although I believe no one should get made fun of for any reason, we also shouldn't shelter people from the fact they have a problem. If you are obese, you are putting yourself at much higher risk for many health problems, and that is just a fact. Kids should be learning this at a young age.
  • sammielealea
    sammielealea Posts: 245 Member
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    The exhibit should take shots at the parents but they're the ones spending the money so that's not going to happen.

    Personally, I agree with this.

    Whilst the exhibit did sound ok it is really obese kids who will bear the brunt of the teasing / stigma rather than the parents who are making poor choices on their behalf.

    "Shaming" children won't work except in the minority of case in my view.

    Very true. The kids aren't the ones buying the food in the house. Parents aren't parents anymore in America. They're friends to their kids. Remove the junk food from the house, remove the Xbox, the Wii, whatever and make your kids do something besides sit in front of the TV. YOU ARE THE PARENT FOR GOD's SAKE.

    I completely agree!! It's a parents #1 JOB to guide and their children to making good choices in every facet of their lives, from healthy eating, being active, having manners . . . the list goes on and on. It's the hardest job and biggest responsibility in the world . . . shaping another human being . . .people should treasure this responsibility and never forget that THEY are their childrens biggest influence. The world needs to stop complaining about things that they can't control, and take control over what they can.
  • MikeSEA
    MikeSEA Posts: 1,074 Member
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    Based on the little of the quoted text, it sounds like the exhibit was doing at least two things. The first is painting thin people as heroic. The second was vilifying (literally) certain behaviors, like snacking.

    So you have a group of kids seeing this and they see the thinner people as heros and the fat people as villains. It's creating this potentially false conclusion that you can determine how lazy someone is or isn't by how thin or fit they appear to be.

    Did they have a character for Sinister Skinny Fat, who isn't really all that healthy but gets through life without a problem despite having crappy habits and making fun of obese people who are trying improve themselves? I tend to doubt it.

    They're painting a picture as being more simple than it really is and it can cause damage.
  • kaetra
    kaetra Posts: 442 Member
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    Also, 90% of the kid's meals in Disney World come with a fruit side (usually grapes) or a veg (usually baby carrots) and you have the option to get yogurt for the dessert and milk or 100% juice for a beverage. The entrees aren't super healthy (PBJ, Mac and Cheese, Chicken Tenders, etc.), but they are definitely making efforts to improve the nutritional quality of the food, especially for the kids.

    In most places fries as a kid's side are not even listed as an option on the menu board, but if you want your kid to have fries you can still get them - you just have to ask. You can also get a frozen chocolate-covered banana at any Ice Cream cart. It's not perfect, but it's at least got some nutritional value and it's dang delicious too.
  • candicemaechling
    candicemaechling Posts: 152 Member
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    That's so messed up kids need info they may not be getting at home. The reason I choose not to smoke for instance was because I had knowledge it was bad for me growing up I never got that may if I would have got more cause and effect of food and activity I may not have eaten my way to over 300 geesh .
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
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    Yeah, they really do care, that's why their parks are loaded with deep fried fatty foods, funnel cakes, corn dogs, ice cream, etc...maybe they can start there and then move on from that!

    Honestly, I liked the idea of it, but I also understand not "villianizing" fat people. It's the fat and habits we want to get rid of, not the people! I think there was a better way to do this one!
    Also...

    I think it's the parents job to do the educating on health, though we know how well that works with a lot of families. I have already heard my 7 year old daughter criticizing fat people and that is just wrong! She told me that they must drink a lot of milk because school told her that milk makes people fat, and that she didn't want to drink milk anymore. Amongst other things I've heard her say.

    I like the idea of the exhibit, I just wish it wasn't the overweight characters that were the villains, rather, the foods themselves should be the villains.
    This is part of the problem. Food doesn't make anyone fat or unhealthy. Food can't be a villain, and to suggest that food is the problem, and not people's habits, is part of the problem. People would rather blame this food or that food than actually taking the personal responsibility to make healthier food and portion choices.
  • JoyousRen
    JoyousRen Posts: 3,823 Member
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    Honestly, I wish Disney would serve healthier foods within their parks.

    And beer.

    There is beer all over Animal Kingdom and a full service bar hidden away. I've never been to a Disney park that didn't serve booze
  • littlelaura
    littlelaura Posts: 1,028 Member
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    A good concept but labling a character as a bad villain for being fat isnt.
    Eating unhealthy food is bad for us. Not staying physically active is bad for us.
    To make healthier choices, eat better and exercise to become or stay fit and healthy,that should be the message.
    Educating the families visiting this exhibit is a worthwhile cause and I am sure they will work it out to make it helpful not harmful.
    People are neither good nor bad based on their size.
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