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public health: opinion
by Tracy Purbrick
‘Get Real Productions’ presents . . .
Primary Care Dietitian The Emperors New Clothes, 2008
Welcome to this modern day adap-
tation of Hans Christian Anderson’s
morality tale. For the edification of
Cast
those who were denied this child-
hood allegory, t’is a tale of delu-
The Emperor ..................Chloe Marshall, Size 16, vital statistics
sion and the power of normative
39-32-41, Miss England contestant
social influence. A king is conned by
The cheering crowd ....The duped British public
crooked tailors who tell him his (non-
existent) brand new suit is made
The Little Boy .................Monica Grenfell, nutritionist, previous
of such fine cloth, that it’s invisible
Miss England Judge and author of plain-
to anyone who’s stupid. Thus, not spoken article in The Daily Mail*
wanting to appear dumb, he feigns
being able to see it. But his downfall
really comes when he parades him- day spin on ‘big-boned’. Well, I don’t
because the room is full of elephants.
self in his finery to all his citizens.
know which thesaurus they are using,
Which leaves us with the second,
Initially, in spite of seeing nothing
but it bears no resemblance to the
equally worrying category of Chloe
but pink flesh before them, they all
likes of ‘beefy’ or ‘pudgy’ that I find
supporters: those who recognize her
coo over its magnificence. No one
under ‘fat’ in mine! Now I don’t want
as fat, but who actually want that to
wants to be the apparently lone idiot
to judge poor Chloe on appearances,
be promoted as a healthy alterna-
unable to see it. That is until a child,
but she’s put herself in that arena
tive body form. Whole groups of such
oblivious to such social pressures,
by entering a beauty contest. Surely
like minded people have bandied
ignores what he is supposed to see
a prerequisite for beauty should be
together into organizations such as
and points to the King’s obvious state
looking healthy. No one expects the
NAAFA, the National Association to
of exposure. Finally, after a little per-
nicotine-stained fingers of a chain
Advance Fat Acceptance, ISAA,
sistence, the boy’s words sink in and
smoker to be found attractive, nor the
the International Size Acceptance
everyone agrees there is no suit and
jaundiced complexion of an alco-
Association and closer to home, Big
that the king is actually doing a streak!
holic, or the rotten teeth of a bulimic.
People UK.
Today’s players, treading the
Ditto, someone who is overweight
With banners arguing that obesity
boards, have not quite reached
and therefore exercises too little and/
is NOT a disease, these groups have
this final act. In our fable Chloe has
or eats too much. I’m not advocating
stated objectives such as, stopping all
been held up as the ideal female
size 0, but why not a healthy slim fig-
research into the treatment of obesity,
role model, the cheering public have
ure with at least a modicum of muscle
calling instead for studies into issues
acquiesced, blogging rallying cries of
tone? Bizarrely, according to her
such as, the cultural bias against fat
‘go for it girl, you look fantastic’ and
stats, at 5’10’’ and 12 stone 8lbs, her
people. Try telling a heart struggling to
the little boy (AKA Monica Grenfell),
BMI comes out at barely overweight.
service an obese body it’s just got a
has bravely pointed out that, rather
Having seen hoards of patients over
bad case of fat prejudice!
than looking fantastic, the other ‘f’
the years and giving her bikini shot a
When it comes to choosing a beau-
word – fat – would be rather more ap-
good going over, I can’t help thinking
ty queen, just like the models we see
propriate. Unfortunately, this is where
that something’s rotten in the state
when flicking through the glossies, it is
the parallel play has kind of stalled.
of Denmark, as our thespian friends
healthy role models we need. Not fat,
Where the public should now say:
would say!
nor emaciated. I don’t buy House and
‘Hey, maybe this Grenfell lass has got
However, even giving these stats
Garden magazine to see photo shoots
something’, they’ve instead reached
the benefit of my considerable doubt,
of a dilapidated old council flat, I want
a crescendo of Chloe worship and
it only goes to show how the BMI usu-
to see something to aspire to, even if I
savaged our candid whistle blower.
ally underestimates obesity. Again,
do live in a shabby shoebox.
Why do they not see what Monica
fat deniers love to slate this tool, oft
Likewise, I don’t expect to see
sees? Well for two worrying reasons,
quoting the likes of Jonah Lomu and
Vogue showcasing someone with
which this saga unhappily highlights.
his BMI over 30. Yet, rarely do such
acne, even though more than the
Firstly, because obesity is so rife, many
dissenters practice any exercise, let
odd pimple has crossed my path. Yes,
people have become blind to it. And
alone international rugby. If the BMI
the average UK woman is a size 16,
secondly, because of those who can
is to be criticized, its biggest sin is in un-
but surely a beauty contest, any con-
see that Chloe is fat, many perversely
derestimating obesity. Indeed, what
test isn’t about finding the average,
feel that this is something to be cel-
dietitian hasn’t calculated someone’s
but the exemplary.
ebrated.
BMI to be healthy, only to look up
People have value, whatever their
Let’s take the fat deniers first. Their
into a moon face peering over a pot
size, but being fat should never be a
internet postings go heavy on the
belly. With overweight and obesity
selling point.
euphemisms. Fat women become
becoming the norm, it’s no longer the *A role model for ordinary women? By Moni-
‘real’ women or ‘curvy’, the modern
metaphorical elephant in the room,
ca Grenfell, Daily Mail, Thursday, April 3, 2008
NHDmag.com May ‘08 - issue 34 39
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