Celebration of Student Research, Creative Works, and Academic Service Learning

[ljgeoff]

I'm going to be doing a presentation at NMU on April 17th 2008.

Healthy At Every Size: Obesity, Health and Culture by Lisa Geoffrion, Undergraduate Student, Department of Nursing

(abstract)
"The health risks of obesity have been trumpeted loud and clear: diabetes, cardiovascular disease and high blood pressure are all strongly linked to obesity. Is there a difference between looking healthy and being healthy? Western culture tells us: One can never be too rich or too thin. But the human body does not come in one cookie-cutter shape. Just as there are a range of body heights, there are a range of natural body weights. The predisposition to store different amounts of body fat is part of who we are. Our culture sends us the message that body fat is unhealthy and ugly; any fat person should feel ashamed of their moral weakness and obvious lack of self respect.

HAES, or Healthy At Every Size, is a world-wide movement that affirms that human beings are not plastic Barbie doll cut-outs, that humans come in a range of colors, heights, and shapes, and that health is much more than a BMI number.

The audience will come away from the presentation knowing that health is not a number and not a contest; health is loving who you are, loving life, and living life to the fullest."

comments/thoughts/critiques appreciated

Comments

[hmms-sio.livejournal.com]

I'd love to have your complete presentation when time comes. And I think it's a pitty I can't be there.

[ljgeoff.livejournal.com]

I'm hoping to have the presentation recorded, and I could send it to you if you like. Or maybe somebody can show me how to put it up on YouTube.

[nmugirl2276.livejournal.com]

Wow, this makes me REALLY wanna go see your presentation! I, as you know (this is Stacey from orgpsych by the way- I never update anymore nor comment in anyone's journals usually!) am trying to lose the weight, and while I've been somewhat successful, I just KNOW that I will never be that perfect 25 BMI (or whatever the number says). I am a big boned person and although I'm short and small, I'm more muscular than some think. I think it's bogus how we have such an emphasis on "healthy BMI" and all of that when you have people like me who are technically 30-40 pounds overweight with no health problems whatsoever. In fact, according to the BMI chart, I should be in between 98 and 110 pounds for my height!! Umm... sorry, I don't think being a stick is healthy! I work out and I eat right-- and that, along with getting regular health screenings, should be all that matters.

I can't wait to see your presentation; it sounds wonderful and the abstract is very well written :) See you around I'm sure!

[ljgeoff.livejournal.com]

Hi Stacey! Nice to see you here.

I think if you were 110 lbs, you wouldn't look like you. I think you look great just the way you are. My personal definition of "overweight" is when a person's body fat (and this is pretty much always the visceral fat, not the fat that's under your skin) is causing health problems.

If you're interested in this topic, I can send you some very interesting studies that never make the news.