This week I watched the Australian show The Circle for the first time. The Circle is a bit like The View – except everyone’s opinions are more or less the same. They are a happy bunch at The Circle – besties. They love each other. And we love them too. This week Magda Szubanski was on to talk about her weight loss journey. Magda and The Circle’s Chrissie Swan are the public faces of a weight loss company here in Australia. They are a weight loss marketers dream, because:

a) They are really fat; and

b) We absolutely love them.

They are obviously earning some good $$’s for promoting this particular diet, and to be honest, good on ‘em.

Many people, at some time or another, will want to lose weight. I am not saying that that is a good or bad thing. For me it is a very individualistic set of choices that a person makes about his or her own body. There are dozens of reasons why an individual might choose to embark on a weight loss journey. However, most simply, individuals perceive that being thin (or thinner) will somehow improve:

1) Their self esteem, self worth, beauty and acceptance in society;

2) Their physical and mental health and wellbeing.

OR BOTH.

The marketing of the diet industry directly seeks to exploit these two factors, not only to make you hate yourself, but to then blame yourself when the diet fails. But the marketing of these diets has also become more subtle. Because of the evidence about the long term ineffectiveness of commercial diets, companies have repackaged their product so that they are now promoting ‘lifestyle changes’.  Clever, because you are no longer failing at their product. Rather you are failing at a more generic set of ‘lifestyle’ issues which can only be your own fault.

I wanted to share a few snippets of the weight loss conversation that happened on The Circle.

The intro was about how Magda had lost 25 kilos in a “bid to get fit” that she was “determined to keep it off” that she had a “new lease on life” and had “strutted her stuff on the catwalk”. So here we see messages which constantly reinforce how bad it is to be fat. That you can’t be fit and fat. That really you have no right to be a happy and vibrant person if you are fat. And that fat people certainly don’t belong on magazine covers and catwalks – which of course are supposed to show off ‘real’ beauty.

Chrissie: “Please welcome my (weight loss company name) buddy Magda Szubanski! HIGH FIVE (audience cheering and applause) Happy Birthday!!! A year you have kept it off!”

OMG! We can have a weight loss birthday!!!! Do we get presents? And do we finally get to EAT SOME CAKE! To be honest I would be celebrating too, given that most people will drop out of these diets after a few days or weeks – let alone a year.

Magda: “Amazing. Because that’s the thing. We all know you can lose the weight, but then you have that tragic despairing thing of the weight creeping back on. I’ve never been able to do this my whole life….”

Commercial diets are repeatedly shown to be ineffective for 95% of the population. Most people will gain back the weight. With interest. This is because food restriction diets do not work in the long run. Short term of course. But when you are on a calorie restricted diet, at some point, like holding your breath for as long as you can, you have to breathe out.

Magda: “The unhealthy and the healthy parts of me were neck and neck. I had my good days and bad days. But eventually the healthy part of me got stronger. It’s training. And you’ve just got to persist. Forty years of bad eating, you are not going to turn that around in a short space of time.”

So again here we see those very subtle messages. That fat people are somehow weak, lazy, individuals, with gluttonous eating habits. And if they just tried hard enough and had some inner strength, they would be able to overcome their moral weaknesses and lose weight. But also there is that message of the ‘healthy potential’. That somewhere deep inside, is the good, healthy, skinny you. You will also notice a shift away from ‘quick fix’, towards long term stickability – obviously the key to success with lifestyle changes!

Magda: “(being the face of a weight loss company) in a way gives you no way out….we are in a contract, we have kinda gotta stay there…but you get through it and it’s fine. So everyone else has to learn to do that without the contract. Or make a contract with your friends. Announce it to your friends. Paint yourself into a corner. Blab so you have got no way out.”

Denise: “Oh that’s a good thing, because the more people you tell, the more you have to do it.”

I think at this point I actually started to cry. Because what sort of message is this giving to people about improving their health and wellbeing? Or about why they should or shouldn’t be okay with themselves for who they are? Or what the role of friends are, and the shame you should feel in front of them. About the pressures individuals should put themselves under to lose weight. Mothers and daughters have been making diet pacts with each other for decades. So have teenagers.

It is one of the most destructive, disturbing recommendations that I think you could be making to a generation of women (and men) who should be loving their bodies and doing things to improve their health and wellbeing for pleasure rather than punishment.

And what sort of terrible impact does it have on an individual when this ‘lifestyle change’ doesn’t work? What then? Let’s just amplify the potential for shame and embarrassment shall we by putting ourselves out there to our friends and families?

Yumi: “I feel like there is a fat person in me waiting to come out. Did you feel like there was a skinny person waiting to come out?”

Magda: “There is a fat lady in my head that wants fat old habits. And there is another part of me that wants vitality. To live life more. I’m going to be 50 next year and I feel younger than I ever have before.”

What … younger than when you were 5? 10? 20? Shame on you fatties for ever thinking that you were allowed to live life to the fullest. To be full of energy and enthusiasm. Because you must all be sitting on the couch, stuffing your face with cream cakes, and feeling like you need to go into an aged care facility. And for those skinny’s out there – beware. Because if you don’t behave yourself, a big fatty will jump out of you! But also it reinforces that if you are a fatty, that evil fatty will always be in there ready to pounce. So you NEED to make a long term committment to the ‘lifestyle change’ company. Which of course means more money for them.

Magda then gave a whole bunch of tips for weight loss, which ended with…

“It’s like training a dog, you have just got to keep doing it”

Followed a couple of minutes later with this gem from Yumi:

“Of course there is nothing wrong with being fat. We are totally up for that… ”

Really? Why have you just spent the last 6 minutes saying how horrible it is?

Magda: “Oh I’m fat! I’m not not fat. It’s about setting a real goal where you can be your best self. And fit and healthy”

OHHHH NOOOOO. Because you can’t be overweight and healthy. And you definitely can’t be your best self, and REALLY FAT. Rather you are an animal that needs to be trained.

ARGHHHH.

You know I could go on and on with the analysis of this segment (and the horrid fact that there were two other segments in the show which meant that the Panel tucked into Kit Kat’s and Chef Toby’s frittata thingo while Chrissie just sat there eating nothing – even though she had a portion in front of her).

But I guess the point of this post is that when you break down what might seem to be a really helpful or innocent chit chat session about weight/weight loss/health, you can uncover an absolute minefield of rhetoric that serves only to make us feel terrible about ourselves. The tragedy is compounded by the fact that many people who are fat would actually agree with Magda. Buy into what she is saying. And hate themselves and their lives.

That has to stop. And I for one am not prepared to accept that this is a reasonable way to talk about ourselves or other peoples bodies anymore.

What do you think?

First posted at Fat Heffalump

I don’t often get away with my dudes to a place where I have total isolation from the media. The last 4 days have been a media free zone for us – no phones, no computers, no newspapers. It was HEAVEN.

Well you can run, but you can’t hide. And it was slightly amusing that literally a couple of minutes after arriving back home and picking up the Saturday paper I came across this article in the Courier Mail. Australia’s Next Top Model (ANTM) banned a 16 year old from the catwalk because, at a size 8, she was too fat. Now look, I don’t really have any opinions about ANTM. Sorry! I’ve never watched the Ozzie version, and I’m a bit smitten with Miss Jay and the dude with the white hair on the American version. So I’m declaring my conflict of interest and not commenting on the show.

But I WILL comment on the fact that once again a member of Australia’s National Body Image Advisory Group has been caught in another dodgy set of circumstances around the promotion of fat hate. Most of you will know that Mia Freedman, the Chair of the committee has also been criticized for the inconsistency between her role on the committee and the material she promotes on her website. This time it is Sarah Murdoch. For those of you who aren’t familiar with Sarah Murdoch she is a former model and host of ANTM. According to Minister Kate Ellis she chose Murdoch and Freedman, “for their work in their industry, not for their looks”.

And so I landed with a thud back from my holiday bliss. And you know what.

I’ve had enough of these inconsistencies.

I’ve had enough of people who are supposed to be advocating for body image declaring “it’s not like I hate fat people”. There is a reason you would have to declare that out loud at a press conference.

I’ve had enough of the confusing messages that are sent when our National Body Image Advisory Committee includes some high profile individuals who then actively promote that certain types of bodies are the beautiful ideal.

I’ve had enough of the new saviour that is obesity surgery. Because when you get an email from a 17 year old who tells you that her obesity surgeon told her to turn the heater off in the winter so that she would shiver and burn more energy thus losing more weight, you realize that this is a profit driven industry out to exploit, not care for people.

I’ve had enough of articles that say that fat stigma will be reduced if we find a cure for obesity. Or that we should tackle fat stigma because it will make it easier for people to engage in healthy activity – oh and lose weight.

I’ve had enough of the emails from people who have asked me if I have any ‘miracles’ because they have been told by their doctors that they have got themselves so fat that they should just give up and wait to die.

I’ve had enough of people being paid lots of money to promote the diet industry, which promises everything, and only delivers physical and emotional pain.

I’ve had enough of the stupidity that somehow has us believe that we will protect young people from eating disorders if we give a magazine a ‘tick’ for declaring its airbrushing practices, but that we still allow that same magazine to run ‘diet’ articles, and advertisements for the weight loss industry.

Most of all, I’ve had enough of the hypocrisy that surrounds the body image/obesity/health debate in this country. And that includes everyone being allowed to be an expert on fat… oh except fat people.

I don’t think there is one person that is reading this that at one time or another hasn’t disliked what they saw in the mirror (or on the scales). I also don’t think that there is one person who is reading this that hasn’t been made to feel bad about their body by someone else. Some of you reading this will encounter this much more than others. And I am standing up and applauding you for the amazing strength and resilience that you show in the face of such a negative public gaze for what your bodies look like, and how they got to be how they are. I honestly don’t know how you do it.

But I do want to let you know that I am with you.  Standing side by side until we sort out this ridiculous situation that we have gotten ourselves into with ‘weight’.

And I will continue to advocate with you for change.  Because when we stand together, we are a very powerful voice indeed.

A voice that is getting stronger.

A voice that is becoming an amazing tool for highlighting the hypocrisy that exists around body acceptance, weight and health in Australia.

Let me give you a great example of the power of that voice in action.

Last week Herald Sun columnist Susie O’Brien weighed in (again) on the obesity debate. But before I write about that, lets have a little recap of some of the things Susie O’Brien has written about body image in the past. First up, in January, when supermodel Jen Hawkins bared all for body image acceptance, Susie wrote:

“I have written so many articles about body image… I have told women to be proud of themselves and told men to adore the flaws.”

She goes on to write.

“We are never going to have genuine body acceptance until people start getting used to seeing real, average, beautiful bodies.”

Now obviously I have issues with these statements. But I could see where she was coming from.  Not helpful, but a little bit heading in the right direction (even in the lets all strip off and show each other we don’t look like Jen Hawkins love fest that we all seemed to be going through at the beginning of the year).

So how then, just a few months later, can Susie O’Brien write this?

“Yes, it’s important that young people feel good about themselves. But it’s also important that young people have the best chance of living a long, healthy life without the serious life-threatening illnesses that come with obesity. Not to mention the teasing and bullying and low self-esteem that many fat kids face. So I want to know what’s being done to help young people who need to lose weight, and who need to get motivated to change their unhealthy bodies, rather than accept them as they are.”

Once again, the same old rhetoric emerges. Lets accept everyone’s real, beautiful bodies, flaws and all.

UNLESS YOU ARE FAT.

But what’s worse is that somehow it’s okay to then invite a bunch of people to participate in a live hate fest on fatties. That fat individuals are lazy. That fat parents were in essence abusing their children. That we should all aspire to be like Susie because her kids ask for broccoli when they get home from daycare.

Now every cloud has a silver lining. And the day that Susie chose to have that live blog was one of the most silver lined clouds I have seen for a while. Because not just one, or two, or three but at least TEN of us joined that live blog to SMASH HOLES in Susie’s arguments. We very clearly and rationally outlined our arguments, and in the process absolutely discredited what she and a bunch of others had to say. We all brought a slightly different perspective to the table, and I know I felt a whole lot better about being in the discussion because I knew others were there with me.

It’s not easy to be a lone voice. I have learnt that the hard way. And I guess that is the point of this post. If we want change, we have to start acting together. There is no doubt that the critics are there. I was on Catalyst about obesity surgery for kids a couple of weeks back and ABC journalist Melanie Tait (who has had a lapband) took it upon herself to very publically try to discredit me. And so many of you jumped in and supported me. And I cannot tell you what a difference that made.

Speaking out also brings emails like this.

“We’ve never met but I recently read your piece ‘Mama Mia and Body Image’ and it was a lifesaver. A total no holds barred lifesaver. Finally someone clearly explaining that I shouldn’t have to hide my body to make it acceptable to others. And that while there is nothing wrong with promoting physical health in the right context, mental health is equally important, and the guilt and shame brought about by being told in a /body image/ setting that you are freaky and need fixing (read here 5 foot 1 and size 20) is incredibly damaging. You have helped me reframe my thinking about this and regain some much needed sanity and perspective. I have sent copies of your piece to my women friends who are all shapes and sizes.”

This is why we do what we do. And why we need to work together. All of us will be able to contribute in different ways. Some of us will want to be on the front line. Others will want to join the discussion in safer spaces. Some might just want to listen and perhaps share pieces with their friends and family members. Some might want to offer a shoulder to lean on (or some much needed spell check skills!!). Everyone has a role to play in creating change.

So who is in? !!!!

By the way. Keep your emails coming. I love them really.  Or follow me on Twitter @samanthastweets

Oh and I reckon Susie is a shoe in for the next vacancy on the National Body Image Advisory Committee! What do you think?

First Posted Over at Spilt Milk and Fat Heffalump

Mia Freedman’s appointment as Chair of the Australia’s National Body Image Advisory Group is one of life’s very strange ironies.

Let me pose a question. How does someone that writes a blog like Mamamia become the Chair of Australia’s National Body Image Advisory Group?

How? Does? That? Happen?

For me, this is a fundamentally important question to ask if we are going to take Body Image initiatives seriously in Australia. It is a question which will help us to understand what ‘Body Image’ means, the boundaries that have been set up in the Body Image advocacy space, who is included and more importantly who is being left out.

As an academic, what I deal with, day in, day out is evidence. As dull as that may seem, my life is about facts. Those facts come in different shapes and sizes. The facts I deal with are predominantly qualitative. They are about people’s views, their experiences, their attitudes and opinions. And, as an excellent Professor once told me, academics should always be prepared to change their mind in light of new evidence. Let me tell you that my mind has been changed on more than a few occasions because the evidence was just so compelling (climate change and fat are great examples of this!).

So in thinking this through I have looked in great detail at the Mamamia blog. I’m not going to link the blog here. You can search for it if you like. But I’m not going to proactively encourage you to go there.

For me, this blog, given who it is written by, and the position she also holds as Chair of the National Body Image Advisory Group is supremely problematic. Mamamia (which I’m assuming is a business) creates an interesting dilemma for the National Body Image Advisory Group. Because it is not what Body Image is about. In fact, is probably as far removed from it as you could possibly get.

At the most basic level, this is the definition of Body Image:

“The way a person thinks about his or her body and how it looks to others”

So for me, initiatives which seek to foster positive Body Image (note that this is different from Body Image, and people get them confused all the time which does my head in) should simply be about activities which:

“help all individuals to think positively about their bodies” Full Stop.

Now in light of these definitions, I had a good look at Mamamia, particularly under the Body Image section. And here is my take on what I saw.

• Body image is predominantly framed as being about ‘healthy’ weight. And because of this, there is an abundance of derogatory weight based language that occurs on the site, both in the blog posts and in the comments sections.

There is a convenient assumption that is made throughout the site, that ‘curvy’ is okay (as long as you are also drop dead beautiful see the posts about Layne Bryant and Christina Hendricks). That being a little bit above or below ‘average’ is acceptable too. But being too fat or too thin is not (as are encapsulated in the Gainer and Skinny Girls are Liars posts). And this is where we get into this strange notion that Body Image is about promoting ‘real women’ (who seem to only be a size 10-14). That a few more of these ‘real’ women on catwalks or in magazines are a really helpful thing for creating en masse self esteem in women.

So if we go back to the definitions about Body Image, and how to create positive Body Image, is this a helpful approach? Nope. It’s not even close.

• That ‘being fat’ is still a bad thing, as is gaining weight. That is it associated with a fundamental character flaw of being ‘naughty’ ‘self indulgent’ ‘undisciplined’ (I could go on and on and on…)

And here we get a multitude of damaging posts – like the one where the bloke calls her chubby and she goes into a monumental meltdown and hours of chick debriefing to get over it. Or the one where her kid says that a size 12 fairy at a play was ‘fat’ and she spends a whole angst ridden car trip trying to reassure her kid that the fairy wasn’t fat (because obviously calling someone fat is a REALLY bad thing to do….. because having a quick discussion about the values of people being different shapes and sizes would have been very destructive – my words not hers). Or my favourite one which also appeared in this weekend’s paper – the time when she went on an overseas holiday and OMG had a really awful relationship with food because she put on 11 kilos and 20 years later still seems ridden with guilt about it. Or the one where she says that women are facing a dilemma because a “good ass” requires a low % of body fat but a “good face” requires a high one.

Accepting of people for who they are? A healthy approach to encouraging EVERYONE to feel good about their bodies? I don’t think so.

• That it is still okay to judge people for what they choose to wear, or choose to have done to their bodies (aka tattoos and plastic surgery).

Obviously this blog represents some pretty mainstream fashion views. That’s okay and there is nothing particularly wrong with that. This probably is as good a place as any to declare that I love a bit of Saturday morning mummy fashion from Country Road. But the problem is that the blog posts constantly compares what is ‘hot’ with what is ‘not’. The ‘best’ with the ‘worst’. And it is that comparison that is extremely dangerous in a Body Image context. It’s even dangerous when you put up fashion posts which are all about how a colour makes you look (like the black doesn’t make you look skinny but it can make you look older post). Or her video blogs about what fashions we should be buying this winter. Or denigrating people for having plastic surgery. The positive Body Image take on plastic surgery would be to look at why women feel pressured to have boob jobs, botox, whatever. Not to write OMG YOU IDIOT posts about women who make choices about what they do with their own bodies. There is a big difference.

Because that DOES NOT encourage all individuals to feel positively about their bodies – which includes being able to wear things that they love and that they personally feel good in. Because it creates a sense that you should worry about what others think of you. Which is really really wrong!

Let me share a little secret with you.

Positive Body Image is not about creating an acceptable body ‘norm’ or about trying to make yourself look thinner, more beautiful, younger, or whatever. It’s not about trying to ‘hide’ or ‘make the best of’ who you are. That is called “Marketing”.

Because where bodies are concerned, there is no norm. Because we ARE ALL DIFFERENT! Which is what makes us REAL. And celebrating that difference is what positive Body Image is about.

The sad thing is that the content on Mamamia probably represents the views of sizable minority of people in Australia. And it means that the blog also provides a voice for that sizable minority. And that voice has at sometimes been very critical of people who have tried to raise some sensible debate about Body Image and what it means. That’s a shame. Because it doesn’t help to create a space which is about promoting positive Body Image for all Australians (and that includes our blokes too!). Or in creating an important cultural change in the way we perceive beauty, self worth or body acceptance.

I know some people who read this will disagree with what I have written. That is important, and I really welcome the feedback. Because it is through these very discussions that we will hopefully create change, and end up in a place where we come together to listen to and understand each other’s perspectives about this important issue.

History has shown us that popularity doesn’t necessarily make for the most fair, just and sensible leaders. Maybe this is just a case of history repeating itself (again). But I know that there is an amazing positive Body Image revolution on its way! It’s coming from the grassroots. And it will have a bigger impact than any government taskforce could ever have.

And that is just too exciting for words!