Appearance and the media’s obsession with it is a common topic for feminists and women’s rights activists( Why should models be airbrushed? Why is being waif thin attractive?), but the other day we were presented with a new and very unusual twist. Last week The Wall Street Journal published an article titled “Too Fit to be President?” which address the issue of Obama’s healthy lifestyle and lack of heft sitting uneasily with some voters. With the understanding that commenting on a bad rumor doesn’t make it go away, I want to take a minute to think about this.
After having lived abroad for a number of years, I was shocked to turn on the TV during a recent visit to the Midwest to see public service announcements calling for healthier eating. I learned quickly that schools were hiring nutritional experts, McDonalds was serving salads, and trans-fats were on their way out. I read the Time article about obesity: the epidemic and why it is happening. The message I have been getting is that being overweight is bad and being healthy is good – diabetes, high blood pressure, fatigue bad; high-energy, feeling good about yourself good.
Okay society now I am a little confused, should I be waif thin and sexy or does that put me at fault for any sexual harassment that comes my way? Should I thin and healthy like the public service announcements or should I dive into the grease and sweets to be able to relate to those around me which is basically the message Obama received from CHOZICK of the Wall Street Journal? In fact recent follow up articles in other papers have reported on Obama back steeping his way right into pies and greasy hamburgers.
Regardless of how anyone feels about Obama as a candidate, we need to be savvy enough to realize this is just another ploy to focus the attention somewhere that it really shouldn’t be. To get the real statistics on Obama’s—or any house or party member – check out AAUWs congressional report at http://capwiz.com/aauw/dbq/officials. Perhaps rather than thinking about who goes to McDonalds after what three-mile run, people should start thinking about how their candidates are voting about the issues that matter.
And as for me I hope that there will be less focus on how thin and waif-like I can be or how healthy or how like most Americans and more about my accomplishments. With all these mixed messages I am ready to go back to Brazil where working out is part of the lifestyle and most people eat well because the food is generally healthy. Forget this too skinny too fat business I need to go running to clear my head and who knows where I might stop off for a bite afterward. And who cares?
