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January 31, 2007 - Oakland, CA - The National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance demands that the MetroWest Community Health Care Foundation immediately remove their billboards in Massachusetts targeting childhood obesity. NAAFA further demands that they cease all radio, television and print advertising in their campaign against fat children which promotes fear and hatred of larger bodies and body obsession in children ultimately leading to eating disorders.
Martin Cohen claims, "The campaign is directed at parents, not children..." Is Mr. Cohen insinuating that the children of Massachusetts are illiterate and incapable of reading billboards or understanding print and television advertising? Children are far more likely to be reading billboards than are their parents who are battling traffic.
Billboards depicting fat kids are extraordinarily harmful to the very kids they are supposedly trying to help. Fat children are already the targets of merciless bullying. This campaign simply gives the bullies permission to do more of the same.
NAAFA supports Health at Every Size (HAES). In the "war on obesity," we are the Peace Movement. HAES says that healthy habits are good for EVERYONE, no matter what their size. Eat healthy, nutritious foods and enjoy occasional treats. Pay attention to your natural hunger and satiety cues. Move your body in ways that feel good. And love yourself just the way you are! NAAFA challenges Metrowest to create an advertising campaign that encourages people of ALL sizes to eat healthy food, add movement to our lives and celebrate our differences.
Susan Green, who helped develop the campaign, said the health risk that gives her the greatest concern is an increase in depression among overweight children. Does Mrs. Green believe that seeing gigantic billboards describing their bodies as unacceptable and bad is supportive of positive mental health? Would it not be difficult to see your children depressed because they are not only bullied at school on a daily basis but are now made a public spectacle many times larger than life?
Contact NAAFA for a brochure called "Good News for Big Kids", written by Joanne Ikeda, a Mom, a wife, a University lecturer, a Registered Dietician, an author, and a teen rap group leader. This brochure will help kids and parents understand that all kids deserve love and respect regardless of their body size or shape. Every body is a good body. No one has the right to criticize your body.
Founded in 1969, the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance (NAAFA) is a non-profit human rights organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for fat people. NAAFA works to eliminate discrimination based on body size and provide fat people with the tools for self-empowerment through public education, advocacy, and member support.
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