Musing on food and cooking ...

Saturday, December 29, 2007



Damn Dog Tagged Us

So, Logan over at Boxer Rebllion put the tag on us to play along with this meme. We must reveal seven untruths about ourselves. So here goes...

Pele says:

1. I am not the most gorgeous, softest cat in the universe.
2. Squirrels respect my authority.
3. I never, ever knock things off the dresser when I want attention in the middle of the night.
4. I feel perfectly calm and at ease when human feeder #1 is in the shower.
5. I never cry when human feeder #1 goes to work as I am perfectly self-sufficient.
6. It is certainly some other evil cat who digs in the potted plants.
7. I am never frightened when the alarm clock goes off in the morning.


Leo says:
1. I am totally smart.
2. I mean it, way smart.
3. I don't like beer!
4. I enjoy the great outdoors, especially in winter time!
5. Someday, I will be able to go through the magical barrier and destroy that squirrel that taunts me.
6. I have fantastic depth perception.
7. Have I mentioned that I am very smart?
6.

Thursday, December 13, 2007

Obesity is Not a Moral Issue

I've been promising for weeks now to post video of a speech I gave at my college's academic festival this fall. I was part of a panel on "women in the academy," and my talk focused on a study that came out this summer showing that obese girls were least likely to pursue higher education. Unfortunately, the video has never made it to me, and I think it likely it has gone into the ether, and so I will post the text of my speech:


In summer of 2007, Robert Crosnoe, a Sociologist at the University of Texas at Austin released a study that found that among all groups, obese girls were least likely to attend college. Using data collected on nearly 11,000 adolescents by the ongoing National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, which started in 1994, Crosnoe showed that obese girls were 50% less likely to go to college than non-obese girls. Moreover, he found that self-rejection, self-hatred, in obese girls was 63% higher than for non-obese girls. He theorizes that girls are internalizing negative social feedback, which can often lead to low self-esteem, alcohol and drug use, failure in school, truancy, and suicidal ideation.

My reaction to the study was a “No! Really!? Fat girls don’t go to college!?!?! Fat girls hate themselves!?!?!?!” As blogger Kate Harding said in a post on Shakesville not long after the report on the study, “I'm sure that shocks exactly no one who's ever been a fat adolescent girl… after surviving the snakepit of high school, not many adolescent fat girls are bursting with faith in their abilities and worth as human beings. And that's without getting into the practical reasons not to go: that those who don't commute will be forced to live closely -- possibly in the same room -- with fat-hating strangers instead of their families; that dining halls involve the opportunity for all sorts of strangers to observe your eating habits; that too many colleges have molded chair/desk combos that fat people can't fit into comfortably or at all; that too many professors, being part of this culture, will assume that fat students are stupid and lazy.”

As an adolescent fat girl who is now an obese woman, it has certainly never been a secret to me that the obese, and especially obese girls and women, face extreme levels of stigmatization in a wide variety of situations. In recent years, obese individuals have been blamed for just about every societal problem one can think of – from the high cost of insurance to the high cost of gas. A September 20, 2007, CBS News report even blamed obese Americans for the growing divorce rate in America, stating, “…as the American waistline continues to expand, the length of the American marriage is shrinking.”

Obese individuals begin facing stigmatization at a very early age. A study conducted 40 years ago and recently replicated found that children reacted more positively to peers who had severe facial disfigurements or were missing a hand than they did to obese peers. In recent years, researchers have reported that obese individuals face as much if not more social stigma than drug addicts and criminals.

The situation is no better in the academic world, where, at least, one might think that one’s body would have no bearing on the strength or weakness of one’s intellect. This, unfortunately, is not the case. According to the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale University in conjunction with the Obesity Action Coalition, “obese children are less likely to be accepted to college, despite equivalent application rates and academic achievement.” Research has also shown that obese students are viewed by their peers as self-indulgent and lazy. They are often excluded from social activities. Educators are shown to view obese students as untidy, more emotional, and less likely to have what it takes to succeed academically.

Stigmatization continues into the working world. No matter the level of their qualifications, obese job applicants are usually rated as having poor self-discipline and less ambition and productivity. They have a higher likelihood of being relegated to low-paying, low-status jobs that require no face-to-face contact. If they are lucky enough to be hired, they are less likely to be promoted in general and are rarely promoted to high-level positions. Obese women earn, on average, 12% less than their similarly qualified but non-obese peers. 17% of obese people have reported being fired or pressured to resign because of their weight (Rothblum, 1990). In 1999, Mark Roehling of Western Michigan University, while being interviewed about a study he conducted about obese workers, said, “One manager said to me, ‘There’s one kind of person I’d never hire – a fat girl.’”

If my reaction to the 2007 study by Crosnoe was essentially “no duh,” I was equally unsurprised at other individual’s reaction to the study. There was a smattering of genuine concern, a call to examine what high schools and colleges can do, as a matter of policy, to help obese girls not only attend college but be successful. Don Beauregard, co-chair of the National High School Association, said in Time Online, “…that part of the problem can be solved with greater awareness by administration and faculty about how obesity can affect high school kids’ emotional and academic lives, and with a willingness to work some of that understanding into the curriculum.” A majority of what I saw, however, were the stereotypical reactions of individuals coming from a society that often sends the message that obesity is a moral failure on the part of the obese person rather than a complex problem that has biological, environmental and behavioral components.

Some examples are in order. The Chronicle of Higher Education website, which had a small blurb about the study, also allows subscribers to provide commentary. “Bill,” a rather vocal commentator on the story, wrote, “A recent news item predicted that 75% of the population will be overweight by 2015, 41% will be obese. That comes from shoving food down your piehole.” A similar reaction happened on Rudd Sound Bites at the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale University. At 7:58 pm on August 8, 2007, an individual identifying himself as David Specter commented on the study, “That sounds like a good reason to lose weight. Maybe parents should talk about this with their girls. ‘Shelly, honey, do you want to go to college and have a good future? Well, then, stop eating so much and exercise!” No one responded, but David couldn’t contain his moral outrage. At 8:03 pm, he commented again, “If you’re suffering emotionally due to weight bias, there’s a simple solution. Lose weight! For God’s sake, do you think parents say to their kids, ‘Don’t listen to those nasties who make fun of dirty people. You can be as dirty as you want, because you’re special?’ When society comes down on people it’s often for a damn good reason. Being overweight is unhealthy, unattractive, and immoral. If a person doesn’t take care of himself, how can he care for anything else?”

And it’s not just men who seem to have this reaction to obesity. Lauren Pearce, one of the “Cute College Girls” at collegehumor.com commented to an interviewer that her greatest fears are losing a loved one and getting fat. The interviewer then says, “What about losing a loved one to obesity, that’s scary,” to which Lauren replies, “Yeah, but no one in my family is obese, thank goodness.” The interviewer goes on: “I don’t get obesity. I think if I were getting really fat there would definitely be a point where I stopped eating.” Lauren again: “Yeah, I don’t understand it either, but I guess it’s lie [sic] any addition [sic]. But I would get off my ass and eat some fruit before I weighed 200 lbs.” I have a feeling that Ms. Pearce is probably one the 83% of college girls who reported in a 2006 study that they were restricting food intake in some fashion to lose weight, regardless of their current body weight.

Over and over again, the comments turn back to the obese individual, to the failure of the obese individual to police his or her eating, his or her unwillingness to take responsibility for him or herself, and, often, his or her stupidity. As Roehling said, “There is a deep, basic-level reaction to fat people, a belief that they could control being fat if they wished, but are too lazy to do anything about it.” In other words, there is a belief that the obese are inherently self-destructive, that their predicament is of their own creation, and that therefore society owes them neither compassion nor the opportunity to reach their full potential. Unfortunately, this reaction to the obese never translates into benign disinterest; rather, it translates into outright cruelty, teasing, put downs about everything from looks to intelligence, “dog fights,” calls for fashion designers to stop making nice clothing for the obese because, after all, if a fat person can wear something other than a mu-mu, it only enables them to remain obese.

As an adolescent fat girl who is now an obese woman, I realize that I am one of the lucky few who have managed to turn my adolescent self-hatred around, through time and hard work and sheer cussedness. And yet, I have faced my own more-than-fair share of stigmatization over the years – from my peers, in school, and in the workplace. It has been a terrible struggle for me to overcome external and internal prejudices; indeed, I struggle with these prejudices every single day. And if I had several “no duh” moments reading Crosnoe’s study, I also faced several all-too-familiar moments of great weariness and sadness when I realized there’s been so little progress in treating adolescent fat girls as worthwhile human beings during the 20 years it has been since I was an adolescent fat girl myself.

There may be, however, a light at the end of the tunnel. A study being released in the November issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine found that a history of being teased about being overweight was one of the strongest predictors of extreme dieting and later obesity among girls. When that teasing happened within the family, girls were at even greater risk for later obesity. The study’s lead author, Dianne Neumark-Sztainer, professor of public health at the University of Minnesota, said, “We have seen over the years that it does not work to make people feel worse about their bodies. The data are striking — talking about weight, worrying too much about diet, focusing on it increases risk not only of eating disorders, but also of being overweight.” What should people do instead of teasing and taunting the overweight? Eat healthy yourself, exercise, be a positive role model, understand that the obese have just as much to contribute to our society as anyone else, and, above all, be kind and compassionate of the people around you, no matter their size. I, for one, will whole-heartedly welcome the day when those behaviors are the rule rather than the exception.

Monday, December 10, 2007

Christmas Shopping Is Pissing Me Off This Year

For Christmas this year, my family decided (why, I don't know) that the women were going to buy a generic women's gift (as if there is such a thing) and the men would buy generic men's gifts, upper price limit of $15, and then everyone would just draw numbers and pick a gift from the pile.

I hate this.

First, it is harder than hell to find a gift - a decent gift - for $15. Even if I bump it to $25, it is still rough.

Second, it goes against my nature. It has been heretofore the family tradition that we draw names and then find a suitable present for the name we draw. I rather enjoy this. I spend a lot of time thinking about the person and finding a gift unique for them. This buy a generic present thing is annoying. Hell, I don't even know what a generic gift for a woman might be! You can't buy clothes, as you will get the wrong size. You can't buy scent. You can't buy a spa day for $15 and under. Ideas, anyone? What is a secular humanist with neopagan tendecies supposed to do?!?

Wednesday, December 05, 2007

I am tagged, again...

Damn you, Sir Robin! I am not so interesting that I have 16 things no one knows about me.... But I am not tagging.

First, I must post the rules:

1. We have to post these rules before we give you the facts.

2. Players start with eight random facts/habits about themselves.

3. People who are tagged write their own blog post about their eight things and include these rules.

4. At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names. Don't forget to leave them a comment telling them they're tagged and that they should read your blog.

5. Thou must post eight. Eight shall be the number of the posting and the number of the posting shall be eight. Nine shalt thou not post, neither shalt thou post seven, excepting that thou then proceedeth to eight. Five is right out. Once the number eight, being the number of the posting, be reached, then lobbest thou the Tag in the direction of thine fellow bloggers.

1. I don't eat a lot of red meat (not counting venison) but what I do like to eat, I like very rare.

2. I collect rocks. My friends actually bring me rocks from foreign countries for my collection.

3. I once fell in a hole on John Hughes' lawn (the film director) while walking to the beach at 2 am.

4. I like a little bit of coffee with my cream and sweetener. When I discovered that coffee milk was the state drink of Rhode Island, I was in heaven!

5. I adore mushrooms and plan to establish a mushroom farm in my basement.

6. My greatest fear is that I am a failure. I never said it was a reasonable fear.

7. I once gave my favorite stuffed animal from when I was a little girl to my first love. He was kind enough to return it when we broke up.

8. I once woke up and found a feather attached to my arm. I suddenly thought I was evolving wings, when all that really had happened was a feather from my pillow got poked into my skin.

Tuesday, December 04, 2007

100%ALCOHOLIC


You know, for someone who doesn't drink, I sure know a lot about alcohol...



Many Updates

So, the last few days have been very momentous. First an ice storm and today and snow storm - 6 inches they say and then bitter cold for a few days. Well, winter is here. It's only a matter of shoveling before bed or in the morning.
My mom had surgery yesterday. Total knee replacement. I talked with her this morning and she sounded groggy but mostly upbeat. Go morphine derivatives!
Leo is having a bad time. He has stopped tolerating the salmon food. I am now trying a turkey only, to see if he does ok on that. I know he likes turkey at Thanksgiving and it seems to work ok for him. Cost for this food - $40/month. If this doesn't work, we are on to the only non-prescription venison food out there - at $50/month. If that doesn't work, it may be the beginning of a slow decline for him, about which my heart is breaking.
Leokins is definitely my fur-child in ways that Pele is not. If things start going very badly for him, and he is in constant pain, I will have to make some very hard decisions. I hope we can stave it off for a while longer...

Sunday, December 02, 2007

A Musical Meme - Young Americans by David Bowie

I got tagged! Damn you, Boxer! :P On the other hand, it is good to know you want to be hungry like a wolf when you grow up!

This are some funny results in here. Some songs that almost never come up on shuffle did. Som work. Others not so much... Hmm, who can I tag - Jenn, RedKemp, Sir Robin, Balancing Boyfriends...

The rules:
1. Put your music player on Shuffle
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER WHAT(this is in capital letters, so it is very serious.

1. IF SOMEONE SAYS “IS THIS OKAY” YOU SAY? Sunday Bloody Sunday - U2 (so, I agree because we can be as one)
2. WHAT WOULD BEST DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONALITY? O Death - Ralph Stanley (I am so not this depressive!)
3. WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL? Jump in the Line - Da Vinci's Notebook (spicy!)
4. HOW DO YOU FEEL TODAY? Break on Through - The Doors (well, I am doped out on turkey)
5. WHAT IS YOUR LIFE’S PURPOSE? She Bob - Cindy Lauper (my life's purpose is to masterbate. Um, ok)
6. WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO? Waist Deep in the Big Muddy - Richard Shindell (Let the forces of nature destroy the arrogant bastards!)
7. WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU? Moon Over Bourban Street - Sting (my friends think I am a bloodsucker?)
8. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR PARENTS? Take It Easy on Me - Little River Band (self-explanatory?)
9. WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN? Paperback Writer - The Beatles (Aye, I do read a lot)
10. WHAT IS 2+2? Sweet Home Alabama - Lynard Skynard (wev)
11. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND? Ramble On - Led Zeppelin (the girl of all my dreams, hmm?)
12. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PERSON YOU LIKE? Moondance - Van Morrison (a good romance song!)
13. WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY? Dedicated to the One I Love - The Mamas and the Papas (This makes sense in a weird sort of way)
14. WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP? Bookends - Simon and Garfunkel (I want to get old and sit on a park bench - ok)
15. WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE? Stewball - Peter, Paul and Mary (I think about losing at the racetrack?)
16. WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU? Straight Song - Verdell Primeaux and Johnny Mike (This one is in Lakota, I think - I have no idea what it is saying)
17. WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING? Your Woman - White Town (hahahahahahahahahahahahaha - You know I saw my best friend yesterday. She said she never liked you from the start....)
18. WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL? Separate Ways (Worlds Apart) - Journey (OH MY GOD!)
19. WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST? Bad Company - Bad Company (*laughs* - well, I guess there aren't too many songs about cooking and food)
20. WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET? Prologue - Loreena McKennitt (hmmm - it is from an album called Book of Secrets)
21. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS? Ventura Highway - America (laid back, sunny, California types?)
22. WHAT SHOULD YOU POST THIS AS? Young Americans - David Bowie