Return-Path: <nifl-womenlit@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) with SMTP id h0ICW6P11441; Sat, 18 Jan 2003 07:32:06 -0500 (EST) Date: Sat, 18 Jan 2003 07:32:06 -0500 (EST) Message-Id: <BAY1-F46rSByh133tYw00012447@hotmail.com> Errors-To: alcrsb@langate.gsu.edu Reply-To: nifl-womenlit@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-womenlit@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-womenlit@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: "Dana Cooper" <d7cooper@hotmail.com> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-womenlit@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-WOMENLIT:2442] RE: weight as an issue X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed Status: O Content-Length: 3700 Lines: 81 This is an aside, but I think the smaller seats and the criticism of larger -- no, I agree with you, Mev -- wider people has less to do with concern for anyone's health and more to do with various transportation entities trying to crowd as many people in a given car or other unit as possible. More fares per trip mentality. The money factor. And aside number 2 -- while "fat" people are criticized for taking up "more than their fair share of seat room" -- and given the wider population, shouldn't the seats reflect this fact instead of some fantasy that's part economic -- what about the way some men sit with their legs spread? Not to offend the male listmembers, but those thin or average-sized men who sit with their legs wide enough to infringe on the adjacent seat space, that's more galling to me. A "fat" person legitimately needs nore space -- that's understandable. Having the so-called "third leg" (and I am not being coy here; I just want to make sure that my message gets online), should NOT require the width of one and a half seats. Only once have I sat next to a woman who sat so that she cut into the space for the seat I was in -- weight was not the issue in that case either; bad attitude, rudeness was. And yes, I agree that the fat-is-faulty attitude is more likely to become more pronounced. Dana Dana >From: "mev@litwomen.org" <mev@litwomen.org> >Date: Sat, 18 Jan 2003 06:46:26 -0500 (EST) > >ok...I'll "weigh in" - so to speak! > >as for daphne's question >>Jody has mentioned that "weight is the last acceptable form of >>discrimination". Do people see any signs that this is beginning to change? > >NO. I've been very much afraid it will get worse -- esp. with all the >recent TV and news magazine emphasis on overweight children and US citizens >getting fatter, and rising health costs because of younger and earlier >onsets of type II diabetes. Some of the finger gets pointed to the kinds >of food available in schools (pop machines, fast food, etc) and sitting in >front of computers instead of outside sports or general activity. But in >the end, its the fat people who get blamed and stigmatized for their own >lack of control -- even while eating disorders increase, airplane seats and >other public accommodations (theater, buses, waiting room chairs, etc) get >smaller, and fat phobia abounds. Its a very tricky discourse to navigate. >but fat-hating is still generally acceptable. > >On Friday, January 17, 2003, at 09:02 AM, Ujwala Samant wrote: >>I've heard people complain on planes that overweight >>people should pay for 2 seats because of the room they occupy. > >In fact, southwest airlines has this as an enforceable policy -- which is >why I refuse to fly them. -- even though men with broad shoulders and long >legs get to take up as much room as they want! >> >>My question is, has it affected anyone from getting hired? Or the reason >>for >>being fired? > >this is very difficult to research. I know of stories anecdotally of fat >people who have been recruited but then not hired in the face to face >interview when they saw what the fat person looked like. (great on paper - >but not the right "image.") but again, the stories I've heard are there - >but how do you prove this? unless interviews say right out there "we didn't >hire her/him because she/he is fat" - I think this has happened to me on >occasion - but I have no way to prove it! > >I have lots to say on this topic but will stop here and let others talk. >Mev _________________________________________________________________ The new MSN 8: smart spam protection and 2 months FREE* http://join.msn.com/?page=features/junkmail
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