"Gender Studies" Professor Who Specializes In "Fat Studies" Blasts Efforts to Reduce Obesity as Fatphobia, Straight-Up

A gender studies professor, you say?

I didn't see that one coming.

I think we should rename Gender Studies to be more honest about what it is -- Unf*ckability: Theory and Practice.

A Canadian professor who specializes in "fat studies" claimed that aiming for an obesity-free future was "fatphobic" and blasted the "biopolitics" agenda as an attack against fat people.

Fady Shanouda is an associate professor at the Feminist Institute of Social Transformation at Carleton University in Canada. Shanouda "draws on feminist new materialism" to examine the intersections between "fat studies, "colonialism, racism..., and queer- and transphobia."

The Critical Disability Studies scholar wrote that it was "fatphobic" to have a public health conversation and to tamp down on obesity, according to a Monday article in The Conversation.

Just so you have a sense of The Backstory to Fady:

As they say on Always Sunny in Philadelphia: "What is happening...?" (Content warning.)

You know, there's an old bit of folk wisdom that people go into psychology to figure out their own insanity, to find out what's wrong with them.

It would stand to reason that that's why people are attracted to "gender studies."

Being overweight or obese increases the risk of type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, joint problems, liver disease, gallstones, some types of cancer, and sleep and breathing problems, according to the NIH.

In particular, Shanouda believes the marketing of the drug Ozempic -- as a method to combat obesity -- was the latest example of fatphobia in the culture.

"The latest wonder drug... [was] invented to help diabetics regulate blood glucose levels, but has the notable side-effect of severe weight loss. It has been heralded by many to culminate in the elimination of fat bodies. The fatphobia that undergirds such a proclamation isn't new," Shanouda said.

I feel like Ozempic should hire this guy (???) to be their spokesman (???). Even people out there who are against Ozempic just because they support natural fixes rather than the medicalization and pharmacologization of all problems are probably becoming huge Ozempic supporters just listening to this person rant.

"What makes this moment different from the others, however, is the dangerous rhetoric in which it is lodged. This rhetoric elevates the banal and commonplace fat-shaming that fat people must endure and resist to an unprecedented level," the professor added.

...

The professor lamented how the effectiveness of obesity treatments could eliminate "fat activism" and "the fat liberation movement."

He added that treatments for "the so-called obesity epidemic" were "steeped in fat-hatred."

Can drinking coffee help you lose weight?

Almost certainly not, except to the most marginal, even imperceptible, degree. But this is GAINZZZ post now so I guess I have to link this crap.

The levels of caffeine in your blood could affect the amount of body fat you carry, a factor that in turn could determine your risk of developing type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.

Those are the findings of a recent study that used genetic markers to establish a more definitive link between caffeine levels, BMI, and type 2 diabetes risk.

The research team, from the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, the University of Bristol in the UK, and Imperial College London in the UK, said calorie-free caffeinated drinks could be explored as a potential means of helping reduce body fat levels.

Let me say right now I have tried that -- I drink sugarless caffeinated sodas and coffee -- and high caffeine does not translate to high energy or low bodyfat. Coffee can give you a boost for a sesh at the gym, but generally having caffeine in your body doesn't make you more energetic. It actually just wears you out, and you build up a tolerance to it anyway.

"Genetically predicted higher plasma caffeine concentrations were associated with lower BMI and whole body fat mass," the researchers wrote in their paper, published in March.

"Furthermore, genetically predicted higher plasma caffeine concentrations were associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes. Approximately half of the effect of caffeine on type 2 diabetes liability was estimated to be mediated through BMI reduction."

The study involved data from just under 10,000 people collected from existing genetic databases, focusing on variations in or near specific genes known to be associated with the speed at which caffeine is broken down.

In general, those with variations affecting the genes -- namely CYP1A2 and a gene that regulates it, called AHR -- tend to break caffeine down more slowly, allowing it to remain in the blood longer. Yet they also tend to drink less caffeine in general.

Can having big boobs reduce your desire to exercise? Again probably not really but any chance to talk about boobs, I guess.

Women with larger breasts tend to exercise less frequently and avoid high-intensity exercise and a new study has found much improved participation in recreational group exercises after breast reduction surgery.

The new study published in JPRAS Open further strengthens calls for more accessible, publicly funded breast reduction and other interventions in some cases.

Based on research at Flinders University, the questionnaire was conducted with support from the free community Parkrun UK research board, an organization aiming to promote 5km running and walking events around the world--for all ages and fitness levels.

Oh, a questionnaire! The gold standard of research.

Kidding. It's the lowest, garbage-tier level of non-research that there is.

The survey was completed by almost 2,000 women involved in the Parkrun program in Australia, England and South Africa found women with bigger breasts believe that reducing their breast size would improve their exercise performance and participation

Oh, they believe that their breasts are holding them back.

Whoever I saw linking this pointed out that the study did not normalize for BMI. And that's important, because heavier women have bigger breasts. So this study might really be telling us what was already pretty obvious: Being overweight causes you to not want to exercise.

As well, all 56 women who had undergone breast reduction surgery in the group of 1987 surveyed women reported leading more healthy and active lifestyles.

56 people -- a big 5-6 comin' at ya, like LT hunting down Joe Theismann like a brittle-legged wildebeest on the Serengeti -- in the survey report that, having undertaken a major surgical intervention, they're satisfied with their decision.

We see that all the time. Once someone buys a car, he will most likely deem his choice of which car to purchase to have been the optimal one. Not necessarily because it was the optimal choice, but because when you make a big decision you tend to dislike thinking you chose wrong.

"Women who had undergone breast reduction reported increased overall frequency, enjoyment and willingness to exercise in a group," says lead author Dr. Claire Baxter, a clinical registrar in reconstructive surgery at the Flinders Medical Centre.

"Our study found that breast size affects exercise habits and that breast reduction surgery changes their willingness to exercise."

Okay I've wasted enough of your time with nonsense. On to the Animal Videos.

Gym buddies.

They wanted to use the High Occupancy Vehicle Lane.

Always have a spotter.

Golf GAINZZZ. Putt pupper!

I may have just linked this one. I forget. But it's worth watching twice, anyway.

He just started the Grayskull 3x5 regime and he's seeing some good results.

So, any GAINZZZ out there?

I started -- or pre-started -- a big PROJEXXX, a hobby/craft sort of thing, which I don't want to tell you about because you'll make fun of me.

Maybe someday. I have to get more comfortable with this new direction I'm going in.

posted by Ace at 04:25 PM

| Access Comments