Comments on: A good idea

By: RD

RD — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 08:18:58 +0000

So does anyone know how you get in on this thing?

By: Lindsay Beyerstein

Lindsay Beyerstein — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 21:41:07 +0000

I hate Mayor Bloomberg, but I’ve got to admit that he cares about structural barriers to public health. He put his private fortune where his mouth is: Bloomberg endowed an entire public health school at Johns Hopkins (and had enough money left over to buy himself another term as mayor of New York, more’s the pity). He’s not a knee-jerk fat-hating bigot.

By: Tracy

Tracy — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 21:36:51 +0000

From the NYC gov parks website:

“That benefit has assumed even greater importance in the face of a national epidemic of obesity and overweight from which New York City is not immune. In fact, two out of three adult New Yorkers are overweight and even our children are at risk. “

By: Jill

Jill — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 20:52:55 +0000

Ok, so maybe that’s where I’m missing something — where does the city say they’re offering the program because they think people are too fat? That’s what New York Magazine says, but I can’t find where Bloomberg or the city said that.

By: Tracy

Tracy — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 20:47:03 +0000

Offering free programs because New York is fat and people need to lose weight is shaming. Offering them because exercise is healthy and often expensive and the city wants to provide more opportunity is not. Unfortunately, the city – and the original messaging – is concentrating on the former and trying to spin it as ‘yes, but, it’ll benefit some people’ doesn’t *change* that.

The individual benefits do not outweigh the problems inherent in the shaming – and, of course, the further promotion of the myth that fat = unhealthy. Yes, it could potentially be good for a few hundred people. But it’s an ugly message being sent out to a far greater number.

Offering free, totally voluntary fitness programs is not fat shaming – unless you’re doing it because you think they are too fat – in which case, it completely is.

By: Jill

Jill — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 20:05:59 +0000

I just don’t see how offering free exercise programs is “shaming” large groups of people based on bad science and prejudice. Weight aside, exercise is generally good for people. A lot of people in NY don’t have access to exercise, and especially to personal training, which can help teach people the proper way to work out — i.e., how to not hurt your back or knees, how much weight you should be lifting, how to exercise without equipment, etc. Offering free, totally voluntary fitness programs is not fat-shaming.

By: kaninchenzero

kaninchenzero — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 19:56:12 +0000

I honestly get awfully tired of shaming large groups of people based on bad science and prejudice. Y’all don’t want to see the harm in it I certainly cannot make you.

By: verucaamish

verucaamish — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 19:49:44 +0000

I agree Jill, The only fat hatred I am seeing is from New York magazine. I do think is a fail of Bloomberg to say this is strictly about getting folks to exercise as opposed to targeting the fatties. But how on earth would they enforce that? Take people’s BMI before they register for a free class and then turn them down if they aren’t fat enough?

By: Jill

Jill — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 18:28:03 +0000

This program explicitly tells fat people they must be skinnier — we will pay someone to badger you into exercising!

Maybe I’m missing something, but where does it say that? Offering free exercise classes =/ telling fat people they must be thinner.

Look, exercise is hard work. Being motivated to exercise is hard work. This program offers that extra motivation to a handful of people who want it / feel like they need it. It’s not an end-all be-all solution, but it’s better than nothing and it’s not harmful. I honestly get awfully tired of people complaining about every single program that helps people just because it doesn’t fix the entire problem, or because it’s a very small stop-gap. This is hardly the only thing that NYC is doing to improve the health of its residents. It’s a teeny tiny piece of the puzzle, but for the 1600 people who take advantage of it, it’s a great service.

By: P.T. Smith

P.T. Smith — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 18:21:40 +0000

“This program explicitly tells fat people they must be skinnier — we will pay someone to badger you into exercising! ”

Offering a free service is the same as badgering?