NYT opinion piece argues that destigmatizing childhood obesity is vital to fighting 'anti-fat bias'

Earlier this week, we told you about one of HHS and the USDA’s appointees to the 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee. Dr. Fatima Cody Stanford, MD, MPH, MPA, MBA, FAAP, FACP, FAHA, FAMWA, FTOS, will help to develop the “Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025-2030.” Which should be interesting, seeing as she, as an alleged obesity expert, seems to be under the impression that by far the most important factor in obesity is genetics. Anything to avoid suggesting that a person’s chosen diet and exercise habits can affect their health.

But it looks like HHS and the USDA really missed an opportunity in passing over Virginia Sole-Smith, who has a new opinion piece in the New York Times all about why childhood obesity is so vital to fighting anti-fat bias.

We cannot solve anti-fat bias by making fat kids thin. This is the fatal flaw in the AAP’s new ob*sity guidelines. My latest for @nytopinion:https://t.co/Iv6BmbzhAN

— Virginia Sole-Smith (@v_solesmith) January 26, 2023

“Ob*sity.”

More from Solesmith:

This month, the American Academy of Pediatrics released its first comprehensive guidelines for evaluating and treating children and adolescents with obesity. The paper, co-written by 21 prominent doctors, health researchers and obesity experts, advises health care providers that they may refer children as young as 2 years old to “intensive health behavior and lifestyle treatment” programs if they have a body mass index in the overweight or obese range. For children ages 12 and up with an obese B.M.I., doctors are encouraged to prescribe weight-loss medications and to offer those over age 13 with severe obesity a referral to a bariatric surgery center.

The paper’s authors see this new guidance as a brave leap forward in the fight against childhood obesity, which they frame as a “complex and often persistent disease” requiring early and aggressive treatment.

But the guidelines are rooted in a premise that should have been rejected long ago: that weight loss is the best path to health and happiness.

Or maybe the guidelines are rooted in the premise that obesity — sorry, ob*sity — is inherently unhealthy. Because, you know, it is.

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Solesmith concludes:

We cannot solve anti-fat bias by making fat kids thin. Our current approach only teaches them that trusted adults believe the bullies are right — that a fat body is just a problem to solve. That’s not where the conversation about anyone’s health should begin.

Teaching kids to obsess over weight is generally not a great approach to health. But teaching kids that obesity isn’t a problem is a recipe for longterm health issues as well.

NYT oped pushing back against obesity guidelines for kids: Prescribing drugs/surgery to obese kids is a problem because…..it's not a problem for kids to be obese

This is sick pic.twitter.com/pOSCWbGFkG

— Saagar Enjeti (@esaagar) January 27, 2023

Sick, and pretty shameless to boot:

Can we please stop letting people promote their upcoming books (this one is being published in April) in the guise of op-eds? https://t.co/NKOhFsrV86 pic.twitter.com/WgiVoIoy6j

— Noam Blum (@neontaster) January 27, 2023

But mostly, it’s just sick.

We aren’t trying to solve anti-fat bias, we’re trying to solve the horrifying obesity epidemic. Insofar as those conflict, I would much prefer to solve the obesity crisis.

— Mark II (@LLMarkII) January 26, 2023

Now, to be clear, weight-loss medications and bariatric surgery should absolutely not be the first lines of defense against childhood obesity. They shouldn’t be the second or third or fourth or fifth lines, either. Surely there are some people out there somewhere who understand that improved diet and exercise regimens are the least invasive and best long-term solutions for improved health, right?

1. Childhood obesity should not be normalized. With accepted genetic exceptions, obesity is caused by lack of exercise/activity and poor eating habits.
2. We also shouldn’t be embracing the idea of putting kids on weight loss drugs or giving them bariatric surgery. They are kids

— Arperture Music (@ArpertureMusic_) January 27, 2023

Seems like we're stick between either:

1. Normalizing *categorically* unhealthy lifestyles.

2. Drugs & surgery.

Can't wait for the SouthPark episode discussing this.

— Ahmed Khiari (@_akdz) January 27, 2023

What a dumb time to be alive.

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