Where Are You, Mary Poppins?
Two articles out of Australia for you today. The first one explains that being rich, at least in Australia, makes you less likely to be overweight:
"'People from a lower socio-economic background eat more junk food and they have less time to care for themselves,' Mr Korn said. 'If you have a nanny and you're not working, you have all day to go shopping for food to get something nice to cook for dinner which is healthy, and you can afford gym membership.'"
I promise that when I'm independently wealthy (rich thin people, feel free to click the "donate" button) I'll hire a nanny. I don't have kids or anything, but my nanny can drive me to the grocery store and to the gym, and she can make sure I eat healthy snacks at regular intervals.
The second article is depressing, actually. According to two studies, parents are focused on making sure their boys are big, strapping lads, but that their girls are thin.
"'We think it's probably related to parents being conscious of how a girl looks from an early age... Anecdotally, parents conceive that it's OK for a boy to be bigger because there's a physical advantage.'
Nutritionist Rosemary Stanton said there was no justification for focusing on girls' figures. 'We don't have any problem convincing girls and teenagers that they are overweight; sometimes we have a problem convincing them that they are not,' Dr Stanton said."
Told you: depressing.
"'People from a lower socio-economic background eat more junk food and they have less time to care for themselves,' Mr Korn said. 'If you have a nanny and you're not working, you have all day to go shopping for food to get something nice to cook for dinner which is healthy, and you can afford gym membership.'"
I promise that when I'm independently wealthy (rich thin people, feel free to click the "donate" button) I'll hire a nanny. I don't have kids or anything, but my nanny can drive me to the grocery store and to the gym, and she can make sure I eat healthy snacks at regular intervals.
The second article is depressing, actually. According to two studies, parents are focused on making sure their boys are big, strapping lads, but that their girls are thin.
"'We think it's probably related to parents being conscious of how a girl looks from an early age... Anecdotally, parents conceive that it's OK for a boy to be bigger because there's a physical advantage.'
Nutritionist Rosemary Stanton said there was no justification for focusing on girls' figures. 'We don't have any problem convincing girls and teenagers that they are overweight; sometimes we have a problem convincing them that they are not,' Dr Stanton said."
Told you: depressing.
posted by mo pie at 9:55 AM
6 Comments:
Yup, depressing. As someone who went through puberty early and was taller than most, I felt like a huge lumpy looming person. We had a self-defence class at school once, and I was picked out as a volunteer with the words "You look like a big bruiser." Somehow I don't think a boy would still remember that more than ten years later!
I can't see the second article! It's the site directory! *whine* But I wanna...
Oh no!
It is here:
http://www.theage.com.au/handheld/articles/2005/11/26/1132966006726.html
It is depressing. My sister *is* a nanny, and recently, one of her girls, who is thirteen and a perfectly healthy weight, joined Weight Watchers. Her mom took her to the doctor to get a note and everything. At first, I was appalled that a doctor would write such a note for a child without weight problems, but then I thought that hey, the family is rich. The doctor probably knew that if he didn't go along with it, they'd find a new family doctor that would. So now this perfectly lovely and athletic 13-year old girl is counting points and weighing in every week and being absorbed into the weight-loss industry because no one would tell her that SHE'S NOT FAT.
Yay! Thank you!
Oh my god, Dona, that is so horrifyingly depressing.
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