On Monday April 11, the Oregon Daily Emerald published a column titled, “Starving for Appearances.” Ailee Slater’s contention was that America’s weight control pandemic is nothing more than a way to tell people how they need to look, that it masks awareness for eating disorders and health concerns and regresses women back to a state of objectification.
Is this true? It probably is. However, the baby should not be thrown out with the bath water.
The vast majority of Americans, according to obesityfocused.com, are overweight (64 percent). About one third of the country is defined as obese.
Also, while the number one killer of Americans is not “being fat,” obesity is a major contributor to health problems such as heart disorders, high blood pressure, diabetes, osteoarthritis and many others. Losing weight doesn’t just make one look better for the aesthetic enjoyment of others, it also reduces the likelihood of developing major health problems.
Dropping pounds also does something that most conventional drugs don’t do: It treats the cause of health problems instead of merely the symptoms. But this doesn’t solve the fact that corporate America’s focus on weight is still telling women how
to look.
While there is little help that can be offered, it should be pointed out that weight issues are not the only societal concern to which women are subjected. Women are told what to think regarding skin care, make-up, hair care, hair color, changing fashion, plastic surgery, men and how to get them and even what type of orgasm to have. Pick up any standard women’s magazine, and any number of these topics will canvas the cover.
Yet, obesity is a problem getting worse every year, and not just in the United States. Worldwide, the overweight people outnumber those that are malnourished.
Theodore Roosevelt once said, “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” While it may be painful to admit, corporate America is the medium that must be used. Though commercialism coats the message, this is a necessary message all the same. America has a weight problem and ignoring it will just make it worse.
So, let’s get out the message and let the consumer decide what it means.

Matt Hansen lives in Eugene