The sickening hate of our new Surgeon General
Check out the above video from Neil Cavuto's show. He had on some weird work-out dude named Michael Karolchyk who has a porn lite website called "Anti Gym" and is a regular FOX guest wearing a "No Chubbies" t-shirt. He wears it a lot, but for this segment it was embarrassing and Cavuto should have objected to it. She is the Surgeon General, after all. I guess I can wear just about anything on TV now. He compared her to a man living in a cardboard box running the Fed. It's disgusting.
As soon as Dr Regina Benjamin was named as our new Surgeon General the right wing haters crawled out from under their rocks. Every single move President Obama makes is immediately transformed into some socialistic/Nazi/Witch doctor conspiracy theory which is amping up the crazies and violence is sure to follow in even greater numbers now than it already has. C&L has vigorously objected to several of President Obama's moves on policy, but the freepers even attacked the jeans he wore when he threw out the first pitch at the All Star game.
Now they've expanded their hatred and have unleashed vile attacks on Dr. Benjamin.
The only problem seems to be that some people think the face is too fat.
From her photos, it appears that Dr. Benjamin will need a generous size 18 military uniform. The anti-fat brigade has been arguing in various online comments sections about her BMI and whether or not the term obese applies. These chattering masses wonder if a country plagued by obesity should have an above average-weight woman speaking to public health.
For me the answer is a resounding yes. This country is full of above-average weight women and children struggling for dignity as well as to lose weight. Achieving either of these is not easy. (Never mind that none of these criticisms have mentioned any actual health concerns Benjamin might or might not have, instead presuming "obesity" as a catch-all for bad health.) Having a confident, big-bodied and big-spirited woman as America's family doctor could do more to improve their health than skinny HHS secretary Kathleen Sebelius. It's good to know that even doctors struggle with their weight -- and lead full and active lives in spite of adversity.
Amanda Marcotte has an excellent post about this story.
Yet, as Marcotte points out, there is an increasing tendency to see all of this as yet another opportunity to marginalize and shame certain segments of society based upon appearance:
By saying this, I’m not making any health claims about weight. That discussion, while interesting, is beside the point of this post. It’s enough to know that most people strongly associate health and weight. So when disingenuous sexists start to bellyache about the dangers of letting fat women out in public, they get traction, because it’s becoming increasingly acceptable to suggest that not being perfectly healthy is a moral failing that should be punished with social disapproval, shaming, ostracism, and lowered access to society. Of course, we double down on fat people, and triple down on fat women, because of plain old prejudice, but this isn’t happening in a vacuum. Smokers, people who don’t eat right, and other people with poor health habits are also considered morally inadequate, if harder to judge because they’re harder to spot. The fetish for health management is, I suspect, a large reason that the anti-vaccination movement has taken hold. People who want an edge in the moral olympics of prevention are inventing counterintuitive (and anti-intellectual) shit to do in order to win as the bestest, most deserving of good health.
Dear America. Please go worry about something important, rather than whether or not the new Surgeon General looks hawt in a bikini. Trust me, there’s lots of things going on in Washington right now which are worthy of a full blown panic.
I lost 30 lbs using the Weight Watchers system, but I was always a skinny kid. It's not an easy thing to deal with and when FOX attacks overweight people, they are attacking as many teabagger/republicans as they are Democrats. But who they really are attacking are Americans. When was it a moral sin to not look like Ally McBeal?
C. Everett Koop was no lightweight but I didn't hear much about it at the time.
that fat becomes a crime against society, if by society you mean 'guys'.
you mean self loathing mouth breathers who may actually be closeted homosexuals.
It may not be a crime to be overweight, but it should be a crime about how much you can't squeeze into a bathing suit.
The people that wore the wrong kind of suit, needs new friends or to stop listening to their family. If anyone told them they look great in that new bikini and you can't see the waistline... They need to get their heads checked.
"When are we going to stop trying to tell elected officials what to do. Our job is to spend the taxpayers' money the best way we can." -- Tommy Watkins, Justice of the Peace, Crawford County, Arkansas
Ol' beard-chin Koop was a chunky-monkey wasn't he?
you beat me to it, Goldfish.
Check out this Picture:
http://profiles.nlm.nih.gov/QQ/B/B/P/Y/_/qqbb...
http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/images/idioc...
How about the Shrub and his under the table drinking?
Pull the plug on Faux.
"Let's talk dirty to the animals"
The only winning move is to turn it off. Or switch the channel.
But how does one realistically counter such brainless BS foisted upon so many putty brained viewers, without resorting to their tactics or otherwise reducing the 'conversation' to such a level?
ahead of them. I know, easier said then done but it is possible.
You have to keep in mind they want "safety and comfort", not the joy and risks of life adventure.
That's why they constantly bitch and moan about everything.
They are pretty stupid.
I prefer the term used by Mma Precious Ramotswe - "traditionally built"
I had the same thought about Koop. And apparently no one cared that Cheney looks like a walking heart attack waiting to happen.
The focus on body size infuriates me. I have a child battling anorexia and it makes me want to scream.
btw - can you please get rid of the diet industry ads on this site? The Gabriel Method looks like a quick avenue to ketosis.
Where'd all that skin go?
that's gotta be rough.
I agree, the emphasis society puts on body size in general, and on young women in particular is criminal.
I happen to prefer my women folk a bit on the rubenesque side...
But it all depends on the character to me, not the body shape.
Who cares what size our Surgeon General is?! From what I've read of her, she's an extremely hard-working, intelligent, capable woman. As long as she's healthy (and I believe you don't have to be a size 6 to be healthy), who cares what she looks like?!
I do believe, however, if she looked like Beyonce or Angelina, if she provided free medical care to orphans and graduated first in her class from the most prestigious university in the world, they'd still find something to criticize. It's just their way. Sad, but true.
Then the faux outrage would center around the fact that she represented an unreal body image and that she obviously spends so much time working out and primping that she could never be able to get the job done.
...Sarah Palin.
I'm just superstitious enough to hedge my bets.
...Sarah Palin.
I'm just superstitious enough to hedge my bets.
Karen,
I wish your daughter well in her fight. I'm a classically trained dancer and nowhere are eating disorders as prevalent as they are in ballet. Its better now, but still not uncommon for dancers to have a problem with either anorexia, or bulemia, or both. I wish her well and she needs to know she needs to appreciate her body - she can not think or dance properly if she is not feeding the engine. You don't need to eat alot, but you do have to eat properly. I used to guage myself by whether the choreography was sticking - if I was all fuzzy I knew I needed food - that is NOT a good way to be. If your daughter is a dancer, there are some web sites through Dance magazine that can help. .....hang in sweety
Thank you for the kind thoughts and support. It is my son that is suffering and he is fortunately in residential treatment at this time. It is estimated that 10% of anorexia sufferers are male. We had to send him far away for treatment as the programs closest to us only treat women.
Add to that the issue of the beaurocrats in the insurance industry deciding if your child weighs enough to be dischared (at 80% goal weight) despite what the board certified psychiatric treatment team says about the need for ongoing intensive therapy and refeeding.
- How's that for a healthcare issue?
Unfortunately, Michael Karolchyk has a few too many chubbies floating around in his cranium!
are overweight. How are fat wingnuts supposed to hate fatties? I think the Repug propagandists may not have thought this one through.
It would also explain the thinking behind log cabin republicans, Michael Steele, and tea party protests.
is that "you" have an excuse, or a reason, or an explanation, but everyone else does not have that option.
koops wasnt skinny, as noted above
and remember how they went after clinton's choice...who was also black
the fact is....ALL WINGNUT FUCKS ARE RACISTS
She had a little junk in the trunk, sure, but they nailed her on masturbation. Tsk tsk sex obsessed neocons.
If Republicans and Conservatives had taken her advice on masturbation, they wouldn't have as many sex scandals.
She was trying to save them from themselves.
"When are we going to stop trying to tell elected officials what to do. Our job is to spend the taxpayers' money the best way we can." -- Tommy Watkins, Justice of the Peace, Crawford County, Arkansas
republicans or conservatives either, lol!
I wonder how good Rush Limbaugh would look in a bikini.
http://zaiusnation.blogspot.com/2009/03/for-g...
He'd look like Peter Griffin did in that episode where he was trying to seduce Luke Perry.
Thanks for the ghastly mental picture, lol!
I am torn on this. I have lost 35 pounds since April. I changed the way I live. Work out everyday, eat organic, 90% vegetarian, no beer, no cigs, no weed, no sugar. I feel like a God.
The Surgeon General should be a model of 21st Century healthy living.
I object to the coverage of it but agree on the substance.
Also, Rush Limbaugh is a FUCKING HOG and has been all his life. The one time I got through to his show in like 1996 I asked that and was booted.
First, congratulations on your personal progress towards a healthy lifestyle. That's no small achievement.
But how does being overweight invalidate Dr. Benjamin's credentials as a doctor?
And how would her being svelte and curvaceous make the message of good diet + exercise = improved health more effective? It's like saying I should believe Sarah Palin, because GAWD! She's sooooo HAWT! A total MILFilicious goddess!
The truth is, not even a Caucasian nominee in the peak of health would qualify under the standard of 'appearance must match the message,' because then a man has no place speaking about women's health, a woman has no place speaking about men's health, a nominee with no children has no place speaking about child rearing ... ad infinitum.
I lost 37 pounds over about 8 months through calorie restriction, the AbLounge, a daily burst of exercise and basically eating whatever I wanted (not binging) on the weekends. Having said that, I think that the Professional Douchebag Michael Karolchyk has all the intellectual coherence of a swiss cheese. Give. Me. A. Break.
whilst I was sicker'n a damn dawg.
Couldn't eat, and was sweating profusely...
I don't recommend that method to anyone.
Kinda scary actually.
Especially when we are in the fight for our lives on health care reform in this country it seems a little odd that a guy as bright as Obama wouldn't choose a doctor who is hip to the whole "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" mode of thinking and personally lives it. I've read articles about how giving she is as a doctor to her community and I've also read that she likes to eat ribs and such. I don't think she's been forthcoming with details of her own personal lifestyle choices. I'll admit, I'd be interested to know. If she's leading a sedentary lifestyle and making poor food choices I think that IS a bad example for a Surgeon General to exhibit.
Congress is wringing it's hands over how to pay for reform, various op-ed writers are wringing their hands over how to pay for reform.
Well, we have an epidemic of obesity (and I doubt the Surgeon General nominee would be considered "obese") in this country and it's a fact that obesity does contribute heavily (no pun) to heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, joint problems etc. The treatment of these individuals for basically what are "preventable" illnesses costs major bucks because these problems tend to be chronic, not acute.
I would have preferred that he chose a doctor who "talks the talk and walks the walk". It's tough, if she does come down hard on lifestyle change (diet/exercise/smoking cessation) but people don't see her out doing a 40 minute walk every day (which for all I know....she does) and eating a healthy diet (the food chart and all that).
Obviously it is totally inappropriate to bad mouth her in the media, especially in degrading and disrespectful ways.
My hope is that she will be a good surgeon general for the country and that she will lead by example.
I'll wait to see what she says and what she does before I place judgment on her.
"The US has an army of 90,000 soldiers in Afghanistan and is spending $100bn a year, but has still been unable to defeat 20,000-25,000 Taliban who receive no pay at all." - Patrick Cockburn
does everyone have to be a role model?
some sort of demi-god of perfection that only ever exists in our own subjective fantasy of what we are personally trying to achieve in life?
is the surgeon general is supposed to be some token representative of an ideal state of being rather than someone who is going to enact and enforce good policy? if this office is really for a role model, then i would think they are trying to promote the idea of compassion in the medical field, that every one deserves care and coverage, even the poor masses that cannot afford insurance, and man, that sounds like dr. regina benjamin to me, and even, *gasp*, a role model.
I see your point but surely you also know people in your field who spend so much time taking care of others that there is precious little time left to go to the gym? I work at a medical school and dining is "grab and go". It is easier to eat a Pop Tart than a spinach salad while running stairs between floors. Being in a stressful job also increases the tendency to crave comfort foods.
I spend 20 mins on the eliptical and 20 mins on free weights.
People really eat Pop Tarts? I thought they were some kind of joke.
far left loon >.<
But I'm still havin trouble kickin the smokin habit.
And as for beer...that wasn't as hard to cut back on as I thought.
I was kinda worried I was an alcoholic. I still drink daily, but only one or two beers with dinner, the weekends I still get snockered, but I'm working on cutting back there too...
but my diet is gettin better...been eating alot more fresh fruit and veggies...I tell ya...the mango tree in my neighbors yard has been a godsend!
Nothin better than a fresh mango.
from one who's been there: If you used to worry whether you were an alcoholic, you are. There's lots of help available. Good luck.
OMG, you can get fresh, ripe mangoes from the tree? That would be so wonderful ... and you know they're full of digestive enzymes, so that helps you in losing weight, too.
For fairly obvious reasons, the Pukes can't just stand on the sidelines shouting "He's A NIQQER! He's A NIQQER. He's A NIQQER!"
But that is the sentiment at the base of all their objections...
Inappropriate!
...until she starts making public statements about Nutrition, Obesity and overweight. The fact of the matter is that being fat is incredibly unhealthy and expensive for the country. So it actually does concern me that our SG is very overweight. I am worried that she doesn't understand how important proper nutrition and exercise are for living a healthy life.
I don't place a lot of blame for being fat at the feet of the obese and overweight. Obesity is built into our dietary system. The FDA proudly stated for many years that adults should eat 8-10 servings of grains/carbs a day. With no nutritional science actually backing up these recommendations (in fact, much of the data actually suggested this was an unhealthy diet). Go to the supermarket and 4 out of every 5 items you grab has a corn product in it. Farm subsidies keep corn products cheaper than their non-corn counterparts, and corn, in turn, keeps our population fat.
I am really hoping that the SG will take an outspoken stance about the dangers of eating these incredibly refined foods that are so common now. We need a real push for nutrition reform and now is a great time for it. If America corrects her repulsive diet, we are looking at reigning in many of the health care costs that are plaguing our nation while also improving the quality of life of our population.
she sometimes accepts food in exchange for her services. I'm sure she doesn't tell clients wwhat kind of food they must bring.
She's a socialist.
Don't dare utter the "S" word!
Recently I watched the excellent documentary "King Corn":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UiCRwMMh9k8
It really brings that old adage "You Are What You Eat" to mind.
It seems these two college guys discovered that due to high fructose CORN syrup being in just about every processed food at the market, that we are all now mostly made of CORN!!
Check it out!
"The US has an army of 90,000 soldiers in Afghanistan and is spending $100bn a year, but has still been unable to defeat 20,000-25,000 Taliban who receive no pay at all." - Patrick Cockburn
You are what you don't excrete...
just sayin'
That's why I'm doing psyllium husks and another high lignan fiber with a probiotics supplement twice a day plus Smooth Move tea every other day. Colon cleansing is very good for you. (Not to get too gross). Ha!
"The US has an army of 90,000 soldiers in Afghanistan and is spending $100bn a year, but has still been unable to defeat 20,000-25,000 Taliban who receive no pay at all." - Patrick Cockburn
I think you are a nurse. I have thought about colon cleansing, but I continue to see conflicting reports on whether it is good to do or not. Would you be able to point me to a reputable source you trust to read up on it?
Here's a very good discussion of cleansing. Have some epsom salts and save your money.
http://voyagesoftheartemis.blogspot.com/searc...
Worth reading for the chuckle.
I was amazed by what had been trapped in me for years, and that I had been functioning despite it all.
Man we've really lost our tolerance for each other in this country.
I've been taunted for being skinny my entire life but it works for me.
You gotta gain wieght! Put some meat on your bones! Whats the matter with you! For 56 years.
It's as hard for me to gain weight as it is for people to lose it.
Same here in the weight dept. I couldn't gain a pound if I ate a whole mountaing of ice cream.
On a more serious point, I don't give a damn about how the lady looks, I do give a damn that she seems to be a wonderful human being and has spent her life in medicine doing what all doctors used to do, putting other people's health before money. Why don't the complainers about her weight just STFU and appreciate who she is? I guess for them any excuse to criticize is good enough...no matter how ignorant it makes them appear.
Say what you mean. Mean what you say. But don't say it mean.
would be having Ann Coulter as Surgeon General.
Yuck.
You got a lot of gaul to talk trash about someone's physical appearance. You wear your stupid tight t-shirt to compensate for your little package is my guess you stupid gym prick. I think muscle-heads like yourself should be confined to doing the only thing you (and a common jackass) can probably do, lift and move heavy objects, rather than to spout your ignorant opinions on a 4th rate news show.
I had to go into a gym one time to drop something off for someone one time.
This pumped up punk behind the counter said, "When you going to sign up?"
I said, "What do you mean?"
He said, "You want to look like that?" (With a smirk)
I felt like jumping over the counter and ripping his head off glad I didn't though.
LOL . .
Boy that pissed me off.
I'd joined a gym once, and was totally put off by the attitude of one staff member, who made a point of coming into the weight room (I would routinely go during non-peak hours), pegging up high weight amounts, then grunting and groaning as he demonstrated how manly he was.
Years later, at another gym, I worked with a trainer who didn't make judgmental remarks (though he was envious of my calves, which - despite the rest of me being in less than optimal shape - have cut and definition) and pushed me to excel.
Your instructor will always treat you with respect as a beginner.
Didn't take martial arts, but my old fencing master was from that mold. Hard as nails, but a stand-up guy.
When I was young and my jeans got a little tight, two days of skimping and doing veggie soup and they fit just right.
Now it seems I've gotten my mom's body gene makeup and regardless of how perfect my diet/exercise are (not to mention all the nutty supplements I'm taking) and I can't seem to make the scale budge. It's freakin' depressing.
Growing old's a bitch.
"The US has an army of 90,000 soldiers in Afghanistan and is spending $100bn a year, but has still been unable to defeat 20,000-25,000 Taliban who receive no pay at all." - Patrick Cockburn
... I'm happy I have all of my hair, and it's not gray. :)
(Many of my cousins are grey/balding.)
My belly's grown so I have to lean over a little to read the scale (218# this morning, 6 feet tall, though I've probvably shrunk a little too.)
My hair's all migrated to my chin.
My hip plagues me when I stand or walk for more than about half-an-hour (sciatica).
I am perpetually a little short of breath.
I had a couple of stents implanted in my hear a couple of years ago.
I drink like a fish, smoke week, and eat as I like.
I won't last another 15 years, likely...mebbe not even 10...
life's short, and then you die...
i have had the skinny remarks all my life.
i don't like the way this guy is trying to promote his gym by devaluing others, he doesn't have to, and it is his choice and how he wants to portray himself; it is very low brow and to me makes me think of maxim magazine.
and is it me, but i always thought a chubbie was slang for a boner? when i first saw the photo, i was wondering why the guy was wearing a no boners shirt until i read the story and watched the video. live and learn.
Apparently, he Pict a fight with the wrong person :)
in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1,........
I don't know about you guys, but when I read this piece on the C&L homepage, the advertisement right underneath it was for the new Jack in the Box mini fried chicken sammiches.
Admit it, that kind of coincidence is at least kinda funny.
Actually right now it sounds kinda good. :)
Say what you mean. Mean what you say. But don't say it mean.
think I'm gonna get some chicken sliders for lunch!
Thanks to my ad blocking software.
Am I cheating?
LOL
to the back of the line!
Come back, ONE YEAR!
I don't need more stuff at this stage of my life.
LOL
What kind of consumer ARE YOU?
And why do you hate Amurka?
I already have to much stuff! It's driving me crazy!
Do like I did...leave all your stuff at your old place one week too long, and have it all thrown out by a pissed off landlord.
I lost nearly everything.
Irreplaceable gifts from friends and family is the most painful to think of...
I'll NEVER do that again.
stuff because I know I'm at the the end of the line and no ones going to want the stuff dearest to my heart. Sure they'll want the toys but the stuff I really cherish I'm going to have to toss. Ouch . .
LOL . . . Just trying to be prepared!
I don't know how much more time I have but I have more days behind me then I do in front of me!
in life extension technology either. Not in this mess!
It's like chocolate vs vanilla.
However, I find the idea exciting, and hope that I and people I care about can stay in the game long enough to enjoy the tech as it arrives. So many things I'd like to experience that haven't been thought up yet!
That sucks dude...but, if it's any consolation,
you'd be surprised how quickly you're able to move on without all that stuff...when ya think about it, it's all just stuff that isn't vital to live.
As someone who just packed all that will remain of their worldly possessions into 12 boxes (now bound for a ship to Canada), I can tell you it's not that hard to get rid of things.
About two months ago, I put myself through a purely mental exercise of asking how my life would change if I walked away from ALL OF IT. My answer was, very little. Once I severed the attachment (which we all form, and seems very real, but isn't), I decided it would be kinder and practical to save some of the things that bring me comfort and joy, or that would be expensive to replace (like cashmere, alpaca, and leather coats, and beautiful silk souvenir items from across Asia.)
Just doing the mental exercise freed me. I recommend it for anyone!!! (Yes, it is a yoga technique.)
Attachment is one of our weaknesses. Make yourself stronger: break these attachments (non-violently-- libnmod: not a good way). Ask the Buddha. ;)
far left loon >.<
F..k fauz news
...that if you're a representative of something like health then you should fit the part but Fox news is exagerating. She looks overweight but not as obese as many I've seen. And what's really repugnant is Cavuto trying to play the role of the defender while that 'roid head goes off about fatties pretending as if he's the good guy discussing something worth talking about. Cavuto..it's your show, your topics and your complicit with this bullshit. I get it though. This is what passes for 'humor' to these assholes.
Where did they get this numb skull from, or is this a promotion for his gym. This knucklehead wouldn't know what real work is if it fell on him. I notice he didn't attack the American TRAITOR cheney for being over weight or the Fascist Nazi limpbrainbaugh, how about that Clown g Pitty and the list goes on for the American Nazi Racist Committee (RNC< PARTY). Again further Ignorance, and hatred with twisted misinformation put out by the HATE MONGER REPUBLICANS, the PARTY of IGNORANCE.
I don't think size 18 is "abnormally large," it certainly doesn't mean she's unhealthy. Besides, she looks more like a 14 or 16 to me... where did the size 18 come from?
Kingdom Tower
... why are little size 2 waifs with visible rib cages considered to be healthy?
for never striving to be more than an idiot box.
"Your World"???? Fox news as a framework for my "weltenshaung"??? I don't think so.
"Secular humanism -- a fearless, realistic world view replete with doubt and scepticism that attempts to attain an unachievable state of equilibrium between and among the human qualities of reason, intuition, imagination, memory, ethics and common sense.
and the nutcases would have been screaming and hollering FOUL!!
Well now I have finally seen what a flaming asshole looks like and it was wearing a black tee-shirt.
Say what you mean. Mean what you say. But don't say it mean.
Their premise has nothing to do with being healthy, it's about looking hot so you can be attractive. After all, that's the only thing that matters. What Fox is really bitching about is how the new pick for SG doesn't strive to be a hottie. The only reason to put women on the teevee is for the visual pleasure of men.
Kingdom Tower
Was this guy supposed to be a hottie? Umm, well I did call him a "flaming" asshole.
Say what you mean. Mean what you say. But don't say it mean.
But I suppose he thinks he is.
;)
Kingdom Tower
That's the impression I got, but I agree with PoP more.
far left loon >.<
is the plan going to ban weirdos like . . neurosurgeon David McKalip -(a board member of the Florida Medical Association) from hacking us if we need neuro surgery?
I mean do you really want this guy performing surgery on you?
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/nakedpolitics/...
For all your dental, legal, and housing related needs.
Stewarts been on fire lately.
If all things were equal but this lady had white skin, would they piss and moan about her?
Say what you mean. Mean what you say. But don't say it mean.
... she was pro-choice.
From the Salon article:
"She is an active Catholic and, if her office nurse is to be believed, she is one of the more than 90 percent of Catholics who have no problem with birth control. (I have rarely met a devout Catholic working with poor people who is not an advocate of safe and effective contraception -- from nuns in Chile to priests in the Philippines. They get that having children you cannot afford degrades the soul perhaps even more than the body.) This, then, is a near-perfect public face for a president embarking on a controversial last-ditch effort to fix our health care system and serve the poor."
Who comes across at least on TV as a bit of a porker.
apparently it only matters if the person is AA.
*snark, off*
but we never get to see the whole bodies of most of the sanctimonious, hypocritical creeps who pretend to be journalists, commentators or anal-cysts. They're only seen behind desks - usually just head shots, so we have no way of knowing how 'porkish'
they probably are.
"Egotism is the anesthetic that dulls the pain of Stupidity" - Frank Leahy
Can't stop thinking about Ben Stiller's character.
D#
.
That was a great movie..
Maybe The Bloated One is too fat to be the fricking leader of your party then. Have you looked at old Rush lately? Sucker stores extra Cheetos in the folds.
to hear that fat pig Limpballs, or chubo-Cheeney (who had to have a wheelchair) or lil' liz chubo Cheeney, or fat Newt, or porky ol' KKKarl to say something about her weight. The Hypocrisy Meter has been shattered.
I've wondered whether Cheney's short-lived bout with the wheel chair was simply an excuse not to stand in the presence of his new President.
...
"Egotism is the anesthetic that dulls the pain of Stupidity" - Frank Leahy
Cavuto loves gay men, but Fattity and him could all stand to lose the lard on his large asses too.
As usual, the conservatives focus on the cosmetic issues instead of substance. They fail to realize that this woman has spent her entire life giving of herself to help others. Dr. Benamin began her career in my city, and when her nomination was announced, the local paper interviewed her medical school professors and colleagues. Not one of them spoke of her weight. She was highly praised for her dedication and service to her patients. These attacks are meant to gin up opposition to another Obama nominee. Just like the doctors at my local hospital, the one thing they cannot say about her is the most important, and that is that she is not qualified. After she was nominated, I googled her and found that this woman served the patients in her community free of charge, and mortgaged her own home to set up a free clinic. How many of the doctors that Americans see would be willing to go this far to provide medical services for their communities? Not many I would suppose. Her selflessness was probably one of the reasons Obama nominated her, along with her stellar qualifications.
Exactly! I think some are just jealous of her because she is an outstanding person in so many ways.
Say what you mean. Mean what you say. But don't say it mean.
After she was nominated, I googled her and found that this woman served the patients in her community free of charge, and mortgaged her own home to set up a free clinic. How many of the doctors that Americans see would be willing to go this far to provide medical services for their communities? Not many I would suppose.
On behalf of my late father-in-law, thank you.
He mortgaged his house to start a clinic serving the migrant farmworker community in Watsonville, California. Like Dr. Benjamin, sometimes he received payment in trade. He continued to work, even after he'd been diagnosed with leukemia.
Like Dr. Benjamin, the good doctors are out there. It seems so petty that FOX News would go out of their way to promote weight as a disqualifying factor.
... many in this site tend to lump medical professionals with the health care management industry. They do not realize that our current system victimizes both: Patients, and those caregivers who actually care about their patients.
Even though many doctors went in it for the money, there are plenty (if not more) that have a passion for healing and helping their fellow human beings. I always get a tad annoyed when some petulant posters in this blog feel entitled to trash the whole medical profession.
Medical doctors, nurses, and pharmacist are put in the difficult position of having to deal with sick people and be the "human face" of a health care industry that has no problem throwing people under the bus in the name of their profits. Some jackass in a cubicle denying coverage does not have to deal with having to look at the patient in the face and tell them their procedure has been denied. It is not fair that the people who went in to help others, are the ones being put in that position. Whereas the people in the cubicle who most likely don't give a rats ass, don't get to deal with the human effects of their decisions (although I am sure some may still have some humanity left and are aware of the effects of some of their decisions).
These right-wingnuts have a habit of pushing the envelope of stupidity and classless behaviour over and over again:
"Don't support Barack Obama. He is not a documented US citizen, and he is black"
"Don't support Sonia Sotomayor. She is a woman, a latina and she's aging"
"Don't support Hillary Clinton. Who wants an old, strong, intelligent woman to be president of the United States of America?"
Now this: "Don't support Dr. Regina Benjamin. How can a plus-sized woman advocate good health habits for others?"
Not only are they discriminating against her because of her physical appearance, their attacks also are sexist. If she were a man, a portly figure would hardly be an issue for them.
These are the assholes that attack Dr. Benjamin, but will not tell Fat Bastard (the mighty Lord Limpballs) to lose weight and to stop jumping up and down on platforms.
The Catholic Church (or religion in general) should not be a bastion of sex.
"When are we going to stop trying to tell elected officials what to do. Our job is to spend the taxpayers' money the best way we can." -- Tommy Watkins, Justice of the Peace, Crawford County, Arkansas
They trot out the loudest, dumbest, contrarian opinion they can find and pass it off like legitimate news. If it gets enough traction, supposedly respectable media follow suit. Mom jeans? Is there still a war going on? Two wars?
Fox News and its haters of all things black and liberal are handing Dr. Regina Benjamin a golden opportunity. Instead of decrying the racist, sexist tone of Fox's treatment, she should use the issue as a pivot to address America's horrendous problem with fatty foods and sedentary lifestyles.
I'm 6'2", 245lbs, and at least 45lbs. of that is fat. How did it get this bad? Time, and bad food, and a lack of regular exercise. How about you? What percentage of C&L readers are overweight? For those of us that are overweight, what's the best way to get healthier?
As our new Surgeon General, Dr. Regina Benjamin should not hesitate to admit her own problem with weight. In fact, she should use it to illustrate the insidious and pervasive influences of bad food in our diets, as well as the problem of how to integrate regular exercise into our lifestyles.
Become a positive example, Regina Benjamin. Use it, and then lose it.
... has less to do with the example your doctor sets (I mean, come on, do you REALLY know how your doctor eats, how much exercise they get, etc.?) and more with your continued choice to find the time and discipline to change your diet and activity levels.
My doctor could be the picture of perfect health, but until I make the right choices, MY health is not going to change.
Let's get real - we have frackin' Arnold Schwarzenegger as our governor, but there's still tons of overweight kids to be found.
model...
if you can't bounce a quarter off his/her abs, do you go to someone else?
seriously, what is this obsession with the idea of role models.
and why does your definition of a "role model" really matter?
aren't there different types???
... Dr. Benjamin has enough humanitarian awards to serve as a nice "role model" to other people regarding dignity and compassion for their fellow human beings. She has a f*cking McArthur genius grant award for crying out loud!
Funny how these so called "compassionate conservatives" who love to talk all that talk about "compassion and morality" seem to not know what compassion looks like if it kicked them in the nuts, since they have no problem trashing a woman which is doing exactly what they claim to stand for. It seems that "compassion" is something conservatives reserve for fetuses when they have the misfortune of being conceived in a vagina that belongs to a poor woman. And by "compassion" it seems they mean "do as we tell you to do."
Of course no mention of all the fatso Republican men walking around. It's just plus-sized women that are getting attacked. Remember Laura Ingraham's snide little comment about Meghan McCain? I'm so sick of this attitude that women have to be a size 2 with their ribs sticking out and big fake titties.
... I tend to think that Dr. Benjamin's accomplishments as a minority woman are more than enough to serve as a role model.
I dunno, I think she can teach girls things more positive... than the litany of sexual scandals, corruption, and just plain deviant behavior from the same "pious" white old entitled rich males who are now crying bloody murder regarding her worthiness as a "role model."
Let's see: Dick Cheney has had how many heart attacks, Bush is a recovering alcoholic, Rush is a lard ass and a drug fiend, Beck is a lard ass and ex-coke head, Wiener (nee Savage) looks as healthy as a colostomy bag, Newt is both a lard ass and a serial adulterer, etc, etc, etc... so yeah, the GOP has such a moral stance to talk about a the "role model" worthiness of a slightly overweight minority woman who has worked all her life helping others.
The projection of the conservative sector of our country is just astounding sometimes. If we could reuse their gall as an alternative energy source, we would have met all our energy needs twice over... for the foreseeable future.
King DavidMark Sanford."Yes, I cheated on my wife several times with multiple women, but really only had sex with the chick in Argentina, and even though I deserted my post when Mr. Happy got all lonesome, I think I should remain governor to set a positive role model for my sons. God bless y'all!"
means: do as I said, not as I do.
"Savage (nee Wiener)"
=)
Don't you love how he repeatedly files frivolous lawsuits, saying he wants to protect his "name?" Which name? The one he uses, or the one he was born with and is ashamed to use?
Kingdom Tower
to refer to himself as Savage.
Faux Noise has always been pure hatred, ignorance and racist loving pigs.
What else would you expect for the chief health adviser to the fattest nation in the history of the planet?
But fat is just fine in America; she has plenty of company and, predictably, plenty of defenders.
God help her if she smoked.
Corruption favors the wealthy.
other people, and has achieved so much is irrelevant since she is a few pounds overweight.
I assume that you, as a certified adonis with a litany of humanitarian and professional achievements, are perfectly qualified to criticize her on the grounds of her physical appearance.
I love how you use the term "defenders" as if she had committed some sort of crime.
Then you personalize it with a goad for me to list unverifiable personal accomplishments and describe my physical appearance in an anonymous, non-visual forum.
You need some new tricks.
But the position of surgeon general is in large part a bully pulpit, and, as you yourself point out at 10:46, the "role model" appears to be "do as I say, not as I do."
Corruption favors the wealthy.
... you choose to ignore the question of just how her weight/appearance invalidates her credentials as a doctor.
Is Mr. No Chubbies an MD? FACS? Board-certified?
It's not like doctors are picked off park benches. I mean, how would you like it if someone opined that you weren't qualified for a job because you didn't look the part?
I never said she couldn't practice medicine well nor do I have any interest in defending FOX News idiots.
But obesity is probably the number one health issue in this country (described repeatedly as "epidemic") and her appointment (much like the appointment of Monsanto and Cargill's favorite governor as Secretary of Agriculture) is an indication that it is not an issue this administration is willing to take seriously.
Just how effective would Dr. Benjamin be in warning of the dangers of childhood or teenage obesity? What do you think the likely reaction of children and teenagers would be?
Sounds a bit like Bristol Palin lecturing on the importance of abstinence.
Corruption favors the wealthy.
every single one of your posts in this thread could be classified as being exactly that: run of the mill tangential strawmen (and even some red herrings for some good measure).
Maybe, just maybe she was too busy and stressed about other people's health to take proper care of her own. Maybe the fact that she decided to practice in rural areas in the South, not known for their healthy diets, and her lack of free time to hit the gym (again not very common in remote rural areas), led her to put a few pounds.
If her obesity (which she is not that bad honestly) would have interfered with her medical practice, you could have a point. But since it does not, and it did not, you are looking for any straw (pun intended) to grasp to criticize her. Being a body shape role model (which is an arbitrary position) is not in the description of the office of the Surgeon General. So why all of the sudden the arbitrary standard pops up?
And maybe she is just perfectly healthy, and that is her body shape. Since she is an MD and you are not, maybe just maybe she knows more about health than you do. So I rather listen to what she has to say... clearly your last sentence regarding Palin Bristol was all sorts of intellectually dishonest. So I know who I rather listen to regarding health concerns and practices.
If we're going to pick random "role model" concerns as vetting processes for the surgeon general. I honestly think that a successful African American woman doctor, who was able to implement humane and compassionate health care practices in some of the poorest regions of the country (the rural south) is a much much much more positive role model, than whatever message she has to be sending kids regarding proper diet. But, I would assume that would not give you room to find yet another excuse to continue the perennial bitch fest...
You seem to have trouble distinguishing between the role of a being a "spokesmodel" and the office of the surgeon general. Being a size 2 is not a requirement for said office, being an accomplished doctor/surgeon is... and there are no doubts about Dr. Benjamin accomplishments in that regard. Esp. since she was able to successfully establish her practice in such rural areas, her insights are even more pertinent now that this country is finding itself at a crossroads regarding health care reform. I honestly rather have her on our side, than some skinny bitch who is telling my future kids to eath their vegetables while wishing them good luck if they ever get sick because she may be an HMO lackey (like the previous nominee Dr. Gupta) and they are shit out of luck as far as she is concerned if they are uninsured.
I'm not arguing medical competence in the least, so why do you pretend that I am?
As for the "spokes-model" part, that's a rather derogatory way of putting it, but yes, the Surgeon General is the leading spokesperson for health in this country. You don't expect her to be performing surgery and working 85 hours a week at the clinic do you?
Please address the argument: Obesity is by far the number one health concern in this country; the Surgeon General commands the leading bully pulpit for health advocacy in the country; Dr. Benjamin is too easily dismissable as a spokesperson this issue.
A brief glance at the clip above demonstrates why. If she even attempts to address the health effects of high carbohydrate/highly processed food the issue will immediately become her. Just how many "No Chubbies" guys do you think Cargill can rustle up for the Sunday morning talking heads if the Sanctity of Corn is threatened?
Think about Bristol Palin and abstinence. We all know the numbers and arguments against "abstinence only education," but does your mind even get to that point when the lead spokesperson is Bristol Palin?
The issue becomes her (in many respects, unfairly so) and her hypocrisy. This SG effectively takes the issue of obesity off the table as it plays to the few strengths conservatives have left - ad hominem and distraction.
Off the table for another eight years is not acceptable. Obesity rates have climbed from 15% to 1 out of 3.
One out of three.
Corruption favors the wealthy.
at least inform yourself what the term means and how to use it in the proper context. She is a competent physician with a good track record. Her physical appearance has nothing to do with her competence and role as surgeon general. Period.
She doesn't have to be a size 1 supermodel to educate people about nutrition, she doesn't have to be a porn star to educate about sex-related health concerns, she doesn't have to be a white suburban stay at home mum to educate Americans about the dangers of sedentary lifestyles, etc, etc, etc.
She is a doctor, she is competent, she has a very good track record. If you can't deal with that and just need to have something, anything to bitch about, so be it. But please spare me the whole "straw man" crap OK? Since you are the one making up the silly and arbitrary assumptions about whether or not her physical appearance may interfere with her role as surgeon general.
It is silly, uneducated, and as I say it reeks of desperation to try to find an issue, any issue, for you to prolong the perennial bitchfest.
Grow up...
Have a nice day.
Corruption favors the wealthy.
Your argument in a nutshell is that since Dr. Benjamin is overweight, then she is not only a hypocrite... but also that it renders her completely unfit for the post of Surgeon General.
I think I have addressed that pretty right on, for the best part of this subthread. Even though you keep on going on those tangential excursions... with even more creative ways of tap dancing around the gist of your argument. Although your use of strawmen to complain about other people using strawmen is a classic... LOL.
I am just tired of following your tangential arguments trying to defend your arbitrary attack on Dr. Benjamin based on her physical appearance. The fact that she is slightly overweight has nothing to do with her qualifications to be Surgeon General.
If the only way you can defend your asinine comments is by trying to play the victim card, that compounds further your pathetic argument.
One of the responsibilities of the Surgeon General is to serve as educator, not the spokesmodel for weight watchers.
... it's neither necessary nor realistic.
The argument I've made is that Dr. Benjamin is too easily dismissed and therefore ineffective as a spokesperson on the leading health issue of our time.
Yet you've avoided just how she could take the lead against high fructose corn syrup or any other obesity related topic. The answer is that she really can't. Her credibility is severely undermined especially as lead spokesperson.
As you said, she is reduced to nothing more than "do as I say, not as I do."
As doctors who are honest with themselves admit:
Dr. Klass notes a specific example earlier in the same piece:
This type of problem is obviously compounded many times over on a national scale. Obesity isn't just some problem with self image that would go away if mean people just stopped talking about it and people could feel better about themselves. It is a very real health problem and has nothing to do with looking like a supermodel. It has to do with not being obese.
Obese doctors present a credibility problem quite similar to a doctor warning about the dangers of smoking while puffing on a Pall Mall.
Can you get sound medical advice on smoking from a doctor who smokes? Sure you can. But do you really want to make that doctor the leading spokesperson on the issue of quitting smoking?
Corruption favors the wealthy.
it is that is based on a completely arbitrary supposition. First off the main issue with the US health-wise ain't wether or not kids are getting too much corn syrup, but wether or not we are going to be able to achieve a successful health care reform. In that regard Dr. Benjamin is an invaluable ally and one of the few correct appointments IMHO by Mr. Obama.
The issue is that the Surgeon General is an educator, not a spokesmodel. Ergo her credibility or lack of is tied to her professional credentials and accomplishments, of which there are no questions if one bothers to do a cursory overview of her career.
Smoking and obesity are two different scenarios/pathologies (remember all that stuff you were saying about strawmen, guess what you just did with all the silly made up scenarios you are coming up to make your point). For all we know she could have a hormonal imbalance, or a family history regarding obesity, or she is perfectly healthy with that weight (again, she is not *that* obese).
I think you are taking a completely irrelevant issue, her physical appearance, and somehow prop it so that it makes her professional achievements irrelevant.
First, I certainly can't quarrel with importance of health care reform. We have 22,000 people a year dying from lack of insurance and also what I'm sure is a large waste of resources from nonemergency treatment at the E.R. and such. It's serious problem that must be confronted now.
Yet those numbers pale when compared to the cost of obesity which results in 112,000 excess deaths a year and imposes costs of $117 billion annually plus another $4 billion in lost productivity. One out of three Americans over twenty are obese, and two out of three are overweight. This is a rapidly increasing problem of immense proportions, and one that should not be dismissed.
I also don't see obesity as a problem with appearance or unrealistic body image. I'm not talking about a perfectly healthy girl trying to lose weight to look like Calista Flockheart. I'm talking about the majority of this country having a weight problem and the attendant health risks caused :
The list is actually longer. These are real problems that dwarf concerns of appearance or societal opinion.
Finally, I think we may have a disagreement on what I meant by a straw man. When I use the term, I mean that an argument is made simply to be torn down. By way of example: I never intended to argue that Dr. Benjamin's professional credentials, her experience or her intellect were in any way impugned by her appearance. When that argument was made then easily torn apart, I considered it a straw man as that was not my contention.
When I analogized an obese doctor advocating against obesity to a smoking doctor advocating against smoking, I did not consider it to be a straw man as I was not setting up a false argument solely to tear it down but was instead making what I still believe is a valid analogy.
In any case, I noticed your shift to a more civil tone in your last post. I've tried to do the same. Thank you.
Corruption favors the wealthy.
:/
Corruption favors the wealthy.
Ally McBeal is a fictional character, but most people who know the show probably thought of Calista Flockhart who plays the character. There is no need to use Ally McBeal to reinforce the argument that it is wrong to attack someone's appearance because they don't meet one's personal criteria for what looks good. People who are thin experience such attacks as well. It is not necessary.
That gym guys fat is all in his head.
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Does this guy have a brain in his head? Has he EVER gone outside of his holy gym and experienced the fact that competent, intelligent, hard-working people of all professions and occupations come in all shapes and sizes? For him it's all about "Look the part?" He must have had an orgasm when GWB landed on the aircraft carrier dressed up like a pilot.
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