I Stand With Fat Kids and With Planned Parenthood

Susan G. Komen pulled its funding from Planned Parenthood “because they’re under Congressional investigation.” Never mind that it’s not a legitimate investigation so much as a “Let’s shut down PP by any means necessary” witch hunt. And also never mind that Susan G. Komen grants go to cancer screeings, not abotions, and that Planned Parenthood is the largest provider of women’s health services in the country.

People have been coming up with new Susan G. Komen slogans on Twitter, and a lot of them are hilarious, frequently “in the I must laugh so I don’t cry or hit someone” sense. My favorite so far is “Does this coat hanger come in pink?”

I signed a petition, gave some money to PP, and am adding Susan G. Komen to the list of groups I won’t support. (It’s a short and esoteric list, including Chik-Fil-A and, as much as is practical, the nation of China.)

Speaking of petitions and donations, the awesome Ragen Chastain is *this freaking close* to posting a billboard in Atlanta to answer the hateful “Strong4Life” campaign. Donating to this campaign helps tell bullied fat kids that they’re not alone, unloved, and broken. We stand with them.

Marilyn Wann is also running I Stand Against Weight Bullying. Send her a picture and a slogan, and you get a nifty poster to spread hither and yon to show your support for kids of all shapes and sizes.

Go, Paula!

Anthony Bourdain apparently needs a massive reality check. He called Paula Deen “the most dangerous person in America.” Funny, not who I’d have picked. There are murderers, rapists, drug dealers, terrorists, corrupt politicians, insurance company execs letting people die to improve their bottom line, drunk drivers, and your Enemy #1 is a lady with a cooking show? Because clearly all those other ways of dying or being harmed pale in comparison to the scary, scary fat.

Fortunately, she can give as good as she gets. She said she didn’t know if it was a “publicity thing” or if “someone had peed in his cereal.” She also told him to get a life.

I have peaches I want to do something with–I may just try out Paula’s peach cobbler recipe. If you guys don’t hear from me, you can assume it killed me.

Hat tip to Life on Fats

A Medical Rant

A friend of mine has a medical problem that has nothing to do with her weight, but her weight means doctors refuse to treat her. She was in a car accident and had her knee replaced years ago. the replacement is now shot, though it lasted much longer than it was expected to.

The orthopedic surgeon she sees wants her to lose *130* pounds before they’ll replace her knee. Not just come down under 250 pounds or out of the “obese” BMI category. They want her to drop more than half her body weight and get into the middle of the “normal” category.

Keep in mind that she can’t fricking exercise because her knee is shot. She’s doing good to walk around a mall or amusement park for an afternoon without needing a scooter.

The kicker, though, is the reason they give for not doing the surgery. It isn’t that she’s at a higher risk of complications or anything like that. No, it’s that the replacement will wear out a little faster. Really? Seriously? So you guys are okay with having her in continuous pain for the next couple *years* (assuming she can maintain what’s considered a healthy rate of weight loss, a pound or two a week) because otherwise she might need another new knee in twenty years rather than twenty five?

Not to mention how they can really think someone who can’t exercise is going to lose weight without pretty much starving.

It just boggles the mind that doctors can see someone in pain and instead of helping, basically go “Oh well, sucks to be you.”