THE MEGAN MEIERS STORY
Have you heard the story of Megen Meiers, who killed herself after being abused by neighbors on My Space?
“…The next day, as Megan's mother headed out the door to take another daughter to the orthodontist, she knew Megan was upset about Internet messages. She asked Megan to log off. Users on MySpace must be at least 14, though Megan was not when she opened her account. A MySpace spokeswoman did not return calls seeking comment. Someone using Josh's account was sending cruel messages. Then, Megan called her mother, saying electronic bulletins were being posted about her, saying things like, "Megan Meier is a slut. Megan Meier is fat." Megan's mother, who monitored her daughter's online communications, returned home and said she was shocked at the vulgar language her own daughter was sending. She told her daughter how upset she was about it. Megan ran upstairs, and her father, Ron, tried to tell her everything would be fine. About 20 minutes later, she was found in her bedroom. She died the next day.
Her father said he found a message the next day from Josh, which he said law enforcement authorities have not been able to retrieve. It told the girl she was a bad person and the world would be better without her, he has said. Another parent, who learned of the MySpace account from her own daughter who had access to the Josh profile, told Megan's parents about the hoax in a counselor's office about six weeks after Megan died. That's when they learned Josh was imaginary, they said. The woman who created the fake profile has not been charged with a crime. She allegedly told the St. Charles County Sheriff's Department she created Josh's profile because she wanted to gain Megan's confidence to know what Megan was saying about her own child online.
The mother from down the street told police that she, her daughter and another person all typed and monitored the communication between the fictitious boy and Megan. A person who answered the door at the family's house told an Associated Press reporter on Friday afternoon that they had been advised not to comment. Megan's parents had been storing a foosball table for the family that created the MySpace character. Six weeks after Megan's death, they learned the other family had created the profile and responded by destroying the foosball table, dumping it on the neighbors' driveway and encouraging them to move away….”
Her father said he found a message the next day from Josh, which he said law enforcement authorities have not been able to retrieve. It told the girl she was a bad person and the world would be better without her, he has said. Another parent, who learned of the MySpace account from her own daughter who had access to the Josh profile, told Megan's parents about the hoax in a counselor's office about six weeks after Megan died. That's when they learned Josh was imaginary, they said. The woman who created the fake profile has not been charged with a crime. She allegedly told the St. Charles County Sheriff's Department she created Josh's profile because she wanted to gain Megan's confidence to know what Megan was saying about her own child online.
The mother from down the street told police that she, her daughter and another person all typed and monitored the communication between the fictitious boy and Megan. A person who answered the door at the family's house told an Associated Press reporter on Friday afternoon that they had been advised not to comment. Megan's parents had been storing a foosball table for the family that created the MySpace character. Six weeks after Megan's death, they learned the other family had created the profile and responded by destroying the foosball table, dumping it on the neighbors' driveway and encouraging them to move away….”
More from Death by 1000 Paper Cuts.
Blogger News Network
Texas Fred has one of the most interesting commentaries I’ve seen.
JUST PURE EVIL
I’ve been holding off writing about this one until more information became available. I think The Smoking Gun finally came up with the last straw that breaks the camels back. I’ve seen some evil people before, but I think this is the worst I’ve ever come across, ever. The woman who caused Megan’s death is now complaining that the neighbors might damage her property. She cold-bloodedly caused she death of a 13 year old girl and is concerned about her property.
THE CRUELTY CONTINUES
There is no end of torture for the Miers family. A blogger recently wrote, Megan Had it Coming.
Contrary to popular opinion, it is not a matter of a child learning to eat properly. It is a matter of people learning how to treat EVERYONE, no matter what their race, size, or status the same.
“… One of the topics on the agenda at the Forum was weight-related bullying, or weight bias in kids. For anyone who has attended middle school, it’s no surprise that overweight children are especially frequent victims of teasing, bullying, and social rejection. In fact, weight bias is so pervasive and commonplace that it’s been labeled the last acceptable form of discrimination in our society. The notion that it’s wrong to be overweight is deeply embedded in our culture, thus we often don’t even recognize when weight bias happening.
For example, how often do you see overweight characters on television being the butt of fat jokes? How many times have you heard the word fat being used as an insult? Or how often do you hear people reiterating common weight stereotypes, like fat people are lazy, have no willpower, and no self-control. Studies show that even preschoolers describe overweight children as ugly, selfish, lazy, stupid, and dishonest.
These stereotypes are not only false, but the bias that results from them is extremely harmful to overweight individuals, especially overweight children. Kids who are teased or bullied because of their weight are more likely to be depressed, have anxiety, lower self-esteem, poor body image, and consider suicide 2-3 times more often than overweight kids who aren’t teased.
Also, overweight girls and boys who experience frequent weight-related bullying are more likely to engage in unhealthy eating behaviors, such as binge eating or extreme dieting as a way of coping with the pain of being teased (as compared to overweight kids who aren’t teased). A new study out this month finds that weight-related teasing in teenage girls doubles their risk for being overweight 5 years later….”
For example, how often do you see overweight characters on television being the butt of fat jokes? How many times have you heard the word fat being used as an insult? Or how often do you hear people reiterating common weight stereotypes, like fat people are lazy, have no willpower, and no self-control. Studies show that even preschoolers describe overweight children as ugly, selfish, lazy, stupid, and dishonest.
These stereotypes are not only false, but the bias that results from them is extremely harmful to overweight individuals, especially overweight children. Kids who are teased or bullied because of their weight are more likely to be depressed, have anxiety, lower self-esteem, poor body image, and consider suicide 2-3 times more often than overweight kids who aren’t teased.
Also, overweight girls and boys who experience frequent weight-related bullying are more likely to engage in unhealthy eating behaviors, such as binge eating or extreme dieting as a way of coping with the pain of being teased (as compared to overweight kids who aren’t teased). A new study out this month finds that weight-related teasing in teenage girls doubles their risk for being overweight 5 years later….”
I can tell you right now this piece is going to result in a plethora of very nasty email finding its way into my inbox and comments. Through spammers, I receive something like 25 or so email a day for various weight loss schemes. This is something fairly new. I also receive them through track-backs. I know who some of the people are who are doing this. I have a delete button and a thick skin. The things that have been said to me on this blog are so vile and so cruel, I’m not going to repeat them. They don’t effect me, but what about a child?
Today children who are overweight are treated horribly.
“…Children who are obese are at increased risk for emotional problems that last well into adulthood,
according to several studies and experts on the subject. Obesity and the mental disorders they
contribute to should be considered as serious as other medical illnesses, they say. The American Psychiatric Association joins others in the medical and public health community in calling attention to the mental health impacts of childhood obesity—a burgeoning public health crisis in the U.S.
A study at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey found that obese girls ages 13
to 14 are four times more likely to experience low self-esteem than non-obese girls. The study
also reported that obese boys and girls with low self-esteem had higher rates of loneliness,
sadness and nervousness. These children were more likely to smoke and drink alcohol compared
with obese children with normal self-esteem. Depression, often an outcome of low self-esteem,
affects as many as 750,000 teens in the U.S. (Source: Pediatrics, “Childhood Obesity and Self-
Esteem,” January 2000.) Untreated depression can be both the cause and effect of obesity. “As a practicing child
psychiatrist, I see a clear association between obesity and depression and anxiety disorders among
children and teens," notes David Fassler, M.D., an APA Trustee and child and adolescent
psychiatrist from Burlington, Vermont.
A recent University of Minnesota study reveals that children who were teased about being
overweight were more likely to have poor body image, low self-esteem, and symptoms of
depression. The study found that 26 percent of teens who were teased at school and home
reported they had considered suicide, and 9 percent had attempted it. Suicide is the third leading
cause of death among adolescents. (Source: Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine,
“Associations of Weight-Based Teasing and Emotional Well-being Among Adolescents,” August
2003) Obese children between the ages of 10 and 13 have an 80 percent chance of being obese adults.
Children are considered obese when their weight is at least 10 percent higher than recommended
for their age and height. (Source: American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Factsfor Families, January 2001.)…”
according to several studies and experts on the subject. Obesity and the mental disorders they
contribute to should be considered as serious as other medical illnesses, they say. The American Psychiatric Association joins others in the medical and public health community in calling attention to the mental health impacts of childhood obesity—a burgeoning public health crisis in the U.S.
A study at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey found that obese girls ages 13
to 14 are four times more likely to experience low self-esteem than non-obese girls. The study
also reported that obese boys and girls with low self-esteem had higher rates of loneliness,
sadness and nervousness. These children were more likely to smoke and drink alcohol compared
with obese children with normal self-esteem. Depression, often an outcome of low self-esteem,
affects as many as 750,000 teens in the U.S. (Source: Pediatrics, “Childhood Obesity and Self-
Esteem,” January 2000.) Untreated depression can be both the cause and effect of obesity. “As a practicing child
psychiatrist, I see a clear association between obesity and depression and anxiety disorders among
children and teens," notes David Fassler, M.D., an APA Trustee and child and adolescent
psychiatrist from Burlington, Vermont.
A recent University of Minnesota study reveals that children who were teased about being
overweight were more likely to have poor body image, low self-esteem, and symptoms of
depression. The study found that 26 percent of teens who were teased at school and home
reported they had considered suicide, and 9 percent had attempted it. Suicide is the third leading
cause of death among adolescents. (Source: Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine,
“Associations of Weight-Based Teasing and Emotional Well-being Among Adolescents,” August
2003) Obese children between the ages of 10 and 13 have an 80 percent chance of being obese adults.
Children are considered obese when their weight is at least 10 percent higher than recommended
for their age and height. (Source: American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Factsfor Families, January 2001.)…”
From the Catholic News Service http://www.austindiocese.org/newsletter_article_view.php?id=489
“…Bullying is such a serious issue that the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta monitor it as a "child risk behavior," according to Lynne Lang, a school community health educator in St. Louis. To illustrate her point, she said 160,000 children stay home from school each day because they're afraid of someone at their school. Among the easiest targets for bullying are overweight and obese children — a group whose ranks are swelling as a result of America's dietary habits, said Angela Sheer, a dietitian who works with Lang at Barnes Jewish Christian HealthCare. The percentage of overweight children and youths ages 6-19 in the United States tripled from 5 percent to 15 percent between 1980 and 2000, Sheer said, and CDC figures indicate the current obesity rate at 17 percent of youngsters in that age group. Lang and Sheer presented a workshop, "Tipping the Scales on Childhood Obesity and Bullying," April 19 during the National Catholic Educational Association's 103rd annual convention being held in Atlanta. The average weight of a 10-year-old boy jumped nearly 11 pounds between 1963 and 2002, Sheer said, rising from 74.2 pounds to 85 pounds. "Out of a class of 25 kids, four or five would be obese," Sheer told educators at the workshop. Kids today consume 500 percent more calories from fast-food restaurants than they did in 1970, she added….”
IRON DEFICIENCY
Funny thing, you know all those complaints? Why do two children in the same family eat the same food, consume the same number of calories and do the same amount of activities? Maybe it isn’t the overweight child’s fault. Maybe it isn’t even the parents fault. Maybe it’s Mother Nature?
“…07/07/2004 - Children that are overweight are more than twice as likely as normal weight kids to be iron deficient, finds a new study. The research is important given the rising numbers of obese children around the world. More than 20 per cent of European children are overweight and 9 per cent are obese, according to Datamonitor figures. This is set to rise to 25 per cent and 11 per cent respectively in 2008. While iron deficiency is more commonly associated with the developing world, it remains the leading nutrient deficiency in the UK. A lack of iron can in the worst cases cause anaemia but even a small deficiency can lead to learning and behavioral problems, as underlined in recent studies….”
Yep – 20% TWENTY PERCENT - That’s at least one fifth of the group.
GENETICS
“…Overcoming Social Stigma Not surprisingly, guilt often accompanies obesity. Society views overweight individuals as having poor self control. Obese people are often thought of as bringing the problem on themselves. Kids often internalize these feelings and beat themselves up over their perceived gluttony. It is a very unhealthy, and unhelpful, mindset. My first step in discussing obesity with children is to try to get them past the guilt. I do this by letting them know that being overweight is not their fault. That simple statement, "It is not your fault," has evoked more tears of relief in my office than any other uttered phrase.
Understanding Genetics
I tell them scientists have found half a dozen or more genes that predispose people toward obesity. I explain that their body was created with a predetermined set point for weight that is higher than the average person's. In other words, due to genetic factors, their body wants to be obese.
In the distant past, before well-stocked hypermarkets, our forefathers struggled to find food. Carrying extra weight was a genetic advantage. You never knew when you would get your next meal. In today's society of processed carbohydrates and high fat foods, that genetic advantage no longer exists.
The bottom line is, your body wants to be heavy. That is the way you were made. It is not your fault.
Once you can help a child move past some of the guilt, I find they are much more enthusiastic about working for a solution….”
Understanding Genetics
I tell them scientists have found half a dozen or more genes that predispose people toward obesity. I explain that their body was created with a predetermined set point for weight that is higher than the average person's. In other words, due to genetic factors, their body wants to be obese.
In the distant past, before well-stocked hypermarkets, our forefathers struggled to find food. Carrying extra weight was a genetic advantage. You never knew when you would get your next meal. In today's society of processed carbohydrates and high fat foods, that genetic advantage no longer exists.
The bottom line is, your body wants to be heavy. That is the way you were made. It is not your fault.
Once you can help a child move past some of the guilt, I find they are much more enthusiastic about working for a solution….”
This is dated October 7, 2007: Genetics Play a Key Role
“…New evidence that genetics plays a key role in obesity is published today in the International Journal of Bioinformatics Research and Applications. The findings relate to the genetics of modern Pima Indians who have an unusually high rate of obesity but could be extrapolated to all people. Their obesity is thought to be linked to a thrifty metabolism that allowed them to metabolize food more efficiently in times when little was available but causes problems when food is in abundance. Mark Rowe, David McClellan, and colleagues at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, USA, have studied the effect of evolutionary selection on Pima Indians, a people indigenous to the present-day Sonora desert of Arizona and New Mexico. The researchers anticipated an effect consistent with higher metabolic efficiency among these people and focused specifically on recently discovered variations in their mitochondrial DNA, so-called SNPs, or single nucleotide polymorphisms.
The metabolic rates of 200 obese Pima individuals were measured and revealed that two of the three known SNPs influence metabolic efficiency. The researchers then used the genetics software TreeSAAP, to analyze the biochemical changes caused by these SNPs and then tracked the evolutionary selection of these genetic variations in 107 different types of mammals. This allowed them to propose a mechanism by which these SNPs affect the mitochondrial respiratory chain and consequently increase metabolic efficiency in the Pima people. The team suggests that an increased metabolic efficiency could have been an evolutionary advantage. The SNPs may have persisted because they helped the Pima survive the harsh dietary environment of the Sonora desert throughout the history of the people. In the current environment of caloric over-consumption an increased efficiency is unfavorable and may contribute to the high rates of obesity among the Pimas. While the Pima Indians are an extreme case, the entire human population may also have evolved in a restricted caloric environment, say the researchers. Many populations may exhibit similar SNPs that were advantageous to our ancestors but may now be detrimental. The presence of these SNPs may thus provide one explanation as to why obesity is so rife in the 21st century.”
ETHNICITY The metabolic rates of 200 obese Pima individuals were measured and revealed that two of the three known SNPs influence metabolic efficiency. The researchers then used the genetics software TreeSAAP, to analyze the biochemical changes caused by these SNPs and then tracked the evolutionary selection of these genetic variations in 107 different types of mammals. This allowed them to propose a mechanism by which these SNPs affect the mitochondrial respiratory chain and consequently increase metabolic efficiency in the Pima people. The team suggests that an increased metabolic efficiency could have been an evolutionary advantage. The SNPs may have persisted because they helped the Pima survive the harsh dietary environment of the Sonora desert throughout the history of the people. In the current environment of caloric over-consumption an increased efficiency is unfavorable and may contribute to the high rates of obesity among the Pimas. While the Pima Indians are an extreme case, the entire human population may also have evolved in a restricted caloric environment, say the researchers. Many populations may exhibit similar SNPs that were advantageous to our ancestors but may now be detrimental. The presence of these SNPs may thus provide one explanation as to why obesity is so rife in the 21st century.”
Ethnicity plays a role.
A VIRUS
Then there is the adeneovirus.
“…Aug. 20, 2007 – Infection with a virus linked to human obesity ups fat-cell production and makes fat cells fatter. "Infectobesity" is the term coined by Louisiana State University researcher Nikhil Dhurandhar, PhD, and colleagues to describe the phenomenon. Their research strongly links a common human virus -- adenovirus-36 or Ad-36 -- to human obesity. Previous research showed that nearly 30% of obese people, but only 11% of lean people, have been infected with Ad-36. Monkeys experimentally infected with Ad-36 gain significant weight. Now Dhurandhar's team finds evidence that Ad-36 has a direct effect on human fat cells. Infection of adult stem cells from human fat triggers their transition into pre-fat cells. And these virus-infected cells hold much more fat than normal pre-fat cells.
The end result: more, fatter fat cells. Dhurandhar colleague Magdalena Pasarica, MD, PhD, presented the findings at the 234th national meeting of the American Chemical Society, held Aug. 19-23 in Boston.
"We're not saying that a virus is the only cause of obesity, but this study provides stronger evidence that some obesity cases may involve viral infections," Pasarica says in a news release. "We would ultimately like to identify the underlying factors that predispose some obese people to [the effects of] this virus and eventually find a way to treat it." It's not entirely clear how the virus acts on fat stem cells. But Pasarica reported a major clue: One specific Ad-36 gene, called E4Orfl, is responsible for the virus's obesity-related effects. The researchers are now trying to figure out why some people seem to become obese after Ad-36 infection while others don't.
There are some 50 adenovirus strains. Various strains cause some 5% of respiratory infections every year, ranging from mild colds to serious pneumonia. Some of these viruses also cause eye infections. Ad-36 was originally isolated from a German girl with diabetes; however, it has not been linked to any specific disease….”
The end result: more, fatter fat cells. Dhurandhar colleague Magdalena Pasarica, MD, PhD, presented the findings at the 234th national meeting of the American Chemical Society, held Aug. 19-23 in Boston.
"We're not saying that a virus is the only cause of obesity, but this study provides stronger evidence that some obesity cases may involve viral infections," Pasarica says in a news release. "We would ultimately like to identify the underlying factors that predispose some obese people to [the effects of] this virus and eventually find a way to treat it." It's not entirely clear how the virus acts on fat stem cells. But Pasarica reported a major clue: One specific Ad-36 gene, called E4Orfl, is responsible for the virus's obesity-related effects. The researchers are now trying to figure out why some people seem to become obese after Ad-36 infection while others don't.
There are some 50 adenovirus strains. Various strains cause some 5% of respiratory infections every year, ranging from mild colds to serious pneumonia. Some of these viruses also cause eye infections. Ad-36 was originally isolated from a German girl with diabetes; however, it has not been linked to any specific disease….”
NATURE NOT NURTURE
Let’s see, that’s 20% from iron deficiency, another 30% from A VIRUS – golly, it looks like 50% of the population who is over-weight is not overweight because of eating like a pig, but because of NATURE. Let’s then factor in genetics. If we can get the obese child through childhood hopefully not terribly scarred by society, they have a chance of living much longer than their thin counterparts. GOT THAT – LIVE LONGER!
Even though the statistics show that people who are over-weight live longer, physicians still want them to lose weight, thus shortening their life expectancy. Do you see this bandied about? NO. Instead the medical profession stays on a path that damns young people who are no perfect and thin to a life of self abuse and emotional trauma.
DISCRIMINATION
Trust me, I can tell you about this first hand.
“…We have been studying bias and discrimination in obesity for four years and have found striking results. Clear discrimination against overweight people has been documented in three areas: education, health care, and employment. The reason for this appears to be very strong anti-fat attitudes. For example, 28% of teachers in one study1 said that becoming obese is the worst thing that can happen to a person; 24% of nurses said they are 'repulsed' by obese persons; and, controlling for income and grades, parents provide less college support for their overweight children than for their thin children.
These attitudes can be studied explicitly or implicitly. Explicit attitudes are typically measured by paper and pencil surveys. Numerous studies2-6 document explicit negative attitudes about obesity among physicians, nurses, dieticians, and medical students. These attitudes include: obese people lack self-control and are lazy, obesity is caused by character flaws, and failure to lose weight is due only to noncompliance.
Measuring implicit attitudes requires methods for studying attitudes that are beyond the subject's awareness. The Implicit Associations Test (IAT) is a powerful way to identify prejudice with respect to race, gender, and other factors.
Use of the IAT to study implicit anti-fat biases among health care professionals reveals a pervasive implicit bias against obesity, even among those who specialize in its treatment. Importantly, the evidence for implicit bias exists in the presence of only minimal evidence for explicit bias.7 That is societal anti-fat attitudes are so pervasive that even those who dedicate their lives to treating obesity aren't immune from these attitudes despite wishing to avoid prejudice; these clinicians are not consciously aware of this bias.
Several studies8-11 indicate that obesity may influence health care professionals' judgments and practices. For instance, mental health workers evaluating a case history more frequently assigned negative symptoms to an obese patient than to overweight and average-weight clients and rated obese patients more severely in terms of psychological functioning.8
A survey of more than 1200 physicians assessed attitudes, interventions, and referral practices for obese patients.9 Although physicians recognized obesity's health risks and perceived many patients as overweight, these physicians didn't intervene as much as they should, were ambivalent about how to manage obese clients, and were unlikely to refer them to weight loss programs. Only 18% of physicians reported that they would discuss weight management with overweight patients, and 42% of physicians would have this discussion with mildly obese patients.9
Another study10 suggests that physicians may be ambivalent about treating obesity. Among a sample of 211 primary care physicians, only 33% reported feeling responsible for managing their patient's obesity. They indicated that insufficient time, lack of medical training, and reimbursement issues made managing obesity difficult.10
Finally, a survey of the attitudes and practices of 752 general practitioners in weight management reported mixed results.11 These physicians reported positive views about their roles in obesity management. Unfortunately, they also underused practices which promote lifestyle changes in patients, described weight management as professionally unrewarding, and noted that they were commonly frustrated by what they perceived as poor patient compliance and motivation…”
These attitudes can be studied explicitly or implicitly. Explicit attitudes are typically measured by paper and pencil surveys. Numerous studies2-6 document explicit negative attitudes about obesity among physicians, nurses, dieticians, and medical students. These attitudes include: obese people lack self-control and are lazy, obesity is caused by character flaws, and failure to lose weight is due only to noncompliance.
Measuring implicit attitudes requires methods for studying attitudes that are beyond the subject's awareness. The Implicit Associations Test (IAT) is a powerful way to identify prejudice with respect to race, gender, and other factors.
Use of the IAT to study implicit anti-fat biases among health care professionals reveals a pervasive implicit bias against obesity, even among those who specialize in its treatment. Importantly, the evidence for implicit bias exists in the presence of only minimal evidence for explicit bias.7 That is societal anti-fat attitudes are so pervasive that even those who dedicate their lives to treating obesity aren't immune from these attitudes despite wishing to avoid prejudice; these clinicians are not consciously aware of this bias.
Several studies8-11 indicate that obesity may influence health care professionals' judgments and practices. For instance, mental health workers evaluating a case history more frequently assigned negative symptoms to an obese patient than to overweight and average-weight clients and rated obese patients more severely in terms of psychological functioning.8
A survey of more than 1200 physicians assessed attitudes, interventions, and referral practices for obese patients.9 Although physicians recognized obesity's health risks and perceived many patients as overweight, these physicians didn't intervene as much as they should, were ambivalent about how to manage obese clients, and were unlikely to refer them to weight loss programs. Only 18% of physicians reported that they would discuss weight management with overweight patients, and 42% of physicians would have this discussion with mildly obese patients.9
Another study10 suggests that physicians may be ambivalent about treating obesity. Among a sample of 211 primary care physicians, only 33% reported feeling responsible for managing their patient's obesity. They indicated that insufficient time, lack of medical training, and reimbursement issues made managing obesity difficult.10
Finally, a survey of the attitudes and practices of 752 general practitioners in weight management reported mixed results.11 These physicians reported positive views about their roles in obesity management. Unfortunately, they also underused practices which promote lifestyle changes in patients, described weight management as professionally unrewarding, and noted that they were commonly frustrated by what they perceived as poor patient compliance and motivation…”
Should a person be denied health care because they are “too fat”?
Then there is a Brit who wasn’t allowed to join her husband in New Zealand because of her weight.
“…New Zealand immigration officials are keeping a U.K. wife from joining her husband "down under" because they say she is too fat, the Daily Mail reports. British citizens Rowan Trezise, 33, and Richie Trezise, 35, are living apart as she tries desperately to shed the pounds needed to comply with New Zealand guidelines that immigrants maintain a healthy BMI, or body mass index. BMI is a weight-height ratio that estimates percentage of body fat. The New Zealand Immigration Service requires all applicants to undergo a complete medical examination, which includes body size measures like "waist circumference." The regulations were supposedly put into place for budget reasons. The country's health care system cannot afford to open its doors to overweight immigrants, a spokesman for New Zealand's Fight the Obesity Epidemic explained to the Daily Mail….”
Fox News
The Daily Mail
MY EXPERIENCES THIS FALL
Let’s just say I’ve been through the wringer, to the tune of at least $5000 in tests and emergency rooms, and physician visits. So far – nothing. I’ve been rudely told to use weight or I will be dead in 5 years, and that I had absolutely nothing to do because I am a writer, but other than that – nada. Now the person who told me I would be dead in 5 years never bothered to take a family history. He never bothered to ascertain that everyone my size lived to an average age of 95, and 75% of the ‘thin’ members of the family are dead by the time they are 65. Guess that doesn’t count for much, does it? My always thin mother has a pacemaker and nearly died of heart failure but Mr. Quarter Pounder with Cheese is doing great!
Today I was discussing this with Lori today. She is larger than am I and no one puts her down. Like she said, we need to start standing up for girls this age and telling them you need to accept and love your self no matter what anyone says.
I am constantly getting spam from various sources about diets and diet aids. Frankly quit wasting your time. Your cruel comments don't hurt me.
Trackposted to Perri Nelson's Website, Rosemary's Thoughts, Stuck On Stupid, The Amboy Times, Big Dog's Weblog, Chuck Adkins, Adeline and Hazel, Public Domain Clip Art, third world county, MyHTPC, The Crazy Rants of Samantha Burns, The World According to Carl, Pirate's Cove, Wolf Pangloss, Dumb Ox Daily News, CORSARI D'ITALIA, and Right Voices, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.">
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