Harry Potter author posts on Weight Issues

[peeplj]

J.K. Rowling, best-selling author of the "Harry Potter" series of books, has posted on her website concerning issues of thinness, fat, and what it's like to have two little girls who are going to grow up in today's thin-obsessed society.

Regrettably, due to the design of her website, you cannot link straight to the article. However, here's her website, and the "path" to get to the article:

http://www.jkrowling.com/en/

--click on the hairbrush (pop-up label is "Extra Stuff")

--click on the yellow "Miscellaneous" tab on the right side of the pad of notepaper

--click on the first article "For Girls Only, Probably..."

Some favorite quotes:

She can talk about eating absolutely loads, being terribly busy and having the world's fastest metabolism until her tongue drops off (hooray! Another couple of ounces gone!), but her concave stomach, protruding ribs and stick-like arms tell a different story. This girl needs help, but, the world being what it is, they're sticking her on magazine covers instead.

I mean, is 'fat' really the worst thing a human being can be? Is 'fat' worse than 'vindictive', 'jealous', 'shallow', 'vain', 'boring' or 'cruel'?

I've got two daughters who will have to make their way in this skinny-obsessed world, and it worries me, because I don't want them to be empty-headed, self-obsessed, emaciated clones; I'd rather they were independent, interesting, idealistic, kind, opinionated, original, funny - a thousand things, before 'thin'.

--James

[brewerpaul]

Good for her!

[brewerpaul]

Good for her!

[jsluder]

Excellent article! Thanks for bringing it to our attention.

[mukade]

For Girls Only, Probably...

My best friend died from the unforgiving assault of anorexia nervosa.

His parents refused to believe their son had a "girls' disease" until it was too late.

Boys aren't supposed to be interested in that sort of thing.

Mukade

[emmline]

James, you just ate up about an hour of my day--I could hardly follow that link without getting sucked into the lengthy interview with JKR by the editors of Mugglenet.com and leaky-cauldron.com, could I?

I appreciated her comments on the skinny-obsession subject. Quite true how what society seems to value in a girl can be so skewed.

[Unseen122]

Good for her!

You could say that again.

People should be happy with who they are. I was sitting in school the other day talking to some friends at lunch. While looking around I noticed everybody has to try to be like other people, and some of them happen to be nice people. I realized what a shame it is that so many nice people have to turn away from being individuals and conform to the rest of society. Of course then I looked around at my friends and realized that they are an example of individuals.

James, the problem is not only the urge to be skinny, but the urge to be like everybody else. The urge to conform to what other people think is attractive. In the end I just feel bad for people who have to be like everybody else, they are only hurting themselves.

Disclamer, my post is not only about weight, but a problem with society. I am happy to see that some respected people are encouraging kids of all ages to have a mind of their own.

[missy]

please be aware, anorexia is often not about weight or food, it's about control. Often the sufferer feels they have no control over any aspect of their life, and their intake of food IS the one thing they, and only they, can control.
This is why a sufferer honestly doesn't see themselves as "too" thin. And why, if you try to "get" them to eat, they refuse.
Even if you DO get them to eat, the problem isn't the food - it's how they feel about themselves afterwards. They have again lost control on the one (and in their mind, only) part of their life they have any.

My son's fiance has suffered from anorexia in the past. I know to never "force" food or insist she eat with us. I offer, but if she chooses not to, I don't push it.

[peeplj]

Some thoughts:

First, I don't think this is just a girl's problem. Far from it, both overweight girls and boys face harassment based upon their weight and appearance. Both overweight women and overweight men face the challenges of discrimination, prejudice, and inadequate health care.

These problems are exacerbated by the "War on Fat," as it makes fat people the enemy in a whole new way, and blames them for the predicted apocalyptic downfall of the American for-profit healthcare system.

I do also think that there is a lot of truth in the idea that the harsh and judgemental behavior that heavy people face is based upon the fact that society, now more than ever before, values conformity.

To be overweight is to not conform in a very visible way. The pressure to conform in modern society has never been greater, and the individual who doesn’t visibly conform has never been worth less.

The idea that we are all supposed to look different, have different strengths and talents, have different thoughts and ideas—the idea that we are all supposed to BE different is now considered almost to be treason.

I am grateful to see J.K. Rowling taking a stand on this issue, and it is my hope that with her wide influence, her comments can make a real difference to a lot of desperately unhappy children.

It is my hope that other people of influence will follow her lead.

It's time for another "just say no" campaign: "Just say No!" to the War on Fat.

--James

[djm]

I would suggest there is a different attitude problem. Notice that the argument seems to go between fat and skinny. There is no thought of being FIT; just the two extremes of being fat or skinny. Some people, especially women, may look skinny when they are fit. Everyone is different. And I am NOT talking about going to another ridiculous extreme like getting hugely pumped up. I'm just talking about being generally fit: loose, limbre, and moderately strong.

The fact that this option is not even discussed suggests to me that people would rather tear back and forth hysterically between the two unhealthy extremes of too fat or too thin than to even contemplate the bit of effort required to be physically fit. If there is an image problem, I believe it starts here, and there is no excuse for not choosing fitness as the best alternative.

djm

[anniemcu]

...James, the problem is not only the urge to be skinny, but the urge to be like everybody else. The urge to conform to what other people think is attractive. In the end I just feel bad for people who have to be like everybody else, they are only hurting themselves.

Disclamer, my post is not only about weight, but a problem with society. I am happy to see that some respected people are encouraging kids of all ages to have a mind of their own.

The real irony of this, of course, is that upon questioning the youngsters falling into this pattern, many will say that they want to look like individuals... that they are dressing 'differently' to assert their uniqueness... They *think* they are being different when they are in fact following the newest 'norm' .... they don't have a clue what lemmings they are being. That's sad.

edited to clarify which part of Unseen's post I was replying to.

[susnfx]

I think djm hit it on the head: there is a huge range between fat and thin and fitness is the best alternative. Rowling doesn't say anywhere that she wants her girls to be fat. She just says she doesn't want them to be obsessed with being thin, something with which I think any parent would agree.

Susan

[peeplj]

I do think there is a lot to be said for the idea of trying to be as fit as you can be, whatever size or shape you may happen to be. I think djm makes a good point on this.

As for anyone wanting to be fat--I'm not at all convinced anyone does. Why on earth would you want to? What possible reward would it bring?

--James

[Jack]

J.K. Rowling...has posted on her website concerning issues of thinness, fat, and what it's like to have two little girls who are going to grow up in today's thin-obsessed society.

If today's society (assuming there's just one society) is truly "thin-obsessed," why are there more morbidly obese people now than in any other time period in the history of the world?

[Jack]

For Girls Only, Probably...

My best friend died from the unforgiving assault of anorexia nervosa.

His parents refused to believe their son had a "girls' disease" until it was too late.

Boys aren't supposed to be interested in that sort of thing.

Mukade

That pissed me off, too.

As for anyone wanting to be fat--I'm not at all convinced anyone does. Why on earth would you want to? What possible reward would it bring?

You might be surprised!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feederism