Guest guest Posted August 21, 2004 Report Share Posted August 21, 2004 Hi all I have just written to Vegan Views to complain about a cartoon strip that appears in their Summer 04 edition on veganviews.org.uk. It shows how the problem of 'fat people' would disappear if everyone was Vegan. I have included a copy of the e-mail below. Yes, there are health problems associated with being fat, but there are plenty of slim unhealthy people out there too. To all at Vegan Views I was very disappointed and saddened by your cartoon strip in the Summer 04 issue of Vegan Views. I found it insulting and fat- phobic. To have fat described as a problem was ignorant. I am fat and I am a Vegan. I have been fat all of my life and have had to put up with insults, cruelty and humiliation from complete strangers and family members who said that they were only doing it ' for my own good'. I have been beaten up, spat at and generally treated like rubbish because of my size. It has taken a lot of strength to believe that I am a worthwhile person and it is not okay for others to be nasty to me. When I tell people at work that I am a Vegan I get all sorts of ridicule and disbelief and am subject to stupid stereotypes. I have been called a freak and a mutant by my colleagues who should know better than to judge. If someone wrote to your magazine and made a racist or sexist comment their views would not be printed but it seems fine for you to insult fat people - hey we're easy targets, we can't run as fast as ' Celery Man' can we? I did not choose to become a Vegan to lose weight. I also did not become a Vegan to make fun of meat-eaters or vegetarians, because that is a sure-fire way of annoying them and making them close their minds to a lifestyle that could probably save the planet. Please don't perpetuate the myth that being Vegan is a cure-all for life. The biggest problem I have faced with being fat is the same problem I've faced with being Black, Bisexual and Vegan - other people's prejudice and phobias have done me more harm than my 'condition' ever has. You can be fat and healthy. Regards Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 22, 2004 Report Share Posted August 22, 2004 I've read the cartoon. It's insensitive, insulting, and based on the utter lie that veganism is a cureall. I can see why it would upset you, and I hope your letter has some effect. I do wish that society would separate the health effects and aesthetics of being overweight - it's somehow worse to be thought obese than to be thought a smoker, and the health impact of the two is of the same order. Having said all that, you go OTT in a couple of places. 'Fat-phobic' means 'fat-fearing', and I don't see that from in the cartoon. And it's not ignorant to have fat described as a problem when you admit the health impact. It's just not a problem that should impact anyone's self-esteem. Good luck, Ian darkfloweruk wrote: > > Hi all > > I have just written to Vegan Views to complain about a cartoon strip > that appears in their Summer 04 edition on veganviews.org.uk. It > shows how the problem of 'fat people' would disappear if everyone > was Vegan. I have included a copy of the e-mail below. Yes, there > are health problems associated with being fat, but there are plenty > of slim unhealthy people out there too. Online at: http://www.ibiblio.org/pfaf/veganviews/vv101.pdf > To all at Vegan Views > I was very disappointed and saddened by your cartoon strip in the > Summer 04 issue of Vegan Views. I found it insulting and fat- > phobic. To have fat described as a problem was ignorant. <snip> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 22, 2004 Report Share Posted August 22, 2004 I agree with you Darkflower and admire your courage of writing that up. Is Vegan Views a magazine? Leo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 22, 2004 Report Share Posted August 22, 2004 You know, the other day I heard about some research which suggested that being slightly underweight was worse for your health than being slightly overweight. I don't know any more details, I heard it from a colleague at work. Nikki - " Ian McDonald " <ian Sunday, August 22, 2004 9:07 AM Re: Cartoon strip in Vegan Views > I've read the cartoon. It's insensitive, insulting, and based on the > utter > lie that veganism is a cureall. I can see why it would upset you, and I > hope your letter has some effect. > > I do wish that society would separate the health effects and aesthetics > of being overweight - it's somehow worse to be thought obese than to be > thought a smoker, and the health impact of the two is of the same order. > > Having said all that, you go OTT in a couple of places. 'Fat-phobic' > means 'fat-fearing', and I don't see that from in the cartoon. And it's > not ignorant to have fat described as a problem when you admit the > health impact. It's just not a problem that should impact anyone's > self-esteem. > > Good luck, > > Ian > > darkfloweruk wrote: > > > > Hi all > > > > I have just written to Vegan Views to complain about a cartoon strip > > that appears in their Summer 04 edition on veganviews.org.uk. It > > shows how the problem of 'fat people' would disappear if everyone > > was Vegan. I have included a copy of the e-mail below. Yes, there > > are health problems associated with being fat, but there are plenty > > of slim unhealthy people out there too. > > Online at: > > http://www.ibiblio.org/pfaf/veganviews/vv101.pdf > > > To all at Vegan Views > > I was very disappointed and saddened by your cartoon strip in the > > Summer 04 issue of Vegan Views. I found it insulting and fat- > > phobic. To have fat described as a problem was ignorant. > > <snip> > > > > ~~ info ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > Please remember that the above is only the opinion of the author, > there may be another side to the story you have not heard. > --------------------------- > Was this message Off Topic? Did you know? Was it snipped? > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > Guidelines: visit <site temporarily offline> > Un: send a blank message to - > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 22, 2004 Report Share Posted August 22, 2004 Nikki Qureshi wrote: > > You know, the other day I heard about some research which suggested that > being slightly underweight was worse for your health than being slightly > overweight. I don't know any more details, I heard it from a colleague at > work. > > Nikki I vaguely remember that too. Both are bad for you, of course, and being obese is much worse than being slightly overweight. Obviously, you don't have to choose between being overweight and being underweight; you can go for your healthy weight range instead! More info at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/health/yourweight/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 22, 2004 Report Share Posted August 22, 2004 , " Nikki Qureshi " <nicolaqureshi@t...> wrote: > You know, the other day I heard about some research which suggested that > being slightly underweight was worse for your health than being slightly > overweight. I don't know any more details, I heard it from a colleague at > work. That would mean believing the tables the doctors put up for " ideal " weights. It's not like doctors are infalible. Leo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 24, 2004 Report Share Posted August 24, 2004 http://www.veganviews.org.uk/ The Valley Vegan.......Leonor Gomes <mais1mae wrote: I agree with you Darkflower and admire your courage of writing that up. :)Is Vegan Views a magazine?Leo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.