The most prestigious law school admissions discussion board in the world.
|
 |
 
|
Email stirs 'fat shaming' controversy at Bryn Mawr College
Poast new message in this thread
Date: January 30th, 2015 9:43 PM Author: Titillating mediation Sam Wood, PHILLY.COM Last updated: Friday, January 30, 2015, 6:39 PM Posted: Friday, January 30, 2015, 6:25 PM
Sometimes you just can't win for losing.
Bryn Mawr students are planning a demonstration next week to protest what some described as an insensitive email sent to women with "elevated BMIs," that is, a little overweight.
The email was an invitation to participate in a free individualized fitness program.
The list of 100 recipients had been generated from records compiled by the college's health care center.
"There were truly good intentions behind this," said Bryn Mawr spokesman Matt Gray. "It's a program that includes individual counseling, nutritional advice and group support."
The program, initially launched in October, has had 12 students go through it. Besides one critical blog post in October, no one complained, Gray said.
This time the invitations hit a nerve.
Rudrani Sarma, a pre-law junior from Colorado who is not obese, received one of those invitations and was mortified.
"It felt awful to be targeted like that," she said.
In an angry post on her Facebook page, she called the invite "problematic," "hurtful" and "just plain stupid."
"You're telling students that it's more important to lose weight than to be healthy. You're telling students that you discriminate based on weight by compiling a list of "fat" students."
Sarma ended it with "How dare you, Bryn Mawr?"
Sarma's post went viral. It collected dozens of comments. She filed a complaint with the Dean's office. On Monday, she received an apology from the health center which told Sarma her name had been included on the list because a nurse had entered her height incorrectly.
The apology came too late to quell interest in Sarma's story.
The Phoenix, the student newspaper at nearby Swarthmore College, noticed Sarma's Facebook post and published a 1,200 word story Thursday about the perceived affront. Buzzfeed.com, the enormously popular website specializing in viral news, picked up the story Thursday.
Reached by phone, Sarma said she was surprised by the controversy she had stirred.
"A lot of people were angry, and when that happens, it's kind of like wildfire," she said. "Body policing and fat shaming are both involved here and it's important to have a discussion about how we want to talk about our bodies."
George Loewenstein, a professor of economics and psychology at Carnegie Mellon University who has studied behavioral economics and obesity, said the targeted email was "probably a mistake."
"It's selecting one arbitrary group and saying 'We've identified you as being in need of change.'"
On other hand, he said the program itself appeared to be well designed, given that it includes dietary and exercise components.
"It could be that some people will take it up, and it could benefit them," Loewenstein said.
There is scant research showing that schools, companies and other institutions are able to change behavior with weight-loss programs and incentives, as such a finding would required a randomized study that no employer or school is likely to conduct, he said. Still, they could be helpful for some people, he said.
Gray, the college spokesman, said the health center is rethinking how it will invite students to participate in the future.
"One of the things we'll look at is wording," he said. "We'll figure out something so this doesn't happen again."
Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/health/20150131_Email_stirs__fat_shameing__controversy_at_Bryn_Mawr_College.html |
Date: January 30th, 2015 9:44 PM Author: Stirring geriatric kitchen shitlib sigh. it's always stupid entitled women complaining (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2795870&forum_id=2#27219072) |
 |
Date: January 30th, 2015 9:47 PM Author: sienna theatre enslave them all (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2795870&forum_id=2#27219082) |
|
Date: January 30th, 2015 10:00 PM Author: Titillating mediation (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2795870&forum_id=2#27219164) |
|
Date: January 30th, 2015 10:08 PM Author: Razzle legal warrant "You're telling students that it's more important to lose weight than to be healthy. You're telling students that you discriminate based on weight by compiling a list of "fat" students." (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2795870&forum_id=2#27219230) |
|
Date: January 30th, 2015 10:10 PM Author: Titillating mediation ..."said Rudrani Sarma, a pre-law junior"
LJL. god help us |
|
Date: January 31st, 2015 6:25 PM Author: mint self-centered national "it's more important to lose weight than to be healthy"
So much for libs supporting science. |
|
Date: January 31st, 2015 5:37 PM Author: Titillating mediation (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2795870&forum_id=2#27223115) |
|
Date: January 31st, 2015 5:41 PM Author: Trip flushed lettuce It's pretty creepy to get a targeted email about your weight from some school health office. Gotta side with them on that point. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2795870&forum_id=2#27223132) |
|
Date: January 31st, 2015 5:42 PM Author: irate brethren cr. odd case. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2795870&forum_id=2#27223135) |
|
Date: January 31st, 2015 5:48 PM Author: galvanic tripping roast beef fortuitous meteor this is PROBLEMATIC and not okay, said the turdskin pre-law major (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2795870&forum_id=2#27223156) |
|
Date: January 31st, 2015 5:49 PM Author: turquoise internet-worthy associate base subtle BMI trolling (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2795870&forum_id=2#27223158) |
|
Date: January 31st, 2015 6:19 PM Author: sticky sound barrier Of course, it's a bunch of entitled women who can't "Shake It Off" as the kids say these days.
And because it's a bunch of entitled "elite" school women, it gets national news attention.
This happens at Oklahoma State no one cares, there is no retraction from the school, maybe a few fat girls get some weight-loss help. But since it's an urban elitist center, the coastal-capitalist-crusaders of feminism get another day of clicks and outrage.
2015 feminism: urban elite privilege for girls. |
|
Date: January 31st, 2015 6:29 PM Author: Deranged step-uncle's house (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2795870&forum_id=2#27223338) |
|
Date: January 31st, 2015 6:28 PM Author: translucent ladyboy toaster Sarma ended it with "How dare you, Bryn Mawr?" (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2795870&forum_id=2#27223330) |
|
Date: January 31st, 2015 7:16 PM Author: charismatic skinny woman tyft. (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2795870&forum_id=2#27223588) |
|
Date: January 31st, 2015 7:24 PM Author: Submissive Stead ... and it's important to have a discussion about ... (http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=2795870&forum_id=2#27223634) |