HAES: Chloe Marshall and the Moral Panic over Fat at Her Active Life

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HAES: Chloe Marshall and the Moral Panic over Fat

Posted April 6, 2008 at 05:00 PM by Jessica Hale

Section: Her Health, Body Image, Her News

chloe Chloe Marshall is a British 16-year-old who has recently been making headlines around the world. Not because she was crowned Miss Surrey in a beauty pageant and will be competing nationwide, although she did and she is; but because she is the first size-16 woman to do so. Many have applauded the pageant’s decision to place the crown on an average-size body, praising Ms. Marshall for her confidence, charisma, and, of course, beauty. Unfortunately, reactions have not been positive across the board. The Daily Mail has published an editorial by dietitian Monica Grenfell accusing Ms. Marshall of being “lazy,” of lying about her healthy diet and exercise regimen, and of glorifying obesity. A letter to the editor of the British newspaper The Sun in response to their coverage of Ms. Marshall’s win argued that she “shouldn’t be happy” with her weight, which is “as unhealthy as a size 0.”

I will not waste time by pointing out that Ms. Marshall’s weight places her barely a blip above what the BMI terms “normal” for someone of her height. Nor will I point out that anyone with eyes can see that she is an incredibly beautiful woman. I will point out, however, that this kind of outrageous vitriol directed at a healthy teenage girl is the consequence of the constant media circus surrounding the “obesity epidemic,” and the resultant moral panic over fat.

In the past few weeks that I have been writing columns about Health at Every Size, I have received nothing but positive feedback. The emphasis our society places on perfect appearance means that there is no woman alive who would not benefit from what HAES offers---self-love and respect for one’s body, despite any perceived imperfections. I do fear, however, that HAES is often misunderstood. When I say every size, I mean every size, whether that size is small, in the middle, on the bigger side, or even – gasp! – morbidly obese.

Is obesity categorically unhealthy? I’m not qualified to answer that question, and I won’t try. What I do know, however, is that encouraging the stereotype of the unhealthy, lazy, sloppy, fat individual does a great disservice to the women and men who live their lives under the constant bombardment of messages from friends, family, health professionals, and the media that they are worthless as human beings unless they lose weight. That someone like Monica Grenfell or the letter writer to the Sun believes that they can diagnose the status of Chloe Marshall’s health simply by looking at her is appalling and prejudiced. It is no different from seeing a black man and assuming that he is a criminal, or looking at a woman in a short skirt and assuming that she is sexually promiscuous. The bodies of fat people, and especially fat women, have become public property, and I lay the blame squarely on the constant equation of health with weight loss.

People who are encouraged to love their bodies, no matter how big or small they are, are more likely to treat them with love, care, and respect than people who are socialized to believe that the only way to be healthy is to be thin – which the majority of North Americans are not. If the obesity epidemic exists – and I will save my doubts on that topic for another time – it is not going to be solved by telling women like Chloe Marshall in so many words that she does not deserve to be happy with her body. If we start to encourage a culture that sees healthier eating and regular physical activity, not weight loss, as praiseworthy, I believe that we will see a vast improvement in overall health whether or not we see a decrease in average weight. Everyone deserves to be happy with their bodies. Everyone deserves to live their lives without being constantly judged and found lacking. And everyone, wherever they land on the BMI scale, would benefit from a society that encourages healthy lifestyles independent of weight loss.

Chloe, you rock. I can’t wait to see you win Miss England.