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On a Positive Note - Online Newsletter! |
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Dear Carol,
Welcome to Largely Positive's online
newsletter, "On a Positive Note." The
newsletter that promotes health and
self-esteem for people of all shapes and
sizes. The newsletter will regularly
feature:
- The latest research on size and
weight.
- Opinion column by Carol Johnson,
author of the book Self-Esteem Comes In
All Sizes.
- Style tips from plus-size fashion
consultant Susan Weber,
www.grandstyle.com.
- Size esteem advice from Corinne
(Cory) Kalat, a licensed counselor in
private practice in the western suburbs
of Chicago.
- Plus-size fitness tips. "Non-diet"
nutrition advice.
- Latest news from the weight
discrimination battle front.
- Answers to your questions on weight
management, self- esteem, body image,
and relationships.
- And how you can "live large" in a
society that "thinks small!"
Thanks again for signing up for the free
"On a Positive Note" newsletter. If you have
any questions or comments, feel free to
contact us. Now "on with the show!"
Positively Yours,
Carol Johnson, President
Largely Positive Inc.
carol@largelypositive.com
Privacy is important to
us; therefore, we will not sell, rent, or
give away your name or address to anyone. At
any point, you can select the link at the
bottom of every email to unsubscribe, or to
receive less or more information.
The Big Picture
CDC "Downsizes" Its Estimate of Deaths
from Obesity
By Carol Johnson
On April 20th
the New York Times reported:
- People who are overweight but not
obese have a lower risk of death than
those of normal weight, federal
researchers are reporting today.
- The researchers - statisticians and
epidemiologists from the National Cancer
Institute and the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention - also found that
increased risk of death from obesity was
seen for the most part in the extremely
obese, a group constituting only 8
percent of Americans.
- And being very thin, even though the
thinness was longstanding and unlikely
to stem from disease, caused a slight
increase in the risk of death, the
researchers said.
Researchers had a full gamut of
responses to the unexpected findings. Some
saw the report as a long- needed reality
check on what they consider the nation's
near-hysteria over fat. Others simply did
not believe the findings, although it was
conceded that the study's methods and data
were exemplary and that the authors were
experienced and highly regarded scientists.
The new study comes just 13 months after
different researchers from the disease
control centers published a paper warning
that obesity and overweight were causing an
extra 400,000 deaths a year and were poised
to overtake smoking as the nation's leading
preventable cause of premature death.
Now that the researchers have done their
analysis, one of the study's authors - Dr.
David Williamson, of the Centers for Disease
Control - said that the message, as he sees
it, is that perhaps people should take other
factors into consideration when deciding
whether to worry about the health risks of
their weight. Dr. Williamson, who is
overweight, said that "if I had a family
history - a father who had a heart attack at
52 or a brother who developed diabetes - I
would actively lose weight." But "if my
father died at 94 and my mother at 97 and I
had no family history of chronic disease,"
he said, "maybe I wouldn't be as concerned."
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Bias Fuels Disbelief |
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Many
obesity professionals refused to
believe the "downsized" obesity
numbers. Why? It may be that there
is something about obesity that is
so negative and so deeply ingrained
into the psyche of our society that
it transcends reason and research.
Even professionals whose
careers emphasize research or the
clinical management of obesity show
very strong weight bias, indicating
pervasive and powerful stigma. That
this is true was documented in the
September 2003 issue of Obesity
Research, the journal of the North
American Association for the Study
of Obesity (NAASO).
The Implicit Associations Test
(IAT) was administered to clinicians
and researchers attending the
opening session of an international
obesity conference (N = 389). The
IAT was used to assess overall
implicit weight bias (associating
"obese people" and "thin people"
with "good" vs. "bad") and three
ranges of stereotypes:
lazy-motivated, smart-stupid, and
valuable-worthless. The results
indicated that health professionals
exhibited a significant pro-thin,
anti-fat implicit bias. In addition,
the subjects significantly endorsed
the implicit stereotypes of lazy,
stupid, and worthless.
I recently had a message from a
woman who had visited our website
and felt that it was actually doing
a disservice to people. Even though
I passed along some research
articles to her about the
physiological underpinnings of
obesity and the fallacies
surrounding the equation 3,500
calories = one pound, she wrote back
and quipped, "You don't need
research. It's just simple math." So
apparently when it comes to issues
of size and weight, research pales
in the face of the powerful
triumvirate of bias, stigma, and
discrimination.
Weight Bias among Health
Professionals Specializing in
Obesity »
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Grand Style |
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By Susan Weber
Contrary
to popular belief by the under 16
set, tee shirts don't have to be
tight, short and see through to be
staples in your warm weather
wardrobe. In fact, a good tee shirt
wardrobe can be a low cost way to
add a lot of style and functionality
to your casual and career wardrobes!
Here's how:
Buy good quality tee shirts.
Hopefully you already steer clear of
the 3 for $5 bins with the wild
screen prints, teddy bears and
floral delights! You should always
look for well-made tee shirts in
good quality fabrics. Rule of thumb:
If you wouldn't buy it as a gift,
don't buy it for yourself just
because it is on sale. If you are
looking for big values on great
quality, check out
QVC.com
for 2- shirt sets in their Denim &
Company and Sports Savvy lines.
Use tee shirts for color punch. You
may not want to invest $35 on a
raspberry-colored blouse. But, it
might make more sense to spend $20
on a fashion- forward raspberry
v-neck tee to wear with last year's
beige pant suit. Chadwicks and
LaneBryant.com have a huge selection
of tee colors (www.lanebry
antcatalog.com)
Start the Summer with at least
two new white tee shirts. Toss out
last year's dingy white tee shirt(s)
(Yes, even the one with the mustard
stain on the back hem!) Why do you
need two? Reason: One to wear and
one to wash. Remember: It's the #1
law of Summer that anything that
stains will immediately fall on your
white tee shirt or pants. Spot tips:
The new Spray & Wash spot pretreater
(two liquids in one bottle) REALLY
works. For spot lifting while you
are still at the picnic, I still
swear by Shout pads.
Look for the new longer tees. They
are wonderfully sleek as they glide
down over your hips and look very
tailored over pants or skirts. Look
for them at Silhouettes.com and Lane
Bryant Catalog.
Try new fabrics. Tee shirts
don't have to be cotton or cotton
poly. Check out the deeply-colored
silk noile tee shirts at
Silhouettes.com with your suits or
casuals. For really warm climates,
try the new perspiration-wicking
fabrics (e.g., Tactel and Coolmax)
at Junonia.com (GrandStyle Tip: You
don't have to be an athlete to wear
athletic wear!)
Short sleeve tees look great on
well-shaped arms. But, the rest of
us should look for ¾ length sleeves
that cover our jiggly stuff and
highlight the thinner part of our
arms.
Avoid men's tees. Their low prices
and availability in larger sizes
make men's tees look like a great
fashion find. Problem: Since they
are cut like a box with the chest
and waist the same width, you end up
with a lot of fabric around your
waist in order to get enough fabric
around your chest. Instead, look to
Lane Bryant Catalog, Roamans.com,
Junonia.com, Ulla Popken (www.ullapopken.com
) and Making It Big (www.makingit
bigonline.com) for tees in sizes
to 6X.
Sleeveless tees are great under long
sleeve jackets and sweaters. They
are a great wardrobe basic without
the extra fabric layers on your
arms. V-necks and the new square
necks are great to open up your neck
area. Avoid tank tops except for
very casual wardrobes. |
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Self-Esteem Mini Series |
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By Corrine Kalat
[We are
re-starting our Self- Esteem
Mini-Series. Parts One and Two
appear in this issue. Part Three
will appear in the next issue]
AN INTRODUCTION TO SELF-ESTEEM
What
is self- esteem? There are many
different definitions of
self-esteem, but what they have in
common is the concept of ESTEEMING
yourself. This means loving
yourself, respecting yourself,
putting yourself first, and meeting
your own needs. Self- esteem means
placing yourself in very high
regard. This means that you love
yourself and that you act lovingly
toward yourself as much as possible.
Here is an interesting way to think
about self- esteem. Imagine that you
love someone very much, you are
always pleased to see and talk with
that person, that spending time with
this person is very meaningful, and
that you think lovingly of the
person. This person is the most
important person in the world to
you, and you will do anything and
everything so that they know that
they are important to you. Now, put
yourself in the role of the beloved
person and act exactly the same way
towards yourself. This esteeming
yourself and this is what we call
self-esteem!
People often talk about levels
of self-esteem - high, low or
somewhere in the middle. People with
high self-esteem feel good about
themselves most of the time. On the
other hand, people with low
self-esteem find it difficult to
feel good about themselves most of
the time. They may doubt themselves,
their abilities and their decisions.
Most people are somewhere in the
middle. They sometimes feel good
about themselves, and sometimes feel
unsure of themselves. What we know
about self-esteem - high, low or
medium - is that it affects
everything we do.
WHERE DO WE GET SELF-ESTEEM?
As children, we get messages from
parents or caregivers about who we
are. We believe these messages
because we haven't formed our own
opinions yet. If we received
positive messages about ourselves,
we tend to have higher self-esteem.
If we received negative messages
about ourselves, we tend to have
lower self-esteem. Self-esteem
starts with what others think about
us, how they treat us and as we
accept or reject these messages, our
own self-esteem is formed.
HOW HIGH SELF-ESTEEM HELPS US
People with high self-esteem believe
in themselves. They tend to think of
mistakes or problems as a challenge,
as a chance to grow, change and
learn. People with high self-esteem
usually have the following:
- A positive attitude
- Good judgment
- Good problem-solving skills
- Healthy, close relationships
- High energy
- Confidence in new situations
- Courage to try new things.
HOW LOW SELF-ESTEEM HURTS US
People with low self-esteem don't
believe in themselves. Mistakes,
problems and challenges can leave
them feeling like failures. These
feelings can lead to serious
problems, such as:
- A negative attitude
- Poor judgment
- Poor problem-solving skills
- Unhappy and unhealthy
relationships
- Low energy
- Feeling ineffective and
incompetent
- Feeling nervous or insecure
in new situations
- Depression and anxiety
- Drug and alcohol abuse and
dependency
- Suicide.
A SELF-ESTEEM QUIZ
Here's a self-esteem quiz for you.
Please answer YES or NO to the
following questions to asses your
own level of self-esteem.
- Are you easily hurt by
criticism?
- Are you very shy or overly
aggressive?
- Do you try to hide your
feelings from others?
- Do you fear close
relationships?
- Do you try to blame your
mistakes on others?
- Do you find excuses for
refusing to change?
- Do you avoid new
experiences?
- Do you continually wish you
could change your physical
appearance?
- Are you too modest about
personal success?
- Are you glad when others
fail?
If you answered YES to most of these
questions, you may want to look at
ways to improve and build your
self-esteem.
Here is another set of questions
about self-esteem. Please answer YES
or NO to the following questions to
asses your own level of self-esteem.
- Do you accept constructive
criticism?
- Are you at ease when meeting
new people?
- Are you honest and open
about your feelings?
- Do you value your closest
relationships?
- Can you laugh at and learn
from your mistakes?
- Do you notice and accept
changes in yourself as they
occur?
- Do you look for and tackle
new challenges?
- Are you confident about your
physical appearance?
- Do you give yourself credit
when credit is due?
- Are you happy for others
when they succeed?
If you answered YES to most of these
questions, you probably have a
healthy opinion of yourself and a
healthy level of self-esteem.
Remember, if you are dissatisfied
with your level of self-esteem, you
can take positive steps to improve
it!
[Coming in the
next issue: Can self-esteem be
changed? How do I raise my self-
esteem? Getting help]
Corinne (Cory)
Kalat, LCPC, CADC, TAS
is a big beautiful woman, counselor
and therapist. She is licensed,
certified in addictions and tobacco
addiction, and her services are
covered by client's health
insurance. Her office is located in
Hinsdale, Illinois, near the Oak
Brook Shopping Center. Her office
and conference room are designed
with comfortable furniture to
accommodate clients and guests of
all shapes and sizes. Her clinical
specialties include self- esteem,
body image, women's issues, nicotine
addiction, grief and loss, and
helping clients to make positive
life changes. In addition, she
offers workshops, seminars and
retreats on various topics and
issues. Her contact information is:
Suite 100, 907 North Elm Street,
Hinsdale, Illinois, 60521,
630/263-8888, email:
crkalat@aol.com
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An "Amusing" Tale |
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[This is an email I
received recently from one of our
readers. It illustrates perfectly
the need for us to push our fears
aside and take risks. It makes life
so much more fun, as you will see in
the following story]
Hi, Carol:
I thought of you last week when I
was on vacation with my family.
Something I have been afraid of as
an overweight person is rides at
amusement parks. Will I fit, can I
be properly secured so I don't get
hurt, you know all those questions
that run through our minds. Well,
now that I am trying to live in the
"here and now" and enjoy life I
decided what the heck, I'm going to
try one of those roller coaster
rides at Disney.
We ended up trying Splash Mountain
which was a lot of fun then it was
on to Thunder Mountain, Space
Mountain and the ride that my
daughter described as "needing a
diaper change after riding it"
called the Rock and Roller Coaster.
It was so much fun - I WAS SO MUCH
FUN! I can't tell you when the last
time was that I have been so
carefree, daring and had so much
giddy fun, but it was awesome. So,
once again, I realize I am grateful
that you wrote that book. Which
reminds me - another new passion -
spin classes at the YMCA. YES, I can
keep up, in this body - MY body!
Yippee!!
Self-esteem Comes in All Sizes...
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Responding to the Rude Among Us |
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[Here is another email I received]
In one of your upcoming newsletters
would you consider talking about how
to handle jerks you run into who
think they have a right to comment
on our weight? This always takes me
by surprise when it happens and
unfortunately it doesn't always turn
out as well as I would hope. I
always feel bad about myself because
I strike back and usually end up
dragging myself lower than the
person who started it; then I feel
disappointed in myself for not being
more savvy about the whole deal.
Carol's Response: Why do people
make cruel remarks to other people?
I once heard someone say: "By
looking down at someone else, it
made me feel more important." Keep
that in mind. People who make unkind
remarks are very insecure and make
themselves feel more secure by
putting others down. If you weren't
so busy being angry at them, you
could feel sorry for them (but go
ahead and be angry too -- it's
healthy!).
There are any number of ways to
respond, and it depends on the
situation. NAAFA (National
Association to Advance Fat
Acceptance) president Sally Smith
tells of the time she overheard a
table of men joking about her size
as she moved through a buffet line.
Her strategy? When she had exited
the line, she went over and sat with
the men! Familiarity often defuses
ridicule.
It's true that the nastiest
comments are often made by
strangers. What do you do? Do you
respond? Ignore it? And if you do
respond, do you do it coolly,
angrily, wittily? Sometimes there's
no chance to respond, as in the case
of a drive-by insult. You have to
let these go. Say to yourself:
·These are obviously very ignorant
people.
·These are strangers. I will never
see them again.
Why should I care what they say?
·I know who I am. They don't.
·I have many friends and relatives
who care about me.
These are the people that count in
my life. Rude strangers aren't worth
a second thought.
Personally, I don't think it's
helpful to become hostile or use
profanity in responding to ignorant
remarks. It reduces you to the level
of those doing the name-calling and
makes it more difficult for you to
take control of the situation.
Sometimes put-downs come not in the
form of words but in the form of
stares and whispers. One of our
members walks right up to people who
are staring and says, "Pardon me,
but do I know you? I noticed you
were looking at me. Please refresh
my memory as to where we met." She
enjoys watching them squirm to come
up with an answer. Columnist Abigail
Van Buren has a standard reply for
people who ask intrusive personal
questions: "I'll forgive you for
asking, if you'll forgive me for not
answering."
The bottom line is that it's not
really about who you are - it's
about who they are. |
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Research Round-Up |
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Yo-Yo Diets Threaten Immunity:
If you want to preserve your immune
function, don't diet unless you're
sure you can keep the weight off.
"Losing 10 pounds or more only to
regain it all may lower your
resistance to germs," says Cornelia
M. Ulrich, PhD, a researcher at the
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research
Center in Seattle. Ulrich's research
suggests that the more often your
weight goes up and down, the less
active potent infection fighters
called natural killer (NK) cellos
become. NK cells identify and
destroy harmful germs be halting the
replicaiton of cells in the body the
germs have infected
(Environmental
Nutrition, April 2005) .
Weight Stabilization Is the
Name of the Game: "As a nation,
we really need to get focused on
weight stabilization as a goal,"
says Dr. Donald Lloyd- Jones, lead
researcher on a 15-year study of
2,500 people. The findings revealed
that it didn't matter whether the
adults were thin, average or
overweight at the start or end of
the study. What made the biggest
difference was how much weight
they'd gained over a 15-year period.
Of those who gained weight, nearly
20% developed metabolic syndrome, a
group of risk factors that indicate
an increased risk for stroke, heart
disease and diabetes. Of those who
maintained a stable weight, less
than 4% developed metabolic syndrome
(Fitness
Companion, Jan/Feb 2005)
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Weekend Workouts Better Than
None at All: If you think you
can't find time to exercise, here's
one less excuse: Even just
exercising on the weekend is better
than no exercise at all. A study in
the American Journal of
Epidemiology, the first to focus on
weekend-only athletes, found lower
mortality rates than in people who
are entirely sedentary
(Tufts University
Health & Nutrition Letter, January
2005).
Pills Reduce Only the Size
of Your Wallet: Now that ephedra
has finally been banned, you can
expect to see lots of alternative
weight-loss products on the
market-all untested and unproven,
such as Leptoprin and Cortislim.
Don't be too hasty to fork over the
cash for them. The Federal Trade
Commission has charged a Utah group
with making false and
unsubstantiated claims for
Leptoprin. Leptoprin has been
heavily advertised through
short-form Infomercials. The
complaint challenges as false claims
that clinical testing proves that
Leptoprin causes weight loss of more
than 20 pounds, including as much as
50, 60, or 147 pounds, in
significantly overweight users; and
that clinical testing proves that
Leptoprin causes loss of
substantial, excess fat in
significantly overweight users.The
Federal Trade Commission has also
charged marketers of CortiSlim wiith
claiming, falsely and without
substantiation, that the product can
cause weight loss and reduce the
risk of, or prevent, serious health
conditions. The main sales pitch for
CortiSlim is that it will control
cortisol levels in the body. It's
claimed that high levels of stress
cause obesity, and that this
hormone, which your body releases in
response to stress, makes you store
excess fat. Scientists have indeed
been looking into the role of
cortisol in obesity, but at this
point it is still theoretical. In
any case, there's no evidence that
CortiSlim will reduce cortisol, or
that lowering cortisol causes weight
loss. |
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Twelfth Annual Abundia Retreat
Scheduled |
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The Twelfth Annual Abundia Retreat
for larger women will be held June
3, 4 and 5, 2005 (with an option to
come on June 2nd) at Lasalle Manor
in Plano, Illinois. The cost of $350
includes lodging, meals and all
workshops. The weekend will feature:
- Personal growth workshops on
topics such as body
- image, self-acceptance,
creativity, and stress
management.
- Movement class.
- Massage (extra fee).
- Entertainment by local
celebrities.
Abundia retreat attendees will be
the only guests on site and all
activities are available to the
group, including swimming pool,
volleyball, canoes, tennis and
peaceful trails. All activities and
workshops are optional. Nothing is
mandatory. For more information, or
to register, contact Barbara
Spaulding at 847-705-9256 or
barbspaulding @hotmail.com
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Quick Links... |
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Don't forget to forward "On a Positive Note"
Newsletter on to your friends, family, and
associates.
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email:
newsletter@largelypositive.com web:
http://www.largelypositive.com
© 2005 Largely Positive Inc, All rights
reserved. Largely Positive® and "The
Positive Approach
To Weight Management"® are registered
trademark of Largely Positive Inc, All
rights reserved.
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