Nutrition Doesn't Explain Right-Wing Attacks On Michelle Obama

[NNN0LHI]

http://mediamatters.org/blog/201201050006?frontpage

January 05, 2012 11:05 am ET by Eric Boehlert

The dawning of an election year is certain to bring more attacks on Michelle Obama from the far-right press, which for years has unleashed an unprecedented barrage of name-calling assaults on the First Lady; assaults that in the past would have been deemed unthinkable by even partisan opponents who routinely avoided targeting First Ladies and their mostly ceremonial duties.

But conservatives like Michelle Malkin have trampled that tradition of common sense and now routinely, and gleefully, uncork all sorts of sordid smear campaigns against Michelle Obama.

But to hear them tell it, it's all the First Lady's fault. Conservatives become unglued because Obama's so busy pressing their buttons with her nutrition activism, which apparently drives them bonkers and causes staffers at Fox News to fabricate fairy tales.

According to the haters, what kind of conservative wouldn't be offended by the Nanny State rhetoric emanating from the White House, with all that big government hand-wringing about people eating too much food, when everyone knows the answer to obesity is to just eating less food, and that exerting a little personal responsibility can cure this problem overnight.

[Dorian Gray]

1. Interesting

It's true that many people are up in arms about her advocacy for nutritional eating, and it's perplexing why that would rile people up. But I suspect, as the article seems to suggest, that there is more to the attacks. It can't be because people are pissed that she's pushing healthy nutrition. Rightwing blogs love to point out her "hypocrisy" when caught eating burgers and fries or an expensive, calorie laden meal, but I had been working with a nutritionist for years and still had those splurge meals once in awhile. The disconnect from reality and the expectations for her "purity" in her nutritional advocacy seems like a willful hatred for her rather than what she is advocating.

[justiceischeap]

2. Being a vegetarian, I run into this a lot from every one... including folks on DU

People are really touchy about this subject for some reason and it makes no sense whatsoever. What harm is anyone doing to anyone when they point out a healthier way of eating? If you don't personally like the idea, then ignore it and continue to feed a dozen donuts to your kid for breakfast and wonder why he's fat.

I remember that Jamie Oliver show where he went to school cafeteria's and tried introducing healthier foods for the kids and the parents went apeshit. I think part of the problem is that parents (and adults) don't want to have a mirror placed in front of them and told that they are responsible for their kids (or their own) obesity. I mean, people complain all the time about the cost of health care (dems and repubs), yet when someone suggests that better food would help solve a lot of these issues, they go nuts or complain it's too expensive, etc. and then their kid develops early-onset diabetes and then wonder why health care costs are so expensive.

As far as Michelle goes, I think it has more to do with "uppity black woman" syndrome (I'd like to say, this is not my personal view but I've heard that said about her). The repubs are all, "How dare that woman tell me what to do!"

[Dorian Gray]

3. I think you are right

I remember that whole Jaime Oliver show and how resistant people were to his efforts to introduce healthier foods into schools. The most interesting aspect of it was the school staff (cafeteria workers as well as some teachers) seemed opposed to it, not just the parental figures.

Nobody likes to be told what to do, and people get defensive... and then sometimes offensive about it.

I think that when it comes to Michelle Obama, some people have that view of her. But I don't think it's simply racism from others. There are democrats and liberals who feel somewhat put off by her efforts, and I don't think it's simply racism. People genuinely don't like to think that they are choosing bad foods, and they don't like to be told to change what they are doing.

I do think she's doing good work, and if she raises awareness a little bit, it's the type of thing that will snowball over the long run. At least I hope that's what will happen. Bad habits are so ingrained into our society, who knows.

[wildeyed]

9. My kids are wiry and fit.

I feed them a really good breakfast everyday because I read that will help them do better in school. And then they get there and it is unhealthy snack-o-rama all day. They get a morning snack and then there is always a birthday or something that is celebrated with sweets in the afternoon. My carpool buddy feeds them crap on the way home from school. And then it is impossible to get them to eat a reasonable dinner. I feel betrayed by the system.

At the last school they went to, there was a big fitness/running activity every year. And it was actually a good program. The kids ran several times a week, tracked their progress and then on the final day, did a run with the parents there and tried to make their best distance ever. And the parents were supposed to bring snacks after. Capri Suns, nasty sweets, chips, you name it. I mean why bother if you are going to feed them that kind of crap? And the other parents were adamant about the unhealthy snacks. The kids "deserved" it. One parent even told me she felt guilty about working full time and so she gave her kid crap to make up for it. Great. When the kid is 50 lbs. overweight with a pre-diabetic condition in middle school, she will thank you for that.

[enough]

10. I can't believe this still goes on. It was like that when my kids were in school in the '80's.

But I would have thought things had changed by this time. As you describe it, it's really hard to fight it without having to be the Food Cop and making everyone resentful.

[justiceischeap]

15. I think things have changed but for the worse

When I was in high school in the 80s, we at least had the option of a salad bar (I didn't eat it because salad bars gross me out) but at least it was an option. We had one vending machine (Ice cream) but we weren't allowed to eat from the vending machine only. We had to finish our lunch.

Today, I hear about soda machines and snack machines and, snacks and crappy lunches being served and I'm glad I don't have to worry about kids eating that crap (not mine anyway). I worry for all the kids being fed preservatives and high-sugar content foods... and parents and some teachers wonder why the kids act up in school -- they're hopped up on sugar. Instead of seeing the problem for what it is, they scuttle the kid off to a doctor and put them on Ritalin.

Argh... sorry. I'm probably the reason people hate having discussions about what they eat.

[TwilightGardener]

16. If kids are active and healthy, having a "nasty sweet" isn't going to hurt them.

One birthday cupcake is OK, having 5 of them in a sitting, or in place of nutritious food, isn't. I don't deny my kids (or myself) treats, we all just need to learn moderation.

[wildeyed]

20. Yes, every now and then is ok.

But this is often enough that it interferes with their dinner appetite.

[JackintheGreen]

12. People are touchy because nobody likes being told:

"Hey, dummy. You're doing it wrong." Which is how a lot of this comes off.

Now, I like the first lady's approach but many people, overweight people especially, here much more aggressive concern trolling every day of their lives. From friends, from family, from the media, from complete strangers on the street. They get tired of it and consequently become hypersensitive.

This is not an issue that will be changed over the course of a 4 or even 8 year term. It's a question not just of education over time (cultural socialization) but of changing the systemic causes of casual weight gain: sedentary work, heavily processed foods and their subsidy and the like. But there must also be an apprehension that not all fat people are fat because they're lazy slobs. The constant shaming from other people too often reinforces the kind of stress eating that exacerbates legitimate medical causes of weight gain.

[justiceischeap]

17. I'm overweight because I'm a lazy slob. :)

I'm also getting older and my metabolism is slowing down and I have a sedentary job and the only exercise I get is walking to and from public transport. That's why I try and eat a healthy (healthier anyway) diet. I'm 90% vegan / 10% vegetarian -- I still eat some cheese on occasion -- I truly believe that if I was a meat eater, I'd weigh more than I do (I'm about 40lbs overweight for my height and age).

I also realize there are folks with glandular problems that lead to weight problems and no matter how much they watch their intake or exercise, they will always have a weight problem.

[JackintheGreen]

19. I'm in the same boat

Age does terrible things to you. Well, at least not being in your 20s anymore does terrible things.

I am convinced that for many people it's a combination of sedentary lifestyle and commonly available food. Here's what I mean:

I am also about 30-40 pounds overweight (it fluctuates) but I am not necessarily in poor health. From 2004-2008 I worked a very physical job 25 hrs/wk that amounted to an aerobic workout. I weighed about the same I do now, but I was more fit and stronger. All my health numbers were good (heartrate, HDL/LDL, etc) except that *techinically* I was obese according to BMI. But it doesn't stop there. Other than my job, I lead a typical American lifestyle.

In 2008 I traveled to India for fieldwork. I lived there for a year, cooked most of my own food using "fresh" ingredients (ie non-processed fruits/veg/grains/dairy/sugar) and walked or bicycled most places and of course lost 40 pounds. I didn't limit my intake. I ate whatever and whenever I wanted, whatever was available typically un-processed.

I came back in 2010 and immediately started putting on weight, but i was 1) sedentary again, 2) writing a dissertation, so therefore 3) stress eating (it's my weakness). Ok, so it looks simple, right? Uncontrolled eating plus sitting at a desk=fatso. But at least for me that wasn't my take-away. Notice until 2008 I was highly active 20-25 hours a week and aerobically fit, ate what I wanted, when I was hungry, but what was easily available? Typical American junk. So:

Active lifestyle + "American-style" food = stock video of headless fatties
Active lifestyle + "Indian-style" food = weight loss and "American" fitness(tm)*
Sedentary lifestyle + "American-style" food = stock video of headless fatties

The first and third result in no obvious visual difference and nearly identical weight, though admittedly I was more fit with the active job than with the dissertation writing. The second resulted in "fitness" as is perceived by health mavins in the US, but the diet was unduplicatable in the US (not on the kind of salary I had). One and two resulted in similar fitness but completely different physical appearances.

My wife, OTOH, has diagnosed PCOS coupled with a thyroid problem diagnosed in HS. She struggles with weight gain constantly, was even part of a university study on weight-loss in which her intake was strictly controlled for a year. Care to guess how much weight she lost? 6 pounds. In a year of strictly controlled, medically supervised dieting. At the same time she was playing roller derby, so she was also getting close to 10 hours of hardcore aerobic exercise a week and was medically "fit." But your stereotypically smug "calories in/calories out" nutrition "expert" would on casual observation stick her in with the headless fatties.

So while physical activity is important, it certainly isn't everything. And while intake is important, it certainly isn't everything. And even combined they don't necessarily make for "fitness&quot tm). And neither is easy in the standard American food environment, which I take to include available/affordable food, available work, and available transportation.

The kind of nutrition expert that the GOP accuses Mrs. Obama of being (and of which she most certainly is not) seems to publicly ignore these kinds of factors and reduces everything to "garbage in/garbage out" so an all-too-common automatic response is raised hackles.

[justiceischeap]

21. Good post!

I'm certain if I cut out my once-a-week medium pizza (sometimes I eat it all but mostly just eat half in one sitting) and my sweet tea and daily Pepsi soda, I'd probably drop pounds from that. I've been considering going on a raw "diet" of sorts for a while and see if that helps. The big issue with me, is that I don't really eat a lot but what I do eat is almost always chalk full of preservatives and I know that's not healthy either.

About ten years ago, I had issue with an overactive thyroid (dropped a ton of weight really fast) was within the BMI guidelines for about 5 years or so and though I ate the same way (my thyroid condition went into remission after I went vegan), I've noticed I am putting on weight. A year and half ago, I lost 17lbs in a matter of 5 days (I had gallstones and couldn't eat anything but broth) but it's back. I wonder if my thyroid has gone underactive at this point. It's either that or my metabolism is at a standstill.

As to your point about eating Indian food, I've noticed that people who live in foreign countries that eat less processed foods are always thinner. It doesn't take a genius to put 2 and 2 together on that one but even our vegetables in the US are modified. It's like someone wants Americans to get fat and stay fat.

[JackintheGreen]

22. Thanks, but I have to comment on the raw thing

well, the soda too. I cut out soda (can't stand sweet tea) mostly and notice a difference. That, too, started in India where I drank liters and liters of water. When that got tiresome I started adding whole limes. After a year of drinking unsweetened lime mixed in water soda's just too sweet for me. Be that as it may...

Ever watch the show "Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern"? I've watched the guy eat abalone penis, thousand year old eggs, "sticky tofu," and all variety of things that turn my stomach to contemplate. But the worst face/most unhappy I've ever seen him make was when he had dinner with a raw foods proponent in LA.

[justiceischeap]

23. I've noticed that these "foodies" that have their own shows

with the exception of Jamie Oliver, are always critical of vegan-based diets. So, I'm not surprised that Zimmer or Bourdain would trash something like that. Or when you watch the chef competition shows--a lot of them are always snobbish when it comes to meatless foods. I'll be the first to admit, there's some really gross vegan/veg/raw stuff out there but there's also some good stuff if you know what to look for. I saw the one with the stinky tofu. I hate tofu, so I can't imagine eating stinky tofu. There's actually a raw food cafe near where I live (it's raw soul food) and man, talk about good eating. I always make a monthly trip there and I'm a picky eater, so the fact that I rave about it says something.

It's not raw, but I make a great alfredo sauce out of raw cashews, water and some spices. It's chock full of good fats and tasty too. I think, like everything, it all depends on how it's prepared. My one roommate makes another great sauce out of butternut squash and sweet potatoes that is just as good cold as warm.

[JackintheGreen]

26. I agree with you to a point about TV foodies

They do seem to hate them some vegetarian/vegan food. On chef competition shows you rarely see vegetarian chefs looking at a pigs head and say "Eww, I could never cook with that," while haute cuisine snobs always turn their nose up at tofu or whatver.

But I never got that impression from Zimmern. He seems to me to be a genuine epicurian and will happily eat anything he finds delicious. He just seemed to honestly dislike the raw foods dinner. Bourdain is another story. That guys a pompous ass.

Mind sharing your alfredo recipe? You can PM me if you prefer.

[justiceischeap]

29. Recipe sent. nt

[Odin2005]

28. IMO our processed crap is not as filling as decent food is.

And I think this is intentional, make us buy more food.

[NNN0LHI]

27. Don't give up

I was heavy my entire life. No diets ever helped me and I tried them all. When I hit about 40 or so my metabolism completely changed. Without trying to cut back or dieting I began gradually losing weight and am about normal for my height now. Was 250 pounds at the top when I looked like Buddha. Now about 175. Kind stuck right around there now for a few years. Eat everything in sight. And a lot of it too. Lost the weight while having regular doctor checkups to make sure nothing was wrong too. I will be 57 in March and never felt better. Even all the stretch marks have disappeared.

I asked my neighbors if they remember me when I was heavy when I moved in and they can't even remember me ever being heavy.

Don

[justiceischeap]

30. I have just the opposite issue with my metabolism

When I was a kid up until about 30, I was a stick, could eat anything in sight and never gain weight. Many people thought I had an eating disorder (which I would never have because I love food too much to ignore it or throw it up) because I was so skinny. I think the most I ever weighed was 105 -- entirely underweight for my height. Now, I guess I'm about 170 and should be around 140.

I wish my metabolism would pick up again. Sometimes, and I know this will sound horrible, but I wish my thyroid would go overactive again so I could lose some weight.

[Blue_Tires]

24. agreed

excellent points

[i was a cathar]

31. I agree with you about the nutrition reaction.

I think people like feeling that they have no control over their health because then they don't have to do anything about it. This is why I feel that we have such poor overall health, despite still being one of the wealthier nations. People want the quick fix of popping a pill rather than making lifelong changes and taking responsibility for themselves.

The slam on Michelle is racism, for sure. But I think it's because it's probably more likely that those who are offended by her advice need to lose more than a few pounds and here is this very toned Black woman who is "lecturing" to them...

[GoCubsGo]

13. Well, it's also not hard to understand when one considers this...

The rightwingers are all about "purity". Just look at the primaries. They're all falling over each to prove that they are the "most pure" conservatives. These people are all about falling in line and staying there, regardless of the issue. They find it hard to comprehend gray areas, such as the occasional burger and fries as part of a healthy diet. It's "all or nothing" with these people.

And, yes, I agree that much of this is because they hate her.

[rfranklin]

4. They feel it viscerally as an attack on their compulsive behavior...

whether its Limbaugh with his overeating and obesity or Coulter with her anorexia, these are deep-seated psychological problems that have come to center on food. So when Mrs. Obama starts to tell them that they should eat differently she is attacking them at the core of their psyche. And then there is the corporate component, billions of dollars of profit made by serving up processed foods loaded with sugar, salt and fat, scientifically researched and designed to make it easy to overindulge.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

7. "the chew factor"

the mass producers purposely make food more processed and reduce the amount of chewing needed to get it down, they know it makes people eat more..

[rfranklin]

11. Like those hose-sized straws at McDonald's...

Every five ounces more of soda means big profits!

[LeftinOH]

5. Michelle's cause isn't a trifling phrase, like Nancy's "Just Say No".

The RW likes short memorable (and empty) phrases -as opposed to meaningful, thoughtful efforts.

[wildeyed]

6. People should be allowed to be as greedy as they want.

Even when they are destroying themselves and running up huge healthcare bills. And particularly if the addictions put money in big campaign donors pockets. Anybody or anything that interferes with that will be annihilated.

But seriously, I don't understand why people would get their panties in such a huge twist over someone telling them they should eat more fruit and veg. This is not exactly radical or earth shattering news.

[Romulox]

8. It's hard to move past this: "assaults that in the past would have been deemed unthinkable"

Most of here lived through the Clinton presidency.

[justiceischeap]

18. "assaults that in the past would have been deemed unthinkable (unless they're Democrats)"

Is how that should read.

[Dreamer Tatum]

25. Let's get serious: since Nancy Reagan, ALL first ladies have gotten savaged.

For almost no reason. It's not fair, it's nasty, it's partisan, and unfortunately it's part of the process. Spare me the 'yeah buts' about Republican first ladies, too. Save hyperbole for those who deserve it.

[UTUSN]

14. R#6 & K n/t

[Taverner]

32. They hate Michelle Obama because (1) She's black and (2) She's female

Add to it that she's smart, educated, beautiful and a good mother, and their heads simultaneously explode

[DCKit]

33. You're so full of shit.

Nobody's head can explode FIVE times.

Mrs. Obama is our five-front war on willful ignorance, racism, gals with guns (great arms, now weapons), non-white privilege, fake family values and X-tianity. And thats SEVEN, if you've been counting.

I love the hell out of Elanor Roosevelt, but she never had this kind of opposition. They just couldn't tweet, email or facebook this kind of crap everywhere she went.

[Ecumenist]

34. Racism does. nt