semantics

The words in this headline and article really get me rankled.  Why could they not say, for instance, "body shape and weight," or "overall body type?"  And there is this unspoken thing going on that since obesity may have a direct genetic link, perhaps some day prospective parents can make sure they have children without those genes.  That is creepier to me than choosing a baby based on sex or hair color. 

Think I’ll go read some fat women’s blogs.  Happy weekend!

3 thoughts on “semantics

  1. StyleyGeek

    The article rankled me too, and I hated the headline.

    Considering the health problems caused by severe obesity, though, I have to say I don’t think it’s such a bad thing if this is a gene that can be selected against in the future. If I could do that for my children, and thus lower their risks of heart disease, diabetes and increase their average life span, I would. That’s not to say that obese people are “bad” or that I would love my children less if they were obese. Being a mother yourself, I’m sure you can understand the desire to do whatever possible to keep your children healthy with long lives.

    That said, I would like to have it both ways and also select against the gene that keeps some people ridiculously thin no matter what they eat! Because people like that often don’t bother with exercise at all (since they don’t think they need to), and the lack of exercise means they end up unhealthy too.

    A happy medium, where you have genes that mean you have to eat reasonably healthily and get a bit of exercise to stay in shape, would in my opinion be something to aim for!

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