The Same Story

Many of the middle-aged and older women I see at the hospital have been working hard their entire lives. They have taken care of husbands, children, nieces, nephews and now grandchildren, all while juggling multiple jobs and taking care of the housework and the bills. Their own needs are always on the back burner, their own health is the one that suffers.  They were diagnosed in a later stage because they didn't have health insurance, because there was no time or money to find out why they had been feeling sick for weeks. 

Now these women are coming in to get treated for cancer. They miss appointments because they had to pick up the kids from school or they didn't have a token for the bus. It is difficult for the doctors to understand why they miss treatments, why they don't purchase their medicine. They are accused of being noncompliant or not understanding the severity of the situation. Of course they understand, they're just so accustomed to putting everyone else first, that even their chemotherapy is secondary to being able to go in for their shift or watch the kids.  I'm not trying to stereotype women as martyrs or angels, I'm just retelling the stories that I hear over and over again, every single day. To me, this is why feminism belongs in public health. 

Many of these women are also obese or overweight. When you live in a neighborhood where there's no grocery store for miles but there's a 7-11 on every block, eating healthy becomes a joke. When you live in an area where even little children know to duck when they hear gun fire, taking a walk around the block is impossible. When you get off of a double shift and there is no food in the house but at McDonald's there is a dollar menu, what do you do? When you give everything to other people and the only thing that you have just for yourself is a candy bar or a bag of chips, how can you go on a diet? 

Fat acceptance people love pointing to these women as an example of how anti-obesity activists are actually classist jerks because low income folks are made fat by oppressive systems, but then in the same breath, denying the relationship between eating habits, exercise and weight. Many of my colleagues in public health (the classist anti-obesity activist jerks) are working with communities, trying to make sustainable changes. These include programs for nutritious school lunches, subsidized fitness programs, setting up farmers markets, etc., etc. It's a big job with no easy answer, but there is a lot of community buy-in, as community members see with their own eyes the effects of poor health, poor nutrition and obesity. The last thing these communities need is fat acceptance, with their all-talk-no-action, I'm okay, you're okay drivel. Fight medical discrimination against fat people, that is awesome. Just don't deny their reality. 

   

FAQ

No one has asked any questions yet, so this is just what I came up with myself. Will be updated as needed!

• Who is Ringlet?  

I will be staying as anonymous as possible due to work/school issues, so Ringlet is my pseudonym. My "About Me" is pretty simple: I work at a community health center in a large East-coast city, I am a grad student (who isn't?) and the rest will just be little surprises along the way.     

• Why "Banana Curl Blog"? What does that have to do with public health?
  

I have come to love my natural hair and I have been perm (chemical relaxer) free for almost eight years.  Mental health, beauty ideals and body image are all issues that I consider to be part of public health.     

• Does your ear really glow like that?
  

Sadly, no. 

• Do you refer to yourself as a feminist?
  

Yes. I certainly don't agree with every feminist out there, but promoting the health, equality and rights of women is a big part of my life and a major professional goal. 

• Do you believe in Fat Acceptance?
  

There are elements of FA that I strongly agree with, such as anti-discrimination, recognizing the misogyny and class implications in discussions about fat and the idea that weight loss is not always the best path to health and fitness. However I do not agree that being fat carries no health risks. This will be addressed more in depth later! 

• Do you hate smokers?

Some of my best friends are smokers!  Just kidding. No, I don't hate smokers. Just the deleterious effects of their habit. And the industries that profit off of them. 

• Do you have any policies for commenting or linking?

Why yes I do. Criticisms and differing opinions are always welcome. Sexist, racist or homophobic comments will be deleted. I am still new to this blogging thing, so if a link or comment gets messed up on my part, let me know and I'll fix it.  

 

Effective Public Health

...is about promoting physical, mental and social well-being in populations. To quote the World Health Organization, it is about more than just the absence of disease. It requires effective research regarding the root causes of morbidity and mortality and finding comprehensive solutions that address complex bio-psycho-social issues. It is not about shaming individuals or pointing fingers, but it also recognizes that distorting the truth to try and avoid making people feel bad about themselves doesn't help anyone.

In this blog, I will try and address pertinent public health concerns from a social justice/feminist perspective. It seems like a lot of feminists and social justice advocates try to avoid discussing public health issues, particularly when public health seems to be trumping civil liberties. I can certainly understand why condemning smokers or fat people or others whose behavior puts them at increased risk is ineffective (hence the whole "no shaming" thing), however some individuals will take the opposite approach and attempt to defend harmful behaviors and decry criticisms as "hysteria". This blog will attempt to navigate the space in between condemning and enabling, in between being paternalistic and being in denial.



 

Welcome to Banana Curl Blog

A curly-haired feminist tackles public health and politics. 

Stay tuned.