Georgia Fat Kids Portrayed as Criminals

For Immediate Release
March 12, 2011

Oakland, CA – NAAFA demands that the Georgia Children's Health Alliance
immediately remove their billboards targeting fat children. Billboards
depicting fat kids are extraordinarily harmful to the very kids they are
supposedly trying to help.

A 2010 study of caloric intake in a large, nationwide population of children and
adolescents has revealed the surprising finding that those who are clinically
overweight and obese consume fewer calories than their healthy weight
counterparts, beginning at around 7 years of age.

A study from the University of Minnesota in 2006 states that the more weight per
se is talked about, the more likely teens are to adopt dangerous dieting
behaviors. Labeling a person of any age as obese – especially a child or
adolescent – is strongly pejorative and counterproductive.

That same year a study from UCLA suggests our media and cultural obsession with
achieving a certain weight does little or no good and may actually undermine
motivation to adopt exercise and other healthy lifestyle habits.

NAAFA supports the Health at Every Size (HAES) tenets which says that healthy
habits are good for EVERYONE, no matter what their size. Eat healthy, nutritious
foods and enjoy occasional treats. Pay attention to your natural hunger and
satiety cues. Move your body in ways that feel good and love yourself just the
way you are!

NAAFA challenges the Georgia Children's Health Alliance to create an advertising
campaign that encourages people of all sizes to eat healthy food, add movement
to our lives and celebrate our differences.

Contact NAAFA for information on our soon to be published NAAFA Child Advocacy
Toolkit. This groundbreaking toolkit will help parents, educators and
caregivers understand that all kids deserve love and respect regardless of their
body size or shape. Every body is a good body. No one has the right to
criticize your body.

NAAFA encourages all concerned parties to contact Mr. Ron Frieson, Chairman of
the Georgia Children's Health Alliance, at info@... to express your
concern about the damage being done by these offensive demeaning billboards
(http://www.stopchildhoodobesity.com/)

Founded in 1969, NAAFA is a non-profit human rights organization dedicated to
improving the quality of life for fat people. NAAFA works to eliminate
discrimination based on body size and provide fat people with the tools for
self-empowerment through public education, advocacy, and member support.

On the web: http://www.naafa.org

For more information contact:
Peggy Howell, Public Relations Director
National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance (NAAFA)
e-mail: pr@...