|
The Property Rights Newsletter
June 17, 2011 - Issue #617
"I have sworn upon the altar of Almighty God eternal hostility
against every form of tyranny over the mind of man."
- Thomas Jefferson |
Fat Stigma Spreads Around the Globe. At a time when global health officials are stepping up efforts to treat obesity as a worrisome public health threat, some researchers are warning of a troubling side effect: growing stigma against fat people. "Of all the things we could be exporting to help people around the world, really negative body image and low self-esteem are not what we hope is going out with public health messaging," said Alexandra Brewis, executive director of the School of Human Evolution and Social Change at Arizona State University. Dr. Brewis and her colleagues recently completed a multicountry study intended to give a snapshot of the international zeitgeist about weight and body image. The findings were troubling, suggesting that negative perceptions about people who are overweight may soon become the cultural norm in some countries, including places where plumper, larger bodies traditionally have been viewed as attractive, according to a new report in the journal Current Anthropology.
GPs will be paid extra to tell patients they are fat. GPs will receive a payment for every obese patient they advise to lose weight - on top of money for keeping lists of those who weigh too much. The plans form part of a desperate bid to tackle soaring rates of obesity in Britain, with two out of three adults now classed as overweight or obese.
Doctors Refusal to Treat Obese Patients May Raise Legal Problems. By John F. Banzhaf III. First, people who are obese may qualify for protection under the Americans With Disabilities Act [ADA], as well as under state statutes which prohibit discrimination based upon weight or personal appearance. In sharp contrast, smokers are not protected against this type of treatment under any statutes, says public interest law professor John Banzhaf, who pioneered the use of the ADA to protect nonsmokers from exposure to tobacco smoke in workplaces and public place.
Do Georgia's Child Obesity Ads Go Too Far? "Youth who are obese cannot conceal their weight – their stigma is very visible," she said. "And yet their voices are not being heard. They are so vulnerable to victimization, with such devastating consequences." Indeed, weight-related bullying is being cited by family members as a possible factor in the decision of two 14-year-old Minnesota girls to commit suicide together on April 16. Puhl, who has studied weight discrimination for more than a decade, was lead author of a 2007 study of overweight children that concluded their quality of life, due to stigmatization by peers, was comparable to that of people with cancer.
Arizona's "Fat Tax" Punishes the Poor. If instituted, the plan is projected to add about $500 million to fill the budget deficit. It would also signal the first attempt ever to penalize Medicaid recipients for what the state deems “unhealthy behaviors” that drive up health care costs.
Mayor Bloomberg’s grand vision to improve New Yorkers’ health by severely limiting sales of high-calorie beverages on city property is short-sighted and destructive, say blind vendors who operate stands in city-owned buildings. "At a time when there’s a 70 percent unemployment rate among the blind, it seems unfair that Mayor Bloomberg is trying to achieve his health agenda on the backs of blind people."
Mayor Menino Bans Sugary Drink Sales On Boston City Property. "I want to make this a healthier choice, the easier choice in people’s daily lives, whether it’s the schools, the work sites or other places in the community," Menino said.
MO: Anti-smoking activists won’t stop with partial bans. By Theodore J. King. I wonder if Clean-Air Springfield’s supporters are going to flock to Springfield’s stand-alone bars, tobacco shops, and private clubs now that they are “smoke free.” Probably not.
China: Baidu CEO and Bill Gates Take On Smoking. In the latest sign of philanthropy's spread among China's wealthy, Baidu Inc.'s Robin Li joined Bill Gates Saturday to announce a campaign to combat smoking in China. Mr. Gates said China "will be a big focus" for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's work on tobacco control, but also declined to give financial details.
Scotland: Ban's left our pubs gasping for breath. By Paul Waterson. The smoking ban was a bold experiment a few years ago. Had we all known then what we know now - that it would be the licensees doing the quitting, not the smokers - would it have been pushed through in the same way? Quite possibly; but common sense suggests that easing the ban a little will do nothing to harm the "health benefits" and may stop many more hard-working licensees from losing their livelihoods.
|
Smoking On Film, TV, and Stage |  Rango slammed by anti-smoking campaigners who say film encourages children to smoke. The only other film which came close was 101 Dalmatians in which Cruella de Vil smoked all the time. Even the lead character, Rango the chameleon, swallows a cigar and breathes fire in the face of an enemy at one point.
That '60s show. New series seek their inner "Mad Men." ABC's sexy stewardess-centered "Pan Am" and NBC's recreation of the cave man days of the sexual revolution, "The Playboy Club." The Cold War era is making a comeback. "There's the relief from all the PC-ness," he says. "Imagine how smokers feel watching those people blow smoke rings in an elevator -- oh, true liberation."
The Last Smoker in America... an original, four-character musical comedy about a dysfunctional family struggling to survive in a world where smoking has recently been outlawed.
Many more articles about smoking on film, TV, and the stage.
|
 |
|
Join FREE - Home - Events - Forum - Videos - Please Help - © | |
|
