Items
Date is exactly
2022-01-18
-
2022-01-18
Is ‘fat positivity’ healthy or dangerous? COVID puts the question in stark relief
This is a news story from New York Daily News by Cathy Young. This is an opinion piece questioning what body positive activists have been claiming about obesity and COVID, with many claiming weight has little to no effect on recovering from COVID. Quoting the CDC, Young says that obesity puts people at greater risk of dying from COVID than those of normal weight. Other parts of this opinion piece deal with the language surrounding the body positive movement, and how there is no distinction made between listening to medical advice and getting harassed. The author says that this is a major issue because it makes it so people reject sound medical advice at the expense of their own health. She says that while outright harassment is cruel, genuine concern and wanting people to improve their well-being is not. There is also criticism towards feminist writers in this article, such as Kate Manne, a philosophy professor from Cornell University, that claims all dieting is "morally bad." Young acknowledges that dieting can be unhealthy, but it is not unhealthy in and of itself. She thinks that if you have realistic goals, maintaining a healthy weight is not impossible. At the end, Young explains that this body positivity movement is destructive towards people, and that those struggling with weight issues should be met with compassion, but not "acceptance." This essay shows some of the social impacts of COVID. With some people reporting weight gain during lockdowns, it is easy to see why body positivity would be encouraged as a result. Though, since obesity puts one at higher risk for more complications with COVID, or any other disease for that matter, it should not be encouraged, in my own opinion. It is one thing to be shaped differently, it is quite another to accept being obese when it poses many health risks. -
2022-01-18
Protect the Vulnerable
This is an Instagram post by courtneyahndesign. This is an Instagram post critiquing people's lack of care for others during the pandemic. She thinks it is ridiculous that people are already going places maskless and being careless with how much they expose themselves. At the end, she recommends for people to go and get tested. -
2022-01-18
Are Vaccines Working for the Elderly of Arkansas?
This is a news article detailing a dramatic decrease in Covid-19 related deaths for individuals over 65 per the Arkansas Department of Health. The article provides context in previous data collection, highlighting that 80% of Covid deaths in 2020 were individuals 65 and older. Further, the article states that in 2021, 65% of Covid related deaths were individuals 65 and older. The Department of Health now reports fewer and fewer deaths in general, and attributes this to the rapid vaccination of the elderly, particularly in retirement facilities that were hit the hardest at the start of the pandemic. Indeed, the medical community has a greater understanding of Covid's impact on the body and how best to effectively treat the elderly. So it really begs the question: Are we really safe to pull away from the panic of Covid now that the most vulnerable community is safer from Covid than ever before? Or are we merely in a lull between waves?