Please Consider Joining NAAFA

[jikeda at socrates.Berkeley.EDU]

Dear Colleagues,

         I just return from the NAAFA Annual Meeting in San Diego, and 
although I had a great time and learned a lot, I was disheartened by the 
fact that I appeared to be the only Nutritionist/Registered Dietitian in 
attendance.   I know there are thousands of dietitians/nutritionists who 
believe in the non-dieting, health-at-every-size approach to health 
promotion, and I asked myself, “Why aren’t they here, supporting the oldest 
human rights organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for 
fat people?”  Then I thought, “Perhaps they don’t know about NAAFA.  Maybe 
they’ve never heard  about the many ways NAAFA fights size-related 
discrimination and bias.”  So I decided to send this message to you in the 
hopes that next year when I attend NAAFA, I will see many of you there.

         NAAFA stands for the National Association to Advance Fat 
Acceptance.  The purpose of  NAAFA is to:
·       Work towards providing equal opportunity for fat people whenever 
obstacles and/or discrimination exists.
·       Disseminate information about the sociological, psychological, 
legal, medical, and physiological aspects of being fat.
·       Advocate and sponsor responsible research about the various aspects 
of being fat.
·       Empower the large number of people regarded by the medical 
professional as “obese” to accept themselves, to live more fulfilling 
lives, and to promote acceptance of fat people within society.
·       Serve as a forum where issues affecting fat people can be discussed 
in an unbiased setting.
It doesn’t cost much to join NAAFA.  Regular membership is only $40.00
per year and you can even join online!  Just go to the NAAFA website at
http://www.naafa.org and  click on “Join NAAFA.”   NAAFA has chapters all 
over the U.S. as well as facilitators in Canada and Europe.  You can find 
out if there is a chapter in your area at the NAAFA website.  NAAFA has 
lots of resources you will find helpful including informative brochures and 
a book service.  Some of you may be interested in reading NAAFA’s official 
documents such as their “Policy on Obesity Research” or their “Policy on 
Physical Fitness.”  Both documents are very enlightening.

         What can you do for NAAFA?  NAAFA needs dietitians and 
nutritionists to provide sound, accurate nutrition information to their 
members.  NAAFA members have nutrition questions.  They want advice about 
nourishing their bodies.  Needless to say, most NAAFA members have been on 
more diets than they care to remember, so if you still adhere to the 
traditional “fat people have to lose weight to be healthy” paradigm, this 
is not the forum for you.  But, if you truly want to help fat people become 
healthier,  opportunity knocks.  And if you want to fight discrimination 
based on body size, this is the organization for you.

         Finally, some of you will ask why NAAFA uses the word “fat” in 
it’s title?
NAAFA’s response is, “Fat is not a four-letter word.  It is an adjective, 
like short, tall, thin, or blonde.  While society has given it a derogatory 
meaning, we find that identifying ourselves as “fat” is an important step 
in casting off the shame we been taught to feel about our bodies.”  Three 
cheers for NAAFA!  And hopefully many more dietitians and nutritionists as 
members!

Cordially,
Joanne P. Ikeda, MA,RD
Cooperative Extension Nutrition Education Specialist
Department of Nutritional Sciences
University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA 94720-3104
Phone (510)642-2790
E Mail: jikeda at socrates.berkeley.edu