Can People Stop Talking About Regina Benjamin’s Weight Now?
Posted by: Kate Torgovnick
Filed in:
news
11:50AM, Wednesday July 15th 2009
Yesterday, President Obama announced his pick for Surgeon General—Regina Benjamin, a primary care physician from Alabama whose resume would dazzle almost anyone in the medical community. Now that it’s been 24 hours, it’s becoming clear how the conversation about Benjamin will be framed. And, very sadly, the discussion seems to be about one thing: her body.
When I saw the headline, “Is Regina Benjamin too fat to be surgeon general?” over at Salon this morning, I choked on my iced coffee. Luckily, writer Frances Kissling says the answer is a big, resounding “no!” But others around the interwebs are coming to a different conclusion.
“It is not logical to let this overweight woman be the surgeon general,” wrote one commentator at The Huffington Post.
“The image of a fat Black woman serving as Surgeon General sends a message that it is acceptable to be fat as a lifestyle choice,” read a comment on an article about Benjamin in the Washington Post.
“Dr. Benjamin is a terrible choice for surgeon general!” said another at US News. “Have we become so politically correct that we could have an obese person charged with this highest office. How can an obese person educate a country on health?”
I have just one thing to say to this: How the eff does it matter what size she is? The job of Surgeon General is to make health care and policy decisions for the country—not to look hot in a pair of skinny jeans. And let’s even back up one step further. People are projecting that Benjamin is a size 18. Is she a big girl? Sure. But have we forgotten that the average American woman is a size 12—not the 0s we see on television sets and in tabloid magazines? Perhaps her size could actually be an advantage. She’s in a better position to understand obesity and contemplate out-of-the-box ways to roll back ever-expanding American waistlines.
A part of me just has to ask, If Benjamin were a man, would we be talking about her weight in the first place? I’d put $100 on no.
Here is why these comments bug me so much: they smack of judgment. They basically say, “Step away from the Big Mac and pick up some celery sticks. You are a slob with no self-control.” The truth is that we don’t know why Benjamin is the weight she is. We have no idea about her genetic makeup. For all we know, she could exercise an hour or more a day. She could eat healthier than 95% of the people reading this post. We just don’t know.
Now, I can see the next logical argument someone could make here: If Benjamin smoked, would I still support her for Surgeon General? Absolutely. Why? Because I don’t think personal characteristics have anything to do with a person’s ability to lead, legislate, and problem-solve. I mean, does our secretary of education have to have graduated top-of-their class from an Ivy League college? And can a man be a great gynecologist?
All I’m saying is ... the decision on whether to confirm Benjamin should be about one thing, and one thing only—her qualifications. Not the number that pops up when she steps on the scale. To make this about anything else is sexist, size-ist, and probably a few other -ists that I can’t even remember at the moment because I’m so worked up. So let’s stop this discussion right here and get back to what actually matters, Benjamin’s dedication to getting health care for everyone, including those without deep pockets, and her drive to eradicate diseases like HIV, diabetes, and cancer.
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Erin G
wrote on July 15 2009 @ 12:26 pm: [report]
“And can a man be a great gynecologist?”
I have a male gyno and I have never had a better doctor. Just goes to show!
Riley
wrote on July 15 2009 @ 12:34 pm: [report]
I don’t think she is fat and hopefully she can initiate some change as to how this country eats.
However, I do think I would have trouble taking eating/health advice from someone who is actually obese.
Coral
wrote on July 15 2009 @ 12:36 pm: [report]
I think she is a great choice. I didn’t really pay attention to the fact that she is overweight until I read this article. However, as someone that promotes and protects the health of others on such a mass audience, I think she does have the responsibility to lead a healthy lifestyle—maybe lose a bit of weight—but focusing more on the healthy eating and exercising part of it rather than her numbers.
Simcha Whitehill
wrote on July 15 2009 @ 01:09 pm: [report]
Fo reals, I’m a size 16. I dare someone to tell me I can’t do my job because of it….
fallonthecity
wrote on July 15 2009 @ 01:51 pm: [report]
@Coral: Wait… she shouldn’t focus on the numbers, but you still think she should “maybe lose a bit of weight”? You still seem to be making the assumption that she is not healthy… based on what? Her appearance?
Also, @the author: smoking and body size/obesity are absolutely not comparable.
LayD
wrote on July 15 2009 @ 01:55 pm: [report]
Don’t we all give advice that we don’t follow ourselves? Ms. Benjamin obviously knows how to be healthy and has the qualifications to get the country to be healthy. Perhaps she doesn’t want to excersise or would rather eat fried chicken than a salad. Or perhaps Ms. Benjamin does excersise the recommended minimum of 30 minutes a day and eats very well balanced meals, but her genes don’t allow her to have a size 8 frame. We just don’t know and I don’t think it matters at all. I don’t care about her health at all. She could be a chain smoking, binge drinking, overeating, lazy, tv watching, sloth, but that doesn’t change the fact that she is well qualified and has witnessed first hand loved ones dealing with disease. She doesn’t have to practice what she teaches as long as she is teaching the truth and works hard on legislations to help the country. All that matters is that she is qualified and will optimize her qualifications and use them to our advantage. Besides, don’t they say that those who can’t do, teach? (ok, enough with the cliches, but there is some truth there).
Coral
wrote on July 15 2009 @ 06:02 pm: [report]
@fallonthecity: Well it’s not about how much she weighs. But it is clear that she does need to lose some weight—in order to be healthier. I’m not calling her a hypocrite. There are plenty of doctors (and many nurses) who are in the health field but certainly don’t seem to eat right and exercise. I am making the assumption that she isn’t healthy-but it couldn’t hurt her to lose some pounds. I really didn’t notice that she was heavier until I read this article. But I think she is a great choice who seems to care about the health of others and who hopefully will be a good surgeon general.
Embalmerbee
wrote on July 15 2009 @ 06:32 pm: [report]
I don’t think she’s overweight, but even if she were stick thin, someone would still find something to hate on her for it. The fact that she’s female, african american, or wearing pants, you pick it, someone would use that aspect as a negative.
Negativity breeds scandal, which the press loves. It’s so much easier to judge someone you don’t know by picking apart their outward appearance.
fallonthecity
wrote on July 15 2009 @ 06:32 pm: [report]
@Coral: I’m just pointing out your size-ist attitude. You have no evidence suggesting that she’s unhealthy, and your assertion that it “couldn’t hurt her to lose some pounds” helps perpetuate the f-ed up notion that thin is healthy and heavy is not, and that weight loss is in itself a positive goal.
I mean, this woman is, what, in her fifties? She could very well be eating healthy and getting a healthy amount of exercise, and still retain weight. That doesn’t mean she’s unhealthy. As long as she is a good doctor and is qualified for the position, her appearance (and that is what it boils down to, since she doesn’t have her health plan stamped on her forehead for us to examine) shouldn’t be an issue—undeserving of comment, the end. It doesn’t matter whether you noticed it until now or not… you’re still making biased assumptions with no basis.
Coral
wrote on July 15 2009 @ 06:40 pm: [report]
Well it is a fact that way too many people in this country are overweight and obese. I never said people have to be stick thin. But no matter what age one is, one should not let himself/herself go. She may be healthy—but you simply cannot say that she would not be healthier if she lots some pounds. It’s not like she will look anorexic. How is weight loss not a positive goal? Of course, weight loss is taken to extremes. And it’s all about maintaining a healthy lifestyle rather than going on diets. I know plenty of women who are in their fifties—and they range in all sizes. But women who are in 110-170 pound range tend to be overall healthier than those who are not. And I already said that it doesn’t matter when she is overweight or not, because she is definitely qualified to do her job.
fallonthecity
wrote on July 15 2009 @ 06:57 pm: [report]
@Coral: Weight loss is a positive goal *if your weight is actually a problem,* which it usually isn’t if you are only a size 18. My point, that you will probably continue to ignore, is that you have no idea about Regina Benjamin’s health, and so you are just making a very biased assumption that she is unhealthy, without having any evidence whatsoever to suggest that she is—and that is unfair.
Coral
wrote on July 15 2009 @ 07:03 pm: [report]
Okay, but you are also assuming that a size 18 is healthy. And I can assure you that it’s not. (It may be closer to the actual average, but it is NOT healthy). I don’t judge people on the way they look—it’s up to the individual to care of themselves. I don’t think that a size 2, 4, or even 0 are the only healthy sizes as some people do however.
spark
wrote on July 15 2009 @ 07:10 pm: [report]
there is a difference between a man being a gynecologist and a smoker being surgeon general. one doesn’t have the same equipment, but cares for vaginas. the other DOES have the same equipment (lungs) but chooses not to care for it.
i hadn’t thought about her weight before, but now that you mention it, it is a good point. no, she doesn’t need to look hot in a cute outfit. yes, she does need to look like she follows her own advice about a healthy lifestyle. and i’d say the same thing if it were a man.
and just because the average woman is a size 12 doesn’t mean it’s healthy: it means our country, on average, is overweight.
Coral
wrote on July 15 2009 @ 07:14 pm: [report]
@frisked: Finally, someone agrees with me.
fallonthecity
wrote on July 15 2009 @ 07:15 pm: [report]
I actually didn’t assume a thing (maybe you are confused about the part where I said that weight *itself* is not usually a problem with folks who are size 18). Dr. Benjamin may be unhealthy, or she may be very healthy. We *don’t know*. It’s just a baseless assumption to declare that she is obviously unhealthy. You actually cannot assure me that a size 18 is not healthy, because you can’t generalize an entire group of people—some people who fall in that category will be healthy, some will not. You can’t assume a person who is size 18 is unhealthy any more than you can assume that a thin person is healthy.
Bink
wrote on July 16 2009 @ 06:18 am: [report]
Extreme weight above the average is not healthy. This has been scientifically proven by countless studies. See, for example, studies at St. Luke’s Hospital at Columbia University (among others). A size 18 is an extreme weight. Dr. Benjamin is extremely qualified but the Surgeon General is a spokesperson above all else. I do not think her weight should disqualify her from the job. In fact, a frank discussion of these issues from her could prove helpful to the American public. Perhaps we need a role model we can relate to rather than someone who has never struggled with weight issues. Clearly, on the basis of some of the comments here, people do not understand that obesity is life threatening and that the rate of obesity is climbing at an astronomical rate in the United States.