2.1.1 ms rita butera
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This document discusses the risks of promoting unhealthy messages about diet and physical activity to women. It notes that women experience higher rates of food insecurity, mental health issues like depression, and barriers to physical activity due to social norms and lack of access. The document argues that health promotion should focus on health rather than weight loss, challenge social norms, and create supportive environments through improved access to transportation, food, and group activities in order to avoid unintended harm and promote women's well-being.
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2.1.1 ms rita butera
- 1. Gender, food and physical activity: risks in health promotion messages Rita Butera, Executive Director
- 2. Gender and the promotion of healthy diet and physical activity • Gender inequality • Traditional gender norms • Women’s mental health
- 3. Women are inactive • 72.4% women were insufficiently active in the preceding week Sedentary Males 31.2% 14.5% Female 11.8% 28.7% 2011-2012 Australian Health Survey People aged 15-17 years Undertake high levels of exercise • Recent Victorian Health Monitor found 33.9% of women do not meet guidelines
- 4. Women are not eating well • Most women don’t eat according to the Australian Dietary Guidelines
- 5. Prejudice and discrimination ‘Fat hatred and thin worship are so ingrained and constant in our culture that most people are not even aware of these beliefs as choices.’ Marilyn Wann
- 6. Food, exercise and women’s mental health • Inadequate diet and physical activity are associated with depression • Dieting is a risk factor for eating disorders • Fear for personal safety
- 7. Objectification, body size and women’s mental health • Women harmed through objectification of their bodies • Self-objectification – linked to poor motor performance, eating disorders, depression and non-participation in physical activity • More satisfaction when bodies viewed through a functional not aesthetic lens
- 8. Gender inequality and food insecurity • Women experience more food insecurity than men • Obesity + food insecurity = risk of weight gain • Food insecurity associated with anxiety and depression
- 9. Gender inequality • Lack of time due to caring responsibilities • Inequitable access to sporting and recreational facilities
- 10. Fighting fat hasn’t made the fat go away - public health challenges • Refrain from blaming the individual • Refrain from stigmatizing women who are overweight or obese • Maintain and strengthen work to influence the environment and food supply
- 11. Risks of unintended harm Appearance norms and thinness pressures Weight loss goal Health goal Self-objectification Poor body image Decreased exercise
- 12. Challenges to the evidence • Obesity ‘epidemic’ disputed • Unhealthiness of ‘fat’ disputed • BMI as an accurate measure disputed • Bullying and discrimination is more damaging than obesity
- 13. Health At Every Size
- 14. Fat acceptance or liberation
- 15. Weight loss versus body acceptance
- 16. Apply a gender lens
- 17. Health promotion messages • Move away from a focus on body size • Promote physical activity and healthy eating as self-nurturing and enjoyable • Consider women’s mental health GOAL – health not weight loss
- 18. Challenge social norms • Men as carers • Women as sportspeople • ‘Healthy’ ‘thin’
- 19. Create conducive environments • Advocate for improved transport and alternative fresh food supplies • Group programs increase physical activity and provide benefits of social support • Consider the role of family in mutually reinforcing health behaviours • Address discrimination and violence-supportive attitudes
- 20. Summary • Promote physical activity and healthy eating as self-nurturing and enjoyable • Challenge the environment • Create ways to make that a reality
Editor's Notes
- Women and men are different, and gender must inform how we approach our health promotion. In the broadest terms, we need to address: - Gender inequality - Traditional gender norms that negatively impact on women’s health and wellbeing; and - Women’s mental health needs in the promotion of healthy diet, eating and physical activity. So, what do we know about this?
- Let’s start at the individual level. Statistics tell us that many women are inactive. 72.4% of women surveyed were insufficiently active in the preceding week of the Australian Health Survey. The Survey also highlighted concerning gender differences particularly in young people aged 15-17 years where young men were three times more likely to undertake high levels of exercise than women and women were nearly twice as likely than men to be sedentary. (refer p. 1 W&PA) And the Victorian Health Monitor found that 33.9% of women in Victoria do not meet the National Physical Activity Guidelines. NB: Whether this data is based on reported activity in the past week or over a longer period is not indicated in the report methodology. (refer p. 1 W&PA)
- We also know that most women don’t eat according to the Australian Dietary Guidelines. This impacts on their health and nutrition.
- We know that women who are overweight and obese face discrimination. Fat prejudice or the anti-fat bias is deeply ingrained. Stigma has a profound impact on women’s health and wellbeing. For example, fat prejudice or discrimination affects women’s participation and enthusiasm for exercise. Therefore, any initiative to reduce discrimination based on body size will positively impact on women’s mental health and participation in physical activity. Some groups of women face an intersection of discrimination (e.g indigenous women, CALD women, same-sex attracted women, women with disability). There is also a socio-economic element to women’s eating and exercise. Women from high socio-economic groups have more opportunity to choose the form of physical activity they are involved in. This is often structured and occurs during their leisure time (refer p. 9 W&PA). Women of low socio-economic status often do not experience the same benefits of physical activity, such as social interaction, and are more likely to have negative perceptions of physical activity. Lack of support from family members for healthier diet options and time for exercise are also key barriers for women of low socio-economic status (refer p. 7 W&PA, p. 13 W&FIP)
- I now turn to the impact of body size on women’s mental health. Inadequate diet and physical activity are associated with depression. This association is independent of age, socioeconomic status, education, physical activity and other lifestyle factors.(refer p. 12 W&FIP). All evidence also tells us that dieting is the most commonly observed risk factor in the development of disordered eating behaviours. Fear for personal safety is also major reason women avoid walking, cycling and using certain public transport. These concerns have a greater impact on women from lower socioeconomic backgrounds who are more likely to live in higher crime neighbourhoods, work at odd hours and typically have less transport options. (refer p. 8 W&PA)
- Women, especially younger women, are at higher risk than men of harm to mental health and wellbeing through objectification of their bodies. Objectification is when a woman’s entire being is identified with her body. Self-objectification occurs when women absorb the culture of objectification and perpetuate an objectified view of themselves. Self-objectification decreases awareness of internal bodily states (such as feelings or hunger) at the expense of an obsession with the external body. This is linked to eating disorders and depression. The more girls view their bodies as objects, the more likely they are to have poor motor performance and less likely to participate in physical activity. When girls view their bodies through a functional lens rather than an aesthetic one, they’re more likely to be satisfied with and appreciate their body, and report feeling empowered and physically capable (Refer p. 10 W&PA).
- On a societal level, gender inequality impacts on women’s health in the context of food and physical activity. Globally, and in Australia, women are at higher risk of food insecurity. In a recent Australian study, the proportion of men who were overweight or obese did not differ across socioeconomic groups, but this was not the case for women. (Refer p. 8 W&PA). Income, education and location are key determinants of women’s food access and food related behaviours, with income established as one of the most important determinants of food insecurity (refer p. 11 W&FIP). The risk of obesity is 20-40% higher for women who experience mild to moderate food insecurity. (Refer to p. 11 W&FIP) Food insecurity in women is also associated with anxiety and depression. (Refer p. 11 W&FIP)
- Gender roles and stereotypes impact on how women can control and improve their health. For example: Nearly three times more women than men cite insufficient time due to family commitments as the main reason for not participating in physical activity. (refer p. 9 W&PA) Inequitable access to sporting and recreational clubs and facilities is experienced by women, with 20% of Australian women compared to 32% of men participating. How do we address this context and why is health promotion in this area – food, eating and physical activity – so challenging?
- To sum up, some of the key points that I hope you take away from today are: - Gendered health promotion is vital in this space - as the methods and reasons women and men eat, and are active, differ greatly. - We need to apply a gender lens in our urban design, program planning and service delivery. - We need to create conducive environments, challenge social norms and consider women’s empowerment and equity of access. - And we need to promote physical activity and healthy eating as self-nurturing and enjoyable, and create ways to make that a reality.