People Are Not OK With These Cosmopolitan Covers That Ignore The Relationship Between Obesity And Covid
Cosmopolitan UK is facing harsh backlash and mockery on social media for its latest issue. More specifically, for suggesting there is nothing unhealthy about being obese, prompting accusations that the magazine is endangering lives amid the pandemic.
It featured photographs and interviews of 11 women who represented the different sizes of healthy, with a sign that read: “This is healthy! 11 women on why wellness doesn’t have to be one-size-fits-all.”
Image credits: RitaPanahi
First, we need to settle on the definitions. “If we’re to listen to the World Health Organization, people are overweight if their body mass index exceeds 25 and obese if it is over 30,” general practitioner, medical researcher, and founder of PrimeHealth Clinical Research, Iris Gorfinkel, M.D., told Bored Panda, adding that this measure has its problems.
“The body mass index does not take into consideration muscle mass, it only considers height and weight. So that’s a bit of a problem. You know, better research is showing that, in fact, health outcomes are more associated with waist circumference. So people with big thighs and hips do not have the same health outcomes as those with big waist circumference.”
“It’s called visceral fat. That’s like a spare tire sitting on the waistline, that’s what predicts poorer health outcomes. And that’s what surrounds our liver, pancreas, stomach, and intestines. It turns out, the more visceral fat a person has—that’s what you can pinch on your waistline—the more fat surrounds the heart … and that is associated with an increased risk of heart attack and stroke.”
Cosmopolitan published photographs and interviews of 11 different women with a sign that read: “This is healthy! 11 women on why wellness doesn’t have to be one-size-fits-all”
Image credits: RitaPanahi
The publication said that yoga teacher Jessamyn Stanley has become a “superstar in the American wellness industry thanks to her inclusive attitude.”
Stanley noted that she has embraced her body size and has learned to tune out “fatphobic comments” on Instagram where she has 450,000 followers and encountered drawbacks to the attention.
“I’ve had to accept that’s how the mainstream sees me and not try to change. For me, that’s been very therapeutic,” Stanley stated.
Influencer Callie Thorpe, for example, said that “Plus-size people often feel like they can’t be part of the wellness space. We are trolled for being fat, then can feel excluded from exercise because our bodies don’t fit the narrative.”
Cosmopolitan explained that Callie’s journey towards self-love started with her diet blog in 2012. “I thought if I made myself accountable to strangers, I’d [lose weight]. It made me feel worse than ever,” she explained.
Thorpe now adheres to the “body neutrality movement,” focusing on what her body can “do” rather than how her body “looks.”
Image credits: Cosmopolitan
But people on social media have a real problem with it
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“Obesity is a pitchfork that sticks into COVID-19 with three prongs. One is that obesity causes inflammation and increases cytokine levels. And that actually sets the stage for a cytokine storm in which the body’s own immune system attacks not only the virus, but the body’s own cells as well,” Gorfinkel explained. “So cytokine storm not only worsens pneumonia that COVID-19 causes, but directly damages lung tissue, in addition to causing acute respiratory distress syndrome or ARDS.
“A second problem is that fat in the abdomen, pushes up on the diaphragm, which makes it harder for a person to breathe and for the lungs to become fully inflated with air. And when the lungs are not fully inflated, the risk for pneumonia becomes higher—critical care specialists have learned to take advantage of that by placing sick patients on their belly because it helps oxygen get more easily into the lungs (that’s called pruning). When people are on their back, the weight of the body makes it harder for sections of the lung to inflate. And so a final problem. Obesity causes a slew of chronic conditions that increase the risk of being hospitalized and dying from COVID-19.”
The final problem is that obesity causes a slew of chronic conditions that increase the risk of being hospitalized and dying from COVID-19.
In fact, Since the pandemic took over the world, multiple studies have reported that many of the sickest COVID-19 patients have been people with obesity. In a meta-analysis published on 26 August in Obesity Reviews, for example, an international team of researchers put together data from scores of peer-reviewed papers capturing 399,000 patients.
They found that obese people who contracted SARS-CoV-2 were 113% more likely than people of healthy weight to land in the hospital, 74% more likely to be admitted to an ICU, and 48% more likely to die.
Image credits: RitaPanahi
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“The Cosmopolitan article says there is nothing unhealthy about being overweight. What I would add to that is that what has been extremely unhealthy is doctors’ response to being overweight,” Gorfinkel added. “Let’s take a look at the old school. A patient comes in. “You’re fat. I got the cholesterol I told you last year it was high. Well, guess what? It’s still high this year. You haven’t lost weight.” In other words, it’s asking the person what is wrong with them. That formula does not work. Guilt, shame, humiliation, we know that should not play a role in how any healthcare practitioner responds to somebody who is overweight.”
“The more enlightened way of managing it is actually asking permission. “Is now a good time to be talking about this?” “What are the challenges that you have faced in addressing you being overweight?” It’s not just a question of what’s going on medically, it’s very much a question of what’s going on socially, what’s going on, psychologically, too. That’s called the biopsychosocial method. And it makes a lot more sense. This way, the person in front of us becomes a part of the health team, as opposed to somebody that’s just being shouted at and being told, “What’s wrong with you? How come you haven’t lost the weight?” We know that food addictions are very much like other addictions. If we tried to do that with somebody addicted to opiates, or somebody’s addicted to alcohol, using negative emotions is tantamount to failure.”
Image credits: _traditionalis
This isn’t the first time that Cosmopolitan has made headlines by featuring plus-sized women. In 2018, the outlet’s cover starred obese model Tess Holliday. At that time, it was widely criticized for advocating for an unhealthy lifestyle as well.
Holliday, on the other hand, was unapologetic for her appearance and lashed out at the “horrible people” who were “whining about how me being on the cover of a glossy magazine impacts your small minded life.”
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I think people are confusing wellness with healthiness. You can feel well and be obese, good for you. But don't think it is healthy.
Aunt Messy, you are doing the exact opposite. People who are obese don't just ask for it. They don't wake up each morning and think, well let me overeat and not excercise today. It is a complex balance between predisposition, our current culture of too much of everything and vicious cycles that worsten the situation. But because I know that it's a fight to turn that around if it's even possible. And I don't feel people should be ashamed for something outside their personal control, doesn't mean you need to say it's healthy. No shaming, no senseless promoting, just understanding and helping. You are such a nasty person in your comments sometimes. Yuk.
Obesity at a certain point can be seen similar to a drug-addiction. You might have been aware when you started getting bigger, but at some point, the cycle is vicious and you don't get out of it easily. If you only see thin, beautiful people on a magazine, there is a point where you say "I'll never look like this. What's the point?" Some might feel the urge to get thin, but usually it helps if they see success-stories of people fighting against their weight and winning. Of TRUE stories that say that it's a struggle and that it's worth it but that it's a STRUGGLE. And you always start with a big body, and you need to get over your fear of being seen working out and of the fear of being mocked by others for working out.
The truth of the matter is that it's a hard addiction. Sugar is more addictive and more accessible than cocaine, we are forced into this addiction as children. BUT there is only one person that can decide to reduce their weight and that's the individual. By saying it's a disease and uncontrollable is an addict's lie. It is a chemical and behavioural addiction. There has to be a role for personal responsibility, because it's the only thing that makes change possible.
Lord Ponsonby no
@Amelija Janacicius, I am a lesbian and I weigh more than my friends and I'm fine with it. They never judge me for who I like or what I weigh.
Fatness is really "something outside their personal control"? No. You blame "current culture", but how do you think it became a culture under one generation? The fat people themselves started to promote it, not their parents.
It may also be caused by medications that they are on, and stress increases cortisol. There are many reasons why a person may be overweight, and it's never any of our business. We also don't know what they are doing to correct it. So many people look at an obese person and assume they never exercise, but it could be that the person is actually working on it and it just takes time to come off. We really need to keep our comments to ourselves, especially because it often does the opposite of motivate.
Many obese people don't overeat at all. Obesity can be the result of genetics, symptoms of another health condition, or a side effect of medications.
Yes, they do. I know people that eat too much by choince and do not exercise by choice. Having 100 (!) Kilograms too much od not a problem.
I don't see anything nasty about that comment. Your response is absurd. And nasty.
"No shaming..." "Yuk." Is there even an effort required to maintain cognitive dissonance anymore?
oh and amelijia ur, not a manager ur a community member
Rissie you're being an incredible enabler. People who are obese, 99 times out of 100 DO ask for it. Blaming society and culture is an absolutely terrible excuse. MANY people find a way to lose weight and be healthy. It's nearly always a matter of will. If you don't have the will to do it that's fine, but it's important to call it what it is.
Ben Smith ?
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
Rissie, I think that you may an excellent point. With regards to 'Aunt Messy (they certainly live up to their screen-name), it is best just to ignore them. They are troll known on this site for posting really mean-spirited, cruel, and out-right nasty comments. How they have so many up-votes manages to still shock and baffle me to this day.
Loki’s Lil Butter Knife ?
Let's compare blood test results, you skinny God of health. I bet mine are better than yours.
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
I'm overweight and perfectly healthy. All my blood work is excellent. You can't tell a person's health by their size. Skinny people can be unhealthy, fat people can be healthy.
See I used to think that too. I was considered obese, with excellent bloodworm. The problem is, it's not just the health of all your squishy bits, but your bones and joints too. The added weight being carried all day puts unhealthy stress on your skeletal and muscle structure, I now have to deal widespread pain, that is aggravated by weight gain. I'm 55 and feel like I have been bulldozed every day, on bad days I can barely move. I lost 100lbs, have gained 40 back, and I can tell you the weight makes a difference. Being over or under weight, or yo yo-ing hurts and the damage can be long term, affecting us even after the weight is stable and within norms
Catlady6000 lol
theevolution69 ?
markmutai lol
Oh course, you are right to some degree. But obesity can kill and will kill due to many reasons.
It'll only work until you reach a certain age. With aging, obesity becomes a huge risk factor.
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
Sure. They can feel well until they die. Way too early. For stupid reasons.
Cosmo is designed to reinforce the status quo and sell beauty products. If you are in any way interested in being healthy and/or empowered, stop buying this magazine.
Their double standards and hypocrisy is shocking too. There's widely publicised examples of their objectivity when it comes to talking about womens bodies but at the same time they post articles about the 'perfect' guys bodies and once even shared an article of zoomed in speedo crotches taken at a mens Olympic swimming event.
It's not shocking at all. Media will say anything, do anything, for money
That is something we all need to know: Guys can be objectified. Guys can be abused. Guys can be harassed. Guys can be assaulted. The same things happen to every gender.
This is a good point.
Agreed. As a preteen I always felt like my aversion to magazines like this meant there was something wrong with me. Now I just want to burn them all so young women don't read their damaging lies
Why is this downvoted? It is true. It's just more of what is not needed in today's world.
Yeah @jrgzingler have to agree, burning books??? Burning things you don't agree with leads you down a very steep slippery slope. Extremists of all kinds should be given a platform so intelligent people have the opportunity to dismantle their nonsense.
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
Burning books/magazines? Ask yourself what makes you that?
Ditto any Conde Nasty publication as well including Anna Wintour's VOGUE.
i think they've come a long way, though. i believe it's their teen magazine that open talks about sexual health, positive self-image, etc. i might be mistaken, however.
That is NOT healthy. Obesity kills.
Obesity kills 3+ million people each & every year. Its not sexy nor is it healthy to be 400+ lbs. It detracts from quality of life. Younger generations have tripled in average weights as previous generations. When I went to school, there was maybe a handful of "fat kids"...I graduated in 90s. America has come to rely on fast food, takeout & poor food choices. People should not be ridiculed, harassed or belittled for body size but we can't accept it as normal.
I think people are confusing wellness with healthiness. You can feel well and be obese, good for you. But don't think it is healthy.
Aunt Messy, you are doing the exact opposite. People who are obese don't just ask for it. They don't wake up each morning and think, well let me overeat and not excercise today. It is a complex balance between predisposition, our current culture of too much of everything and vicious cycles that worsten the situation. But because I know that it's a fight to turn that around if it's even possible. And I don't feel people should be ashamed for something outside their personal control, doesn't mean you need to say it's healthy. No shaming, no senseless promoting, just understanding and helping. You are such a nasty person in your comments sometimes. Yuk.
Obesity at a certain point can be seen similar to a drug-addiction. You might have been aware when you started getting bigger, but at some point, the cycle is vicious and you don't get out of it easily. If you only see thin, beautiful people on a magazine, there is a point where you say "I'll never look like this. What's the point?" Some might feel the urge to get thin, but usually it helps if they see success-stories of people fighting against their weight and winning. Of TRUE stories that say that it's a struggle and that it's worth it but that it's a STRUGGLE. And you always start with a big body, and you need to get over your fear of being seen working out and of the fear of being mocked by others for working out.
The truth of the matter is that it's a hard addiction. Sugar is more addictive and more accessible than cocaine, we are forced into this addiction as children. BUT there is only one person that can decide to reduce their weight and that's the individual. By saying it's a disease and uncontrollable is an addict's lie. It is a chemical and behavioural addiction. There has to be a role for personal responsibility, because it's the only thing that makes change possible.
Lord Ponsonby no
@Amelija Janacicius, I am a lesbian and I weigh more than my friends and I'm fine with it. They never judge me for who I like or what I weigh.
Fatness is really "something outside their personal control"? No. You blame "current culture", but how do you think it became a culture under one generation? The fat people themselves started to promote it, not their parents.
It may also be caused by medications that they are on, and stress increases cortisol. There are many reasons why a person may be overweight, and it's never any of our business. We also don't know what they are doing to correct it. So many people look at an obese person and assume they never exercise, but it could be that the person is actually working on it and it just takes time to come off. We really need to keep our comments to ourselves, especially because it often does the opposite of motivate.
Many obese people don't overeat at all. Obesity can be the result of genetics, symptoms of another health condition, or a side effect of medications.
Yes, they do. I know people that eat too much by choince and do not exercise by choice. Having 100 (!) Kilograms too much od not a problem.
I don't see anything nasty about that comment. Your response is absurd. And nasty.
"No shaming..." "Yuk." Is there even an effort required to maintain cognitive dissonance anymore?
oh and amelijia ur, not a manager ur a community member
Rissie you're being an incredible enabler. People who are obese, 99 times out of 100 DO ask for it. Blaming society and culture is an absolutely terrible excuse. MANY people find a way to lose weight and be healthy. It's nearly always a matter of will. If you don't have the will to do it that's fine, but it's important to call it what it is.
Ben Smith ?
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
Rissie, I think that you may an excellent point. With regards to 'Aunt Messy (they certainly live up to their screen-name), it is best just to ignore them. They are troll known on this site for posting really mean-spirited, cruel, and out-right nasty comments. How they have so many up-votes manages to still shock and baffle me to this day.
Loki’s Lil Butter Knife ?
Let's compare blood test results, you skinny God of health. I bet mine are better than yours.
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
I'm overweight and perfectly healthy. All my blood work is excellent. You can't tell a person's health by their size. Skinny people can be unhealthy, fat people can be healthy.
See I used to think that too. I was considered obese, with excellent bloodworm. The problem is, it's not just the health of all your squishy bits, but your bones and joints too. The added weight being carried all day puts unhealthy stress on your skeletal and muscle structure, I now have to deal widespread pain, that is aggravated by weight gain. I'm 55 and feel like I have been bulldozed every day, on bad days I can barely move. I lost 100lbs, have gained 40 back, and I can tell you the weight makes a difference. Being over or under weight, or yo yo-ing hurts and the damage can be long term, affecting us even after the weight is stable and within norms
Catlady6000 lol
theevolution69 ?
markmutai lol
Oh course, you are right to some degree. But obesity can kill and will kill due to many reasons.
It'll only work until you reach a certain age. With aging, obesity becomes a huge risk factor.
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
Sure. They can feel well until they die. Way too early. For stupid reasons.
Cosmo is designed to reinforce the status quo and sell beauty products. If you are in any way interested in being healthy and/or empowered, stop buying this magazine.
Their double standards and hypocrisy is shocking too. There's widely publicised examples of their objectivity when it comes to talking about womens bodies but at the same time they post articles about the 'perfect' guys bodies and once even shared an article of zoomed in speedo crotches taken at a mens Olympic swimming event.
It's not shocking at all. Media will say anything, do anything, for money
That is something we all need to know: Guys can be objectified. Guys can be abused. Guys can be harassed. Guys can be assaulted. The same things happen to every gender.
This is a good point.
Agreed. As a preteen I always felt like my aversion to magazines like this meant there was something wrong with me. Now I just want to burn them all so young women don't read their damaging lies
Why is this downvoted? It is true. It's just more of what is not needed in today's world.
Yeah @jrgzingler have to agree, burning books??? Burning things you don't agree with leads you down a very steep slippery slope. Extremists of all kinds should be given a platform so intelligent people have the opportunity to dismantle their nonsense.
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
Burning books/magazines? Ask yourself what makes you that?
Ditto any Conde Nasty publication as well including Anna Wintour's VOGUE.
i think they've come a long way, though. i believe it's their teen magazine that open talks about sexual health, positive self-image, etc. i might be mistaken, however.
That is NOT healthy. Obesity kills.
Obesity kills 3+ million people each & every year. Its not sexy nor is it healthy to be 400+ lbs. It detracts from quality of life. Younger generations have tripled in average weights as previous generations. When I went to school, there was maybe a handful of "fat kids"...I graduated in 90s. America has come to rely on fast food, takeout & poor food choices. People should not be ridiculed, harassed or belittled for body size but we can't accept it as normal.