And when I step on to this scale,

我站上去的時候

the numbers spin around and around,

體重計上面的數字欄會轉動

and give me a number.

然後顯示一個數字

And in my case,

我的體重是

100.

一百

But what does this number really mean?

但是這個數字到底代表什麼呢？

According to weight classification tables,

根據體重等級表

in relation to my height,

搭配我的身高

I am normal,

我體態正常

or ideal weight for my height.

或者說這是我這種身高應有的理想體重

Ok.

ok

But my body has been subjected to much more

但是根據這份體重等級表，我的身體受到的評論

than just these medicalised terms, according to these weight tables.

卻不只來自這些醫療的標準

I've been questioned as being anorexic

常常有人問我是不是有厭食症

or sick looking.

或者是不是生病了

And predominantly, I am the skinny bitch.

通俗一點的說法就是，我是個該死的瘦子

And in my personal encounter with this skinny bitch phenomena,

就我個人的經歷來說，這種「該死的瘦子」的現象

it comes pretty much in a one generalized form.

在一般人的生活中十分常見

It's either I am on a diet, and everybody wants to know what it is,

就好像我在為瘦身節食，所有的人都想知道我的方法是什麼

and they are just waiting for me to give them this magic pill

而他們在等我給他們瘦身的特效藥

and they will be skinny like me.

然後他們就可以變得跟我一樣瘦

And when I tell them actually I am not everything in moderation,

當我告訴他們我沒有為了瘦身做什麼特別的事情時

I get this, "Uh," snotty look – as if I am lying.

他們總是用厭惡的表情說「呃」，好像覺得我在說謊

So I'm a liar.

所以我變成說謊的人

Or it comes in a different form.

我也有得到過不同的回應

Or, if they don't believe me, they think,

如果他們不相信我說的，他們會認為

"Oh! you're one of those girls who can eat everything she wants

「噢！你是那種怎麼吃都不會胖

and doesn't gain a pound."

的女生。」

And there's a sense of hamminess between me and this person –

我與這個人之間有種誇張的情緒 —

this resentment.

一種憤恨

I don't feel good about that.

我不喜歡這樣

And what was once just a number from a scale

從什麼時候開始區區一個體重計上的數字

has now characterized myself as a person and my health.

能夠說明我是什麼樣的人還有我的健康狀況

Critical theorists call this: "Weight-based discrimination".

評論家稱之為：「體重歧視」

And while weight-based discrimination is seen at all shapes and sizes,

體重歧視發生在各種體型的人身上

one particular group of individuals,

其中有一群特定的人們

those who are tip over the normal category,

他們的體重超過他們身高應有的正常範圍

have been particular subjects of this form of discrimination.

這群人深受體重歧視的困擾

Yeah, I am talking about — the fat people.

沒錯，我指的是 — 肥胖的人

And according to the literature, not only does the general population,

資料顯示，不僅社會大眾

but professionals working to help these individuals,

就連理當幫助這些人的專業人員

whether it be: dietitians,

不論是：營養師

physicians, physiotherapist,

醫師、復健師

they have preconceived notions of them, based completely on their body.

他們都曾對這群人有先入為主的想法，就只因為他們的身形

For instance:

例如：

fat people are gluttonous,

肥胖的人非常愛吃

fat people are lazy,

肥胖的人都懶惰

fat people are inactive.

肥胖的人不愛運動

A fat child is a child abuse

肥胖的小孩容易受虐待

and a fat parent is a poor role model.

而肥胖的家長是很差的典範

And again and again, I don't know how many times I've read this,

這樣的例子數不勝數，我不知道已經看過多少了

but a fat citizen is a burden to our straining health care system.

但是對我們的日漸衰退健康照護體系來說肥胖的居民是種負擔

And while what I am presenting to you may not shock you,

我現在說的這些可能不會嚇到你

what shocks me is how do we go from being raised

讓我震驚的是，我們從小受到的教育告訴我們

to not judge a book by its cover, but as mature adults

不要以貌取人，但等我們長大成人

and health care professionals,

或成為醫療照護人員

we do it on a daily basis.

我們卻每天都在這麼做

And why?

為什麼？

Because of fear.

因為恐懼

And what feed this fear is the overstated and misrepresentation

而誇大又扭曲的科學聲稱體重可以看出一個人健康與否

of the scientific claims underlying weight as a health indicator.

更是增加了這種對肥胖的恐懼

And so when we see claims like: "Risk of death increases with weight,"

所以當我們看到像是「死亡風險隨體重增加」這樣的標語

or in other words,

或是其他標語

the fatter you are – the more likely you are to die,

「你越胖越接近死亡」

it feeds onto this fear,

我們心中的恐懼會因此增加

and we somehow attach certainty to whatever we are reading.

而且我們常常對讀到的東西深信不疑

But the evidence behind these scientific claims are actually quite conflicting.

但是這些科學主張背後的證據其實備受爭議

Let's take a look at this study for one moment.

我們花些時間來看看這些研究吧

If we assessed the redline as a barometer of health,

我們假設這條紅線表代表一個人健康與否

so anybody below this redline has a lower risk of death,

那麼跟正常體重的人，也就是理想體態的人相比

compared to normal weight people — the ideal,

低於這條紅線的人死亡風險會比較低

and anybody above has an increased risk of death.

而高於這條紅線的人死亡風險隨之增加

I bring your attention to the lower part of the graph.

我希望你們注意的是圖表中下方的部分

Our overweight and obese individuals actually have a reduced risk of death

與正常體重的人相比，體重過重且肥胖的人們

than those who are normal weight.

死亡機率其實隨之降低

But as citizens we want to not only live long, we want live healthy.

但我們不只想要活的長久，也想要活得健康

And so this may not intrigue us.

所以這個例子可能不適用

The second claim, that " fat people are unhealthy ",

第二個主張是「肥胖的人都不健康」

that grabs our attention.

這引起我們的注意

Well, they could live long but they're not healthy.

他們也許能活得長久但他們並不健康

And one way that science objectifies health is by looking at some key indicators

而科學斷定健康的其中一種方法就是看特定項目的指數

that tell us something about your risk of death.

從中我們能夠知道你的死亡風險有多高

Key indicators such as: blood pressure,

這些特定項目的指數有：血壓

your cholesterol level,

你的膽固醇指數

triglycerides, inflammation,

三酸甘油酯、炎症

I am sounding like a textbook, I know,

我聽起來像無聊的課本，我知道

insulin and your glucose level.

胰島素和你的血糖指數

And all of these indicators packaged into one

這些指數的結果全部濃縮成一體

give us a sort of indication of our risk of "heart disease" and "diabetes" —

告訴我們罹患「心臟疾病」和「糖尿病」的風險有多少 —

the burdens of our health care system.

這兩類疾病也是我們醫療照護體系的負擔

And so, what this study wanted to look at and see

所以這項研究想要觀察的是

is to see whether or not these package of indicators

這一系列的指數在肥胖的人

are different in those who are fat and those who are not.

與不肥胖的人之間是否會有不同的結果

And this is what they saw: So normal weight individuals —

這就是他們看到的結果：體重正常的人—

Yes, most of them had a healthy profile.

沒錯，他們大部分都有健康的資料

So their blood glucose and all that stuff I talked about, that was kind of boring

他們的血糖還有其他我剛剛提到過有點無聊的那些項目

actually was fine.

其實都還不錯

But, actually almost 25% of the normal weight individuals

但是，事實上有將近25%正常體重的人

actually had abnormal indicators.

測試結果不在正常範圍

Meaning that they would be in an increased risk of disease.

這代表他們有潛在增加的患病機率

Hmm!

嗯！

And this is about, according to the most recent

這代表...根據最新的

BMI prevalence of normal weight people,

BMI普及正常體重調查

this is about 1.5 million individuals

這代表有將近一百五十萬人

that are abnormal.

身體狀況處於非正常狀態

And so they looked at overweight.

然後他們觀察過重者的數據結果

Over 50% of the overweight individuals had metabolic health.

超過50%過重的人新陳代謝的狀況屬於健康

And what about obese — the really fat people?

那肥胖的人呢？那些真的有肥胖問題的人？

One third are metabolically healthy.

他們有三分之一的新陳代謝狀況同樣屬於健康狀態

That's 2.5 million people.

就是兩百五十萬人

And while we can't ignore

我們不能忽視

that there's more of these abnormal metabolic individuals

這代表在這些新陳代謝不正常的人之中

at a higher weight,

體重較高的人數比較多

we tend to ignore the fact that at every size we can see health.

我們刻意忽視一個事實，那就是不論何種身形的人都可能有健康的身體

And it's this ignorance that brings fire

而就是這種視而不見的現象

and acceptably to weight-based discrimination.

燎起體重歧視之火，甚至放任大火蔓延

And the consequences of this are not small —

這樣的後果不可小覷

they're very severe:

這非常的嚴重

body dissatisfaction, lower self-esteem,

對身體的不滿意、自信心降低

impaired nutrition intake.

不正確攝取營養

Looks like this —

就像這上面寫的—

We will do anything to get to this thin ideal:

為了達到理想的纖細身形，我們不顧一切：

eating less, vomiting,

少吃、催吐

smoking more cigarettes.

多吸菸

Is this health promotion?

你們覺得這是健康的倡導嗎？

And so, we need to wake up.

所以我們必須認清現狀

As a society, we need to wake up

身為社會的一份子，我們必須認清現狀

and see weight-based discrimination as a legitimate concern.

並把體重歧視視為一種有法律高度的議題

We need to think forward and critically analyze

我們必須想得更遠，客觀地分析

the information we're getting regarding weight as an indicator of health.

這些有關體重決定健康狀態的資訊

And most importantly, as a society, we need to shift the focus away from

最重要的是，身為社會的一份子，我們必須轉移注意力

striving for this thin ideal, this "normality".

不再追求這種理想的纖細體態，這種所謂的「正常狀態」

No one's normal.

沒有人是正常的

But this health ideal,

但是這種體想的健康

and this health ideal looks and feels

對我們每個人來說，這種理想的健康

different for each and every one of us.

看起來、感覺起來都不一樣

And so,

所以

what does this number really mean on this scale?

這個體重計上的數字到底有什麼意義？

With scientific certainty in light,

從確切的科學角度來看

it's gravity's pull on your body.

這只是你的身體受到地心引力的結果罷了