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>> america tonight, right after live news at 8 and 11 eastern. live news at 8 and 11 eastern. >> welcome to al jazeera america >> welcome to al jazeera america i'm john seigenthaler, i'm john seigenthaler, and here's a look at the headlines... and here's a look at the headlines... >> al jazeera america, >> al jazeera america, there's more to it. there's more to it. >> 260 pounds. >> 260 pounds. what are you, what are you, 5' 5' 4"? 4"? you've gained weight since last you've gained weight since last year. year. looks like your diet isn't looks like your diet isn't working. working. please move into the examination please move into the examination room. room. the doctor will be right with the doctor will be right with you. you. how hard is it to push yourself how hard is it to push yourself back from the back from the table? table? >> and get off the couch. >> and get off the couch. nothing to it but to do it. nothing to it but to do it. you got to work that hard to get you got to work that hard to get that overweight. that overweight. >> all right, welcome back. >> all right, welcome back. streamers, we're talking about streamers, we're talking about weight bias. weight bias. according to a recent report according to a recent report by by the the yale center, responded yale center, responded

negatively, 31% of nurses said negatively, 31% of nurses said they would prefer not to care they would prefer not to care for obese patients. for obese patients. omar. omar. up. up. what are they saying about this? what are they saying about this? >> they really have. >> they really have. they have some level of they have some level of skepticism. skepticism. that stigmatization, we have that stigmatization, we have adam who says, while i'm sure it adam who says, while i'm sure it honestly happens i belt more honestly happens i belt more than a few people are blurring than a few people are blurring the line between stigma and the line between stigma and medical advice. medical advice. >> so glen, where do you draw >> so glen, where do you draw the line between medical advice the line between medical advice and stigmatization? and stigmatization? is there quoo way to draw the is there quoo way to draw the line between what falls -- a way line between what falls -- a way to draw the line between what to draw the line between what falls in one category and one in falls in one category and one in the other? the other? >> that's a sticky one. >> that's a sticky one. let me say let me say this: physicians this: physicians should be giving evidence based should be giving evidence based advice to their patients. advice to their patients. in other words, what works best. in other words, what works best. we know that exercise and a good we know that exercise and a good healthy diet healthy diet can improve healthy can improve healthy tremendously, even though a tremendously, even though a person may not lose that much person may not lose that much weight. weight.

trying to get a fat person to trying to get a fat person to slim down by dieting makes no slim down by dieting makes no sense whatsoever. sense whatsoever. over the last 30 years, from over the last 30 years, from around 1980 onward, and this is around 1980 onward, and this is when obesity rates started to when obesity rates started to increase dramatically in the increase dramatically in the united states, during that united states, during that 30-year period, collectively, 30-year period, collectively, u.s. adults in the united states u.s. adults in the united states tried to lose weight about two tried to lose weight about two billion tiles. billion tiles. that's billion with -- that's billion with -- times. times. that's billion with a b. that's billion with a b. seven weight loss attempts for seven weight loss attempts for every adult who has lived in every adult who has lived in america in the last 30 america in the last 30 years. years. albert albert einstein einstein defined insanity defined insanity as trying the same thing ore and as trying the same thing ore and over again and expecting the over again and expecting the same results -- or different same results -- or different results consume. results consume. if you f we have a situation if you f we have a situation where we have people trying where we have people trying things over and over again and things over and over again and expecting expecting to lose weight and to lose weight and it's not working, we have it's not working, we have

basically a problem basically a problem with just with just register cg reality. register cg reality. i think most people just don't i think most people just don't realize how futile dieting realize how futile dieting really is. really is. >> glen, i want to get jeanette >> glen, i want to get jeanette in in this. this. jeanette, jeanette, thefatchick thefatchick .com. .com. you ran a marathon. you ran a marathon. if i ran a marathon, i would die if i ran a marathon, i would die and collapse. and collapse. you challenge this you challenge this notion, notion, that that fat defies good fat defies good health. health. >> there is a study out just >> there is a study out just this last week that people who this last week that people who are fit and fat statistically are fit and fat statistically are healthier than people who are healthier than people who are thin and not fit. are thin and not fit. and there's very little and there's very little difference in terms of health difference in terms of health risks for people who are fit, risks for people who are fit, and and fat, and people who are fit fat, and people who are fit and thin. and thin. this is something people have a this is something people have a lot of trouble wrapping their lot of trouble wrapping their minds around but the statistics minds around but the statistics

on it are fairly clear. on it are fairly clear. in terms of this question that in terms of this question that some of the readers have had some of the readers have had about whether or not weight about whether or not weight stigma exists in the doctor's stigma exists in the doctor's office, i can tell you that it office, i can tell you that it dops does. dops does. i work for the association for i work for the association for size diversity and mattel. size diversity and mattel. we are-- and health. we are-- and health. we are talking about bias in the we are talking about bias in the health care system and the health care system and the stories are heartbreaking. stories are heartbreaking. i have seen these things with my i have seen these things with my own students. own students. they will make tremendous they will make tremendous stride, start an exercise stride, start an exercise program, and their numbers are program, and their numbers are getting better and the doctors, getting better and the doctors, instead of encouraging them, instead of encouraging them, saying that's saying that's great, but they great, but they say, that's nice but you haven't say, that's nice but you haven't lost weight. lost weight. >> or they respond negatively to >> or they respond negatively to those who are overweight, even those who are overweight, even behind drug behind drug adecks and adecks and alcoholism and mental illness. alcoholism and mental illness.

omar. omar. >> for anybody who is like me, >> for anybody who is like me, who is a geek of kung fu police who is a geek of kung fu police officers, jackie chan is on the officers, jackie chan is on the bigger side but he's practically bigger side but he's practically an athlete. an athlete. we have a video comment from we have a video comment from jessica, take a listen to this. jessica, take a listen to this. >> i do not believe there is a >> i do not believe there is a relationship between weight and relationship between weight and health. health. i liken this to another change i liken this to another change in american bodies, we are in american bodies, we are getting taller yet we don't have getting taller yet we don't have an over-height an over-height epidemic. epidemic. in fact people are more in fact people are more successful and considered more successful and considered more beautiful if they are taller. beautiful if they are taller. americans do not have access to americans do not have access to the information that shows them the information that shows them that weight and height are not that weight and height are not related and instead what we have related and instead what we have is a society where fat bodies is a society where fat bodies health. health. >> all right >> all right virgie, we have virgie, we have heard heard glen, they consider happy, glen, they consider happy, athletic and a bit overweight. athletic and a bit overweight. but that doaps stop society

but that doaps stop society for -- stop society from shaming for -- stop society from shaming those who are overweight. those who are overweight. is it working? is it working? >> essentially no. >> essentially no. i want to really quickly revisit i want to really quickly revisit the question that you asked the question that you asked which was, or that the person which was, or that the person who tweeted in asked which is, who tweeted in asked which is, what's the difference between what's the difference between medical neglect -- rather what medical neglect -- rather what is the difference between stigma is the difference between stigma and advice, i would say it's and advice, i would say it's neglect. neglect. i recently interviewed 60 people i recently interviewed 60 people who had fat experiences with the who had fat experiences with the doctor. doctor. i i was skeptical even reading was skeptical even reading these because they were sow these because they were sow harrowing. harrowing. someone going into the doctor someone going into the doctor and complaining and complaining about cramping about cramping in the in the uterus, and they are told uterus, and they are told to go home and lose weight. to go home and lose weight. and they find out that they had and they find out that they had cancer. cancer. if this phobia hadn't been part if this phobia hadn't been part of the medical system, they of the medical system, they would have gotten treatment. would have gotten treatment.

this is the difference between this is the difference between advice advice and and stigmatization. stigmatization. essentially to go back to your essentially to go back to your question, it's not working. question, it's not working. we know that shaming people and we know that shaming people and stigmatizing people only make stigmatizing people only make them more at risk for chronic them more at risk for chronic illnesses and poor quality of illnesses and poor quality of life. life. >> what is the community >> what is the community sentiment? sentiment? >> raising the point, obesity is >> raising the point, obesity is a health issue rather than a health issue rather than anything else but bam anything else but bam bi bi responded, it hasn't anything to responded, it hasn't anything to do with concern for their do with concern for their health, it has to do with being health, it has to do with being jerks and then we have ivy here jerks and then we have ivy here w.h.o. says shaming new england w.h.o. says shaming new england ends the ends the debate. debate. this applies disrespect for the this applies disrespect for the person being person being shamed. shamed. >> all right what's your >> all right what's your response to that? response to that? i want to get your thoughts in i want to get your thoughts in before the break. before the break. >> i think my dad really had a >> i think my dad really had a great take on this believe it or great take on this believe it or not. not. my dad when i was growing up he my dad when i was growing up he

told me when you have your used told me when you have your used car you make sure you keep up car you make sure you keep up the paint job. the paint job. i said why how is that connected i said why how is that connected to the engine? to the engine? my dead said well, if you don't my dead said well, if you don't like your car, you won't take like your car, you won't take care of it. care of it. you won't take it in when it you won't take it in when it needs to be serviced and if it needs to be serviced and if it makes a makes a funny noise you'll turn funny noise you'll turn up the radio. up the radio. but if you feel good in that car but if you feel good in that car you'll do you'll do what you can what you can do do to to keep that car better. keep that car better. and i think that's the same and i think that's the same with with people's body people's body images. images. >> first, here are some other >> first, here are some other stories we're stories we're on. on.

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thailand's pm defeats a parliamentary opponents, but is yet to beat those protesting on the streets of occupying government buildings. >> this is al jazeera. also in the next half hour - silvio berlusconi kicked out of italy's parliament. the man insists he will stay in politics. >> egyptian women and girls as young as 15 given heavy sentences for protesting. brazil's world cup preparations in the spotl a