tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7705714898680615192.post1451223462716355836..comments2024-03-28T09:13:52.707+00:00Comments on Blind Spot: Would you rather be blind or fat?Hannah Thompsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02537301344697081335noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7705714898680615192.post-2825134981027271192023-08-25T09:31:41.497+01:002023-08-25T09:31:41.497+01:00This iss a great postThis iss a great postKayla Rollinshttps://rollinskayla.wordpress.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7705714898680615192.post-28711969520065057832013-01-15T14:30:49.004+00:002013-01-15T14:30:49.004+00:00In a way this reminds me of the question about the...In a way this reminds me of the question about the importance of the senses: "Would you rather be blind or deaf?" However, these questions are addressed to people who are neither blind nor deaf, and they'll only be focused on what they lose. The question changes if you ask a blind person if he'd rather be deaf, or a deaf person if he'd rather be blind. Personally, I'd rather be mute than deaf or blind, but then, I'm a writer and the absence of speech wouldn't necessarily be a detraction of my life as long as I can make myself understood. However, nobody asks 'Would you rather be mute than blind', because speech is apparently held in lower regard than vision.<br /><br />As to your comment about the media taking research results out of context, media has to sell itself, so skewing research results to sell more newspapers or get more online clicks is enough reason for them to mess with our minds.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7705714898680615192.post-77358897360391434932012-05-14T17:30:39.643+01:002012-05-14T17:30:39.643+01:00I did a bit of research and found that the origina...I did a bit of research and found that the original question was asked as part of some research (published in the American Journal of Public Health) about whether obesity (and attitudes to it) was determined by people's social ties - ie were people who had fat friends more likely to be fat themselves, or did they choose to hang out with fat friends because they were also fat. The subjects were asked to rate obesity alongside 12 other 'social stigmas' including depression, herpes, aleoholism and blindness(!). The researchers asked them to do this in order to find out their 'anti-obesity preference'. 14.5% said they would choose blindness over obesity. So I now think the original question was asked for valid reasons, but it has been massively distorted by the media coverage which mostly takes it completely out of context.... Why am I not surprised by this?Hannah Thompsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02537301344697081335noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7705714898680615192.post-23588124222025652962012-05-14T16:08:15.321+01:002012-05-14T16:08:15.321+01:00I agree that the asking of the question in the fir...I agree that the asking of the question in the first place is what is so aberrant. As though life dishes up neat alternatives. Whoever has that 'choice' between blindness and obesity? It makes it sound like some bizarre TV game, as if the question is asked for and by people who are neither blind nor obese but who are speculating on different 'misfortunes'. It's about as daft as asking whether you'd save your pet dog or your pet cat first in an emergency.Tim Unwinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01534233704792981919noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7705714898680615192.post-49846484913900350842012-05-14T14:42:21.744+01:002012-05-14T14:42:21.744+01:00Oh, my. What a strange and disturbing question. It...Oh, my. What a strange and disturbing question. It seems to me that society has regressed since the 1970s when it comes to women and body image. I keep hearing that voluntary surgical interventions (from liposuction to breast enhancement) are all part of woman's right to control her own body. This logic is so twisted, I don't know where to begin. Sigh.Cheryl Quimbyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07813817053086587880noreply@blogger.com