http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/..._n_3385641.html

As much as I believe in LC, this cut me right to my core.
I'm in graduate school right now and...every seminar, every conference, every time I get up in front of my thesis committee I feel that they are thinking this exact thing. That I'm not as smart as thin students, that I'm not as capable, or that they just plain don't respect me as much.
So to see it confirmed hurts like hell.

Please don't take this an encouragement to fill his Twitter or university email with flames. My intention was not to sick a internet mob on him, that's already happened once anyway, but just to vent my feelings about this.
As most people do in this case he made an apology which included the *entirely* believable assurance that he'd never discriminate against an applicant because of their weight.
The head of his department, however, responded in a very appropriate way.

However, this does make me thankful that I was still (somewhat) thin back when I was interviewing. Although, on the other hand I guess it means damned well better lose some weight before I graduate and have to start interviewing for post-docs!

Its not easy being large, altho the world is full of large people these days and its becoming the norm.

I dont particularly agree with his "tweet", but at the same time, its his right to say what he wants - after all its a free country.

I always remember a slim friend of mine saying to me when I was complaining about being overweight "well, you can do something about it - be grateful that you're not physically handicapped or deformed, you wouldnt be able to do anything about that" At the time I didnt know whether to be offended or not - she was right tho!? Weight gain and obesity IS something we can do something about if we try - or can we????



Jo xxx

Having been an internet junkie since 1994, it's been fascinating to watch social media develop. In particular, I find it oddly satisfying when people don't think before they type, and get themselves into major sh*t with their poorly-thought-out impulsive public chatter.

This guy demonstrates how it doesn't matter how many degrees you hold; idiocy is prevalent across all intellect levels.

I hope he never gets to live it down.

Maybe the worst thing here is that it was an honest mistake. It never occurred to this guy that people might be offended. Maybe he thought lean people would agree with him, and overweight people wouldn't defend themselves?

I have a friend who believes low carb is healthy, but can't bring herself to eat that way long-term. I've never missed the carbs the way she does when she goes low-carb. For me it's not a matter of willpower at all. I used to flirt with weekend carb-ups, so I'd buy a bag of oatmeal or potatoes, and they'd sit in my cupboard for months--the day would come, and the last thing I wanted was carbs.
I just did five days of the potato-hack--nothing but potatoes for five days. It was a short week. I lasted a little under two days. So do I lack willpower to eat potatoes, but have lots of willpower to not eat potatoes? A person who manages to eat potatoes for six months straight probably doesn't find it as bloody awful as I do.

Or, more importantly, that no one would reach the obvious conclusion that this means maybe he's discriminatory in his assessments of applicants he interviews if they're overweight?



I know what you mean and envy you so much that ability. I want to eat low carb long term but I'm one of those who definitely cannot handle weekend carb ups. I'm one of those who can never have just one cookie, or just a serving of potato chips unless I've only bought 1 cookie or 1 small bag of potato chips. Oatmeal is a little better, but if it has any sugar in it....forget it.

Which is why I can say with zero hesistation that his statement is total BS.
I've done low carb before, and right now I'm doing both low carb and a PhD.
Make no mistake, there is very little about a PhD that would be called "easy", but it's still at least 50X easier than giving-up carbs if you're addicted to them.

I saw this a couple of weeks ago when it came out and I did slam him. Don't care much. he deserved it.

The fact is the guy is his area of expertise is psychology, he should not be in that profession. It shows a judgmental attitude of condemning people as if he is better than someone.

He complete ignores the societal impact as well as the food industry impact on people's weight problems.

Everything has a role in it and people just don't realize. It is not just one thing that makes a person have a weight problem.

And when money is the driving factor, getting access to the right information is extremely difficult.

I told my hubby I wish I could never have to eat again. Hoping we as animals evolve past that point.

He said life wouldn't be worth living with out food.

I asked him, why? I said do you think you honestly feel that way? Or is it something that you been taught by family, friends, society, food industry and media?

He asked me why does it matter? I said, well I would like to be myself and not something that was programmed into me by others. Don't you want to know your self.

Just think about it. Long ago, we did not have this variety. Those who were rich long ago meant they had food. Those who were poor where malnutritioned. Then rich was a variety of food, and poor was the basic food like porridge or meat or bread.

Now look at our society. Look at the shows, commercials, social gatherings and see how much emphasis is put on food.

you look and see that a misleading food pyramid was promoted to increase the grain industry. the misleading diet industry to make a buck. The food industry that spend millions of dollars of research to give your mouth an orgasm when eating so you can create a chemical reaction in the brain that indicates highten pleasure with their products. The chemical laced additives in our food to create a craving.

And the result is what we have.

I really hope the guy doesn't live it down.

It was very clever and quick thinking of someone to say this
Reminds me of a few years ago when some celebrity claimed that porno pictures downloaded on his computer were there because he was researching into the wicked easy availability of porn in advance of campaigning against it!!

Actually, saying that was much dumber than the tweet because any studies involving humans have to be approved by the associated university's Institutional Review Board. So unless it truly was a study that had been approved by the IRB...he went before his boss and admitted to scientific misconduct.