Contact: Allen Steadham
AUSTIN, TX - The International Size Acceptance Association (ISAA) is extremely concerned about the weight-based child custody case of Anamarie Martinez-Regino in Albuquerque, New Mexico. ISAA's mission is to promote size acceptance and to help end size discrimination through means of advocacy and visible, lawful means.
"ISAA intends to support the Martinez-Regino family in any way possible to help ensure the safe return of their daughter," ISAA Director Allen Steadham said. "We are very saddened things have gone this far."
ISAA is not alone in its desire to help this family. ISAA is a member of the International Alliance for Size Acceptance, which consists of size acceptance groups and activists from all over the United States, the United Kingdom, France, the Netherlands, Russia, Norway, New Zealand and Australia. Others have also expressed concern.
"The state's actions in this case are outrageous," Sondra Solovay, J.D. said. "Instead of supporting this little girl and her family by working with them to diagnose what's going on in this case, the state and doctors are blaming the parents for her weight. They have turned the State Police into the Food Police and in so doing, they make a mockery of genuine cases of abuse. This is a threat to the rights of all parents whose children are fat."
Solovay is a legal consultant regarding weight discrimination and author of Tipping The Scales of Justice: Fighting Weight-Based Discrimination.
In addition, ISAA does not support weight loss methods like dieting or surgery, especially for children as young as Martinez-Regino. In adolescents and adults, rapid weight loss can cause gall bladder disease, inadequate nutrient intake and reduce linear growth, according to Sarah E. Barlow and William H. Dietz of PEDIATRICS (Vol . 102, No. 3, Sept. 1998, p. e29), while "the effects of rapid weight loss (more than 1 pound per month) in children younger than 7 years are unknown. Weight loss programs may cause psychological or emotional harm. Eating disorders may arise...a child or parent's preoccupation with the child's weight may damage the child's self-esteem."
ISAA has been officially recognized by the White House, President Clinton, Atlanta Mayor Bill Campbell, the Wall Street Journal's "Work and Family Show" radio program, CNN, CBS, the American Red Cross, the Salvation Army, PEOPLE Magazine, GLAMOUR Magazine and Yahoo! -END-
Phone: (512) 371-4379
E-mail: Director@size-acceptance.org
WWW: http://www.size-acceptance.org
Date: 08/29/2000