I’d agreed to participate in an online survey today about weight loss plans for two reasons: I’m in love with my own opinions, and I was being paid $75 to do so.
I’m also fiercely against extreme methods of weight loss, having been on several doctor-supervised plans that nearly wrecked my health (Fen-Phen, liquid diet soy and rice based, low-fat vegetarian) for a weight gain that was also physician-caused (after I was treated with hormones.)
So I was set and ready to lambaste any new doctor-led fad diet, and any hint that women should jeopardize their health to be slim.
But I also ended up with an opportunity to fight for choice, which was a bonus.
Take that, Sarah Palin!
Turned out we were to evaluate five ads for a “doctor-supervised” program of packaged foods containing no-fat oil Olestra.
I got my chance to bash “doctor-supervised” weight loss plans, packaged diet foods and the diarrhea-inducing Olestra, which was fun.
Then we were asked if we felt positively or negatively about an ad that featured the diet plan in conjunction with the “women-only” gym Curves.
And I was loaded for bear, “I’ve read that the owner of Curves is rabidly anti-choice and heavily funds anti-choice projects. I couldn’t in good conscience recommend that plan to anyone,” I typed.
I imagine the marketing director having a small heart attack, as she frantically typed, “You read that in this ad?”
Which gave me the opportunity to repeat the info, “No, previously to seeing this sample ad, I read that the owner of Curves is a rabidly anti-choice man who heavily funds anti-choice projects. I couldn’t in good conscience give money to a diet plan that includes Curves.”
No response from the moderator, the only blowback was from one of the participants, “I have a choice, too.”
To which I replied, “You’re entitled to your choice, but not to limit my choices, or everybody else’s. And I’m not even of child-bearing age! But I remember what it was like before choice, and what it did to my friends.”
And that wasn’t the end of it: 3 out of 4 participants (who ranged in geographic area from Denver to Dallas) then went on to negatively assess the Curves ad. Reasons included “Don’t believe in a woman-only gym.” and “The owner.”
Ah ha! I’d not only gotten the word out about the anti-choice owner of Curves, but given pause to a marketing company and their diet plan clients about the viability of including Curves in that program, and perhaps thwarting Curves from topping up the anti-choice coffers, at least from that particular diet plan.
(Not that an Olestra-based diet plan gives a damn about choice, but focus groups are held precisely to warn about potential problems with a marketing program. If a substantial number of our small group felt negatively about Curves, they fear an exponentially larger number of the general public might, too. And rightly fear any bad publicity and protests they might receive from a link with that gym.)
All that, and I made $75 for my big-mouth opinions.
Fuck you, Sarah Palin!