Athika Ahmed (Welsh health ambassador) - Can we show her some love?

So overweight people can't have jobs now? You have no idea why she is overweight. Just because somebody isn't the ideal BMI, does that mean they can't do a job, implement policies, advocate for health services etc... Would you say the same to an overweight surgeon or would you just be pleased they had the skills to help you and potentially save lives.

I noted a typo in my response. It should say that it doesn’t matter how she looks and ITS GOOD she’s promoting women’s menstrual health. Can’t correct it

No it was a different post, a while ago when she won an award for something else, it was misquoted that she was a dietician.

I see some of your points, it doesn’t matter how she looks if she’s promoting women’s menstrual health. However, the argument makes no sense when you compare it to an oncologist with cancer or a surgeon with a prosthetic leg. Going through a similar experience to a patient isn’t the same thing as actively doing the opposite to the medical advice you are giving.

my point was the misquoting of her profession has meant she’s received unnecessary and unrelated abuse online

I've had fat nurses tell me I am overweight and I need to eat better when I have been 5 points lower BMI than them. That's just insulting. If it was that easy we'd all be thin. And now with jabs the rich can be thin.

But
If she's talking about periods then at least she's female.
That's a lot better than Scotland did.

Therese Coffey.

https://news.sky.com/story/who-is-therese-coffey-the-new-karaoke-loving-health-secretary-who-admits-shes-not-a-role-model-12691842

Quite

This. Well said, @YesSirICanNameChange

True. Remember all the grief that health minister got because she was fat? Can't remwmber her name.

Imagine posting something like this and posturing as being the righteous one.

I would absolutely take advice from a qualified dietician of any weight or health condition. I would take health advice from an oncologist with cancer, from a GP with diabetes and a surgeon with a prosthetic leg. Because if they are qualified, any health condition they have it's absolutely irrelevant to the guidance they would give.

It's not relevant to this though - this young woman is not a dietitian. I'm assuming the LinkedIn page you're looking at is the one that some troll has put up with racist and misogynistic dog whistles to engender exactly this kind of conversation. I would take advice from any qualified medical practitioner, I would have more caution taking information from LinkedIn profiles.

Just imagine for a moment the alternative to allowing this woman to be active on this health panel. "Yes, you are passionate about promoting better health education, and better access particularly amongst the population that has less access to good information and health care. And you did amazing work shaping the resources available to children across Wales. But could you possibly stand at the back, behind our more aesthetically acceptable panellists? The lady with the brain tumour also has health issues, but they are not visible so let her stand at the front."

We can't allow right wing misogynist dictate which women can speak up.

Good fucking god.

It says on linked in that she’s a dietician? I think this is where a lot of the critical comments are coming from. I think this is a misprint but you can see why people are perplexed. I personally wouldn’t take advice from an obese dietician.

Is health only for skinny people now?

I have seen over 30 separate posts about this poor lady today

Loads of posters here think education and work are pointless - they are basically glorified housewives and baby popping machines with no achievements of their own. Therefore they are never going to see this woman as hard working or successful - it’s always about how attractive they deem her to be!

More fatty bashing
Christ ,let the woman do her job .
I hope she's got a thick skin ,and able to ignore this nonsense.
She's just a woman doing an important job
There could be a load of medical reasons why she's carrying extra weight,and none of them are anyone's business except hers

Not remotely - I don't live in Cardiff, or work for the health board, or for Welsh Government. I just don't like to see people tearing down a young woman doing her best for her community and for women in Wales more broadly. Don't you speak up when you see bloody ignorance? I do.

A few arseholes won’t put their heads above the parapet else it gets shot off! Such is life.

Yes, she’s overweight, but she’s not advising on healthy eating

In the video I watched of her @NutritiousSardines (apt username ), Ahmed said that at school they should be teaching "things that are going to prolong my life" rather than just "how to get a job, because if I'm not living long enough, how will I get a job".

On that basis, her weight is an awkward 'hyopcrisy', for want of a better word. Because she's not just overweight, she is very obese. Which will affect her mortality and probably her periods too.

I say this as someone who is two stone overweight who is trying to lose weight for the sake of my health, and it's happening albeit slowly. I have a chronic health condition that is unrelated to weight but excess weight doesn't help it. The doctor is monitoring my weight and progress at my check-ins. If that doctor was morbidly obese and so more overweight than I am, I'd find it hard to look them in the eye.

I applaud her for doing the work she's doing, but she is not going to be fully listened to if she's demonstrably not healthy herself.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11119419/Meet-macho-tobacco-seller-turned-PT-announced-new-36-126-year-period-officer.html

(Spoiler for those who missed this story: he subsequently sued the council for sex discrimination and settled out of court.)

At least she's not male like the ill fated Scottish Period Ambassador. 😂

You know I think cynicism is starting to bed in for me. What with the Scotgov and Labour still, STILL failing to follow the law and Supreme Court judgment and respect the most basic rights of women in law.

Period products seem to be something politicians use when they want to signal they care about WAG.

We got free period products for a short while in Scotland. They've not bothered refilling the loos in months, though, I guess the photo opps are past now.

So, it'll take more than a box or two of tampons to convince me the Welsh govt give a fuck about WAG. They've been treating us with contempt for years.

But, to stick strictly to the OP, this woman seems to be doing good work, so all the best to her. I hope she gets good support.

From my reading of the information available online about her, she is not a Welsh Government appointee, but has a role on a local health board’s youth panel (which I assume is a role people volunteer for). It is difficult to work out though because of the tirade of misinformation and racism directed at her.

Yes, she’s overweight, but she’s not advising on healthy eating - and even if she was, her own weight would be irrelevant to the accuracy of her advice & its ability to engage the community it’s directed at. She’s making interesting points about schools and health and I have no doubt the comments about her are motivated by racism and misogyny. Revolting. In particular as far as I am aware the right wing commentators abusing her (eg ‘Tommy Robinson’, ‘Catturd’) have not before this expressed any interest in women’s health issues such as breast self examination.

It’s also really sinister to suggest that people who are overweight should not be given a public facing role ‘for their own protection’ (however this is phrased). We should deal with racism & misogyny by criticising those engaging in it, not by ensuring that women at whom it might be directed are kept out of the public eye. Or, should only those women deemed to meet ‘Tommy Robinson’s’ beauty standards (young enough, blonde enough, thing enough) be allowed a public platform? Allowed to speak in public? ‘For their own good’, of course.

The policing of women’s bodies continues apace.