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

[SixSevens]

Once again, Twitter/X has sunk to new lows…

Athika Ahmed, an ambassador for the “Love Your Period” campaign is being widely bullied by thousands of men for her appearance. She’s a young woman and clearly doing good work. I hate that it’s acceptable to treat women like this.

Very few are standing up for her. Can we show her some love?

The information about her online does state that she was diagnosed with a brain tumour at a young age, and in consequence started her periods at 8- hence her particular interest in women’s’ issues & periods. If correct this makes the horrific abuse directed at her even worse.

I am astonished that so many people on here seem to be entirely ok with the idea that a woman’s right to speak her mind in public depends on her weight. I mean, if we follow this through, it could be taken as suggesting that fat women should not be politicians because of their ‘lack of self control’ and/or lack of foresight, self care, etc. ‘How can we trust a woman’s advice on energy policy, if she can’t even manage her own food intake?’ etc.

Imagining inserting yourself in this attention seeking manner, as if your opinion has any relevance. This has to be the least useful post within the entire thread. Hopefully you feel better now after your armchair psychology.

I think it was pretty much par for the course that she would get the piss ripped out of her on social media, especially mentioning "health" in her title. Of course people are going to comment. Still at least she's a female period ambassador, unlike Scotland who, in their wisdom, engaged a man to do the job (albeit briefly, if memory serves)

😂

She’s a clever and articulate woman who is educating others and is not white, skinny or Christian, all
things that apparently give Terry from Bristol who has never done a thing for others in his entire life the right to belittle her.
The health issues that she is raising are so important, women’s health issues are a historically undervalued and understudied area and health outcomes of minority cultures are even worse. This is importantly stiff!

If anything it gives her more life experience than some racing snake who knows nothing about the health of a lot of the general public.

And you should be ashamed of yourself for even suggesting that she can't do her job because she's fat - which is what you're doing.

I agree. The whole thing is an absolute joke.

Again I agree. She was decidedly inarticulate and frankly unpolished - she doesn’t send the right message at all.

Her weight prevents her from being a positive role model to other young women in terms of their health She may do a good job but her weight is an issue and should not be dismissed. It’s all of a piece with telling the truth and not pretending the emperor has new clothes.

No, the information about her online does not state that.

Read the BBC article linked to in this thread again. I've attached a screenshot. Molly Fenton was the young woman with a brain tumour who started her periods at 8.

It does state that Athika Ahmed started her periods "at a very young age". If she was obese at that age, that will have been a big contributing factor as to why. There is a proven huge link between having obesity and starting menstruation young. Which is something Ahmed may have to discuss as part of her role.

I admire the work she and others are doing. It is very important. I am absolutely against her getting ridiculed and shamed for her weight. Her weight doesn't mean she shouldn't be doing this work, of course not. But it's disingenuous of women on this thread to claim that weight is not relevant to menstrual health and what she's talking about. Or that her having obesity will not affect young people's likelihood of respecting her and taking in what she says.

All fair points. Obesity in children is a serious issue and one of the effects is triggering early periods. So weight is relevant to the post.

My faith in humanity grows smaller by the day.

A young woman, from a minority group who stigmatise women's issues, has the courage to speak out for others despite the potential blowback from her community, and people focus on her appearance?

I suppose everyone mentioning her weight or her own personal health has the body of Elle McPherson and has never touched a cream cake in their lives?

Also, just because she may not follow nutritional guidelines herself doesn't mean she doesn't understand them or is unqualified to advise others. I know how to sew, I taught my children to sew when they were young, but if my trousers ripped, I'd go and buy a new pair.

But the realists here aren't talking about appearance as such, we're referring to the hypocrisy/ disconnect of having a seriously obese person as a health ambassador. It's not the right message at all.

The work she's doing for her community sounds amazing but not going public as a spokesperson for health. And whoever put her in the ambassador/spokeswoman role needs to have a good hard look at themselves for opening her up to the inevitable backlash.

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9449629/

Obesity also has an effect on PCOS. I did not know this. Education on these issues is certainly potentially useful and important.

Someone being obese need not be a value judgement, btw. Weight is an important factor in health. We are unlikely to make much headway addressing health issues if we're scolded for talking about them.

Fat health adviser it is like a dentist with rotten teeth.

Can you post a photo of yourself along with your CV please??

I wasn't aware that realist and bully were interchangeable now. Language evolves so quickly, doesn't it?

She doesn't have to share her private medical conditions with the world. No sensitivity here, just no unfounded judgement towards overweight people and whether or not they can do a job. If she can't manage it, it's for her to say.

That's you told.

I really can't imagine refusing to take medical advice that I know to be sound from someone just because they would also benefit from following the same advice, it's almost laughably stupid. Obesity is unhealthy, it doesn't magically become healthy because the medical professional who tells you that is also obese.

I wish this young woman luck in her voluntary role, sadly offering to help other people has always invited ridicule and comment from those who never do anything for others. Equally sadly, we are becoming a society where being white, non-muslim and conventionally attractive matter more than intelligence or talent when it comes to appointing for jobs, as this furore proves.

Yes obesity has an adverse effect on several women’s health conditions.

Conversely, and this is much more well-known, low weight and anorexia affect periods. Which is something education about periods should absolutely include.

Anyone who thinks thin young women battling with a sense of control and anxiety would be open to hearing about period-related health risks from a morbidly obese young woman does not understand their psychology and needs.