Maggie Goes on a Diet

Losing the weight was not only good for Maggie's health

Maggie was so much happier and was also very proud of herself.


Maggie Goes on a Diet, a new book aimed at young girls is a story about an overweight 14-year-old named Maggie who is teased for her weight and decides to start eating healthy and exercising. She becomes a "normal sized" soccer star, gaining popularity in the process. And yes, the entire book rhymes.

Unsurprisingly, a book encouraging dieting in girls as young as six has stirred up controversy. "Terrible reflection on our society, boycott the book. ... This is awful," cried a reader. It threatens to spark eating disorders, sending the dangerous message that happiness comes with being thin. Not to mention the risk of prepubescent girls cutting calories, which can stunt growth and height.

But unsurprisingly, I'm going to do what I always do. And argue something controversial. I support the idea of this book. This book reflects terribly on our society, but not because it's a push for weight loss in young children, because of how many children in our society struggle with obesity. Diet is too dangerous of a word, yes. Clearly, it's irresponsible to encourage a risky weight loss program for children, especially with the risk of eating disorders. Maggie's weight loss is extreme and unhealthy.

But what's wrong with the basic idea of the book? Maggie isn't starving herself, she's moving from eating foods like McDonald's to eating fruit. She starts playing a sport. Shouldn't we encourage healthy habits in children in a society so threatened with obesity? Happiness doesn't come with being thin, pretty, or popular, but setting achievable healthy goals and being happy with yourself is good, isn't it?

When young girls in a focus group were shown a picture of a group of girls their age, they immediately call out the fatter girl in the picture as being different. One, no more than 8 or 9, slides low in her chair, squirming in her white miniskirt and tie dyed shirt. She swings her feet out and rolls her eyes to the ceiling. "Chubby wubby," she singsongs, as she holds her skinny arms out like a pregnant belly. My heart shatters then. The problem lies in the fact that we believe happiness comes with a cinderella type prettiness, that we've taught, maybe by accident, to recognize and ostracize those with  different body types.

It's our fault as a society.
Maggie Goes on a Diet