Food and body image in the series

[cressida_tt]

No: HPFGUIDX 68340


Beth:

> I absolutely love the books and think that JKR is a 
genius....however, I
> have an issue with the way she writes about food and body image.
> 
> As someone who has to eat healthily and exercise regularly to stay 
the
> size I want, I find it very irritating that she portrays all 
the "good"
> characters as eating unhealthily and not exercising, and never being
> overweight.

Cressida replies: You have to bear in mind that these are 15-year- 
olds and they are still growing. Males in any case require more 
calories than females. Also we don't know that much about their 
exercise patterns. They may well play Quidditch casually or play 
football with Dean Thomas although we are simply not invited to see 
it. As the mother of a fit, active and very slim boy in this age 
group I can only say that what Harry and Ron eat is not unusual.

> 
> Look at what HRH eat in a typical Hogwarts day.  Breakfast - bacon &
> eggs, with lots of toast.  Lunch - steak & kidney pie, followed by
> rhubarb crumble.  Dinner, perhaps a roast followed by another stodgy
> dessert.  Not to mention the endless bags of Every Flavour Beans and
> other sweets.

Cressida replies: J K Rowling appears to present the Wizarding world 
as being slightly old fashioned and this is standard old fashioned 
stodgy British fare typical of old fashioned 'school dinners'. As a 
nation we survived on this kind of fare for a very long time without 
too many problems. Heath issues and related diet are relatively 
recent studies. At least we can say that the Hogwarts children are 
not eating too much junk food. I have heard no mention of fizzy 
drinks or burgers so we have that to be thankful for. 
> 
> The portrayal of Dudley and his weight problem also bugs me.  We 
hear
> how overweight he is, yet when he is forced to diet, all we hear 
about
> is Harry sneaking upstairs after eating his grapefruit to have 
a "proper
> breakfast" of cake.  I don't think this is sending out a good 
message to
> young readers about healthy eating.  

Cressida Replies: There is a current trend for worrying over food 
content. Obsessing over food and quantity and personal appearance is 
what is most damaging to children rather than what they eat. Although 
there are always exceptions to every rule, the average child eats 
what he requires when he is hungry and then simply burns off the 
excess calories.


Also, when Fleur complains about
> the heavy Hogwarts food, she is dismissed as being vain and shallow.
> 
> Does anyone else have any thoughts on this?  I'd be interested to 
know
> if this is something that bothers others too.  

Cressida replies: I think there is far more to the perception of 
Fleur being vain and shallow than her reaction to the Hogwarts food.