- MeMe Roth
-
MeMe Roth is an anti-obesity activist and founder of the National Action Against obesity, a one-woman campaign that she runs out of her home in Manhattan.[1] Roth has appeared on news channels like FOX News,[2] CNN, and CNBC[3] to discuss her views on obesity. She does not have any medical degrees. However her certifications and credentials are from an unaccredited agency which has stirred up some controversy. [4] She has also been criticized in the media by Rush Limbaugh and other media figures.
Contents
Personal background
Meredith (MeMe) Roth (née Clements) grew up in Atlanta, Georgia. She graduated from the University of Georgia[5] with a degree in Journalism in 1991. She also received a Health Counseling Certification from the Institute of Integrative Nutrition at Columbia University in 2008. She and her husband have two children.
Before her campaign against obesity, Roth worked at a number of public relations firms, including Edelman and Ogilvy Public Relations.[5]
Roth has a number of obese relatives, including her mother, father, grandmothers, and uncles. Roth recalls a time in kindergarten when she felt embarrassed for her classmates to find out her mother was obese: “I felt ashamed, I was grateful that down the block there was another mother who was fatter than my mother.”[1]
Roth turned to activism in 2005 when she issued a press release over the snacks being distributed at her son’s elementary school.[5] She also pushed for permission slips for any food (including birthday cakes and cupcakes) that was not included on the official school lunch menu.
In 2006 Roth termed her mission the National Action Against Obesity. In 2009 Roth’s fight against junk food was featured in The New York Times.[6]
While her efforts against obesity have been described as “extreme” and “abrasive”[6] and some dietitians have noted her methods are too harsh,[7] Roth’s stated mission is “asking America to make the same decision I made…to shelve all excuses and take it upon myself to maintain a healthy body.”[8]
Controversies
Roth claims that “this culture refuses to foster healthy children,”[1] and has campaigned against American traditions from Girl Scout cookies—claiming a youth organization should not make profit from sweets, to Santa—saying the customary image of Santa Claus is “close to morbidly obese.”[9] Allegedly Roth was once stopped by police from destroying an ice cream bar at a local YMCA.[6] No police report was obtained so this may not have happened.
In 2006 Roth started a blog that issues the “Wedding Gown Challenge” to married women.[10] She challenges women to maintain their weight by trying on—and trying to fit into—their wedding gowns each year. Roth has said, “I really resent the women whose kids are in grade school and are still going on about the baby weight. It’s so passive-aggressive to the kids, as if they’re to blame for the mom being overweight!”[5]
Roth has also criticized the weight and diets of a number of celebrities including American Idol Season 6 winner Jordin Sparks,[11] Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps,[5] and actress Angelina Jolie.[1] She has also suggested that teen clothing lines encourage obesity by producing plus-sized clothing.[12]
References
- ^ a b c d Wood, Gaby. "The woman who hates fat". The Observer. http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2009/may/24/meme-roth-obesity-nutrition.
- ^ "St. Paul Makes Public Schools 'Sweet-Free' Zones". FOX Business. 23 December 2010. http://video.foxbusiness.com/v/4472747/st-paul-makes-public-schools-sweet-free-zones.
- ^ "The United States of Junk Food". CNBC. 10 August 2010. http://www.cnbc.com/id/15840232?video=1563571403&play=1.
- ^ 12
- ^ a b c d e Davis Konigsberg, Ruth (5 December 2008). "MeMe Roth’s War". ELLE Magazine. http://www.elle.com/Beauty/Health-Fitness/MeMe-Roth-s-War/MeMe-Roth-s-War.
- ^ a b c Dominus, Susan (15 June 2009). "Mother’s Fight Against Junk Food Puts a School on Edge". New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/16/nyregion/16bigcity.html.
- ^ New England Cable News. 21 January 2011. http://www.necn.com/01/21/11/Mom-calls-herself-an-anti-obesity-activi/landing_health.html?blockID=395362&feedID=4210.
- ^ National Action Against Obesity
- ^ "Bad Santa: Should St. Nick Slim Down?". FOX News. 3 December 2007. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,314641,00.html.
- ^ Wedding Gown Challenge Blog
- ^ Walls, Jeannette (12 June 2007). "Obesity expert takes heat from Sparks fans". TODAY Show MSNBC. http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/18537945.
- ^ Ogunnaike, Olga (29 August 2009). "Fashion stretches to fit plus-size teens". CNN. http://edition.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/homestyle/04/29/plus.size.teens/.
1 *The Skinny On Meme Roth [1]
External links
- MeMe Roth Facebook Page
- NAAO Facebook Page
- The Skinny on Meme Roth [2]
Categories:- Living people
- Anti-obesity activists
- People from Atlanta, Georgia
- University of Georgia alumni
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