Gender and Weight

I recently heard someone I know tell her slightly overweight 12-year-old daughter to go for a walk to walk off the shabbos meal we had just finished. Even though her slightly overweight boys were sitting nearby, she made no similiar request of them - it is the girl who can't be "fat".

I think from the mother's perspective, this sexism was logical: The world is cruel to all overweight people, but it is crueller to overweight girls than to overweight guys - hence she must urge her daughter to lose weight, wherease for her sons, its less important that they do so.

However, I have issue with the way the request was made: I think telling twelve-year-olds they need to walk off meals in order to lose weight makes them more likely to develop body-image issues. I would be perfectly fine with the mother saying, "It's a beautiful day out! Why don't we go for a walk?", or something like that. I think it is even ok to explain the importance of exercise for health - how it is good for one's heart, etc., and then to sit down with the daughter and look for physical activities she might enjoy (swimming, dancing, etc.). I simply object to the way the request was framed: Please walk off this meal so you don't grow fat from it.

I also object to the sexism - yes society is crueller to overweight girls than to guys, but if you really think maintaining a healthy weight is important, then it should be important for all of your children - not to mention that I object to society's sexist standards that this woman was capitulating to.