Iowa State University’s Department of Student Wellness is sponsoring a lecture by Ragen Chastain, a “fat activist” who believes that “capitalism and fatphobia combine to create marginalization and harm.”
Iowa’s Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition and the Student Government Committee on Lectures are serving as co-sponsors of the event.
According to her agency, the 350+ pound woman who considers herself to be an “elite fathlete” and has a history of cheating in competitive runs charges a flat rate of $6,000 plus travel and accommodations for speaking engagements.
More than 30 colleges, as well as major organizations including Apple, Google, Amazon, Planned Parenthood, and the Girl Scouts of America have hosted her in the past.
Of course, the free market is precisely the reason she has the freedom to live the lifestyle she has chosen – overeating, not getting enough exercise to counteract her sizable appetite, and getting major institutions to pay her thousands of dollars to talk about it. The free market is also the reason that she’ll have the opportunity to receive world-class medical treatment when she inevitably needs it.
While people deserve to be treated with basic decency regardless of their weight, going on a crusade encouraging college students to adopt her unhealthy lifestyle is insane and is not worthy of any respect.
What’s even more absurd is that this event is primarily sponsored and paid for by the Department of Student Wellness, which supposedly has a mission of “prioritizing and promoting student wellbeing.”
The New Guard attempted to reach all relevant parties for comment, but only heard back from the speaking agency, which shared the amount of her honorarium.
