Grr.

[rivka]

In a main hallway of the hospital where I work, there's a health promotion office. They have run some nice mini-programs - seated massage days, smoking cessation, exercise classes, an indoor walking trail they've laid out through the hospital - and they have a big display window that they use for educational displays on stroke symptoms, childhood asthma, et cetera.

It's a nice place, so imagine my shock when I walked by the display window today and saw a new poster: "Appearance matters! Don't let yours be ruined by imperfections." Accompanied, of course, by a picture of a thin white woman looking into a mirror. There was also a list of things that could "ruin" your appearance - sun spots, spider veins, rosacea - and some glowing words about plastic surgery.

I hesitated for a moment, and then walked into the office. As soon as I opened my mouth, I realized that I should've taken a few minutes to plan out what to say. After a little bit of stumbling, I came up with this:

Me: "This is a health promotion office, right?"
Health Promotion Woman: "Yes...?"
Me: "I was concerned about the poster in the window that doesn't seem to have any other purpose except to cause body image problems."
HPW: "You mean the..."
Me: "The 'appearance matters' one.
HPW: "Well, that's from our plastic surgery department. It's not meant to say that appearance is more important than who you are on the inside, it's just that some people are looking to make changes to their appearance..."
Me: "It's one thing to provide information to people who are interested in plastic surgery, but the poster actually tries to create body image dissatisfaction. It tells people to worry more about how they look."
HPW: "..."
Me: "I wanted to express my concern."
HPW: "I'll pass that on to them."

Afterwards, I realized that I should have challenged her "I'll pass that on to them." If her job is to promote healthy behaviors to patients, visitors, and staff, then she is ultimately responsible for unhealthy propaganda posted in her window.

I think I'll wait a few days, and then send a letter if the poster is still being displayed.

Grr.

Comments

[wild-irises.livejournal.com]

If you can use any kind of long-distance backup on this, I'd be glad to help.

[redbird]

Grrr indeed. Is there anyone else who works there who might also talk to them? And does it make sense to complain to the plastic surgery department?

[elusis.livejournal.com]

It seems particularly anachronistic to display ANY kind of plastic surgery propaganda in a health promotion office. I suppose one for breast reconstruction post-mastectomy might impact mental health, but otherwise...

[beaq.livejournal.com]

Um. Yeah.

[rivka.livejournal.com]

I suppose one for breast reconstruction post-mastectomy might impact mental health, but otherwise...

I know that there are plastic surgery charities that send doctors to impoverished places in the developing world to do things like facial reconstructions for disfiguring burns, or cleft lip and palate corrections. I would have been delighted to see a poster highlighting something like that.

[beaq.livejournal.com]

Is the hospital associated with anything like that?

[shadopanther.livejournal.com]

Plastic surgery for reconstruction after a disfiguring auto accident is another good use for plastic surgery -- that has almost nothing to do with that poster.

[elusis.livejournal.com]

Yes, excellent, let's display that. But the whole "fix surface blemishes that annoy you because they deviate from the ideal" thing? Not. Health.

[geminigirl]

As someone who has spent many years working in health promotion, I'm disgusted. I'm speechless.

[cchopps.livejournal.com]

sad, sad, sad... and almost funny. hopefully it will be down soon.

[epi-lj.livejournal.com]

Rrr. I don't even like the response that some people are looking to make changes in their appearance, because if it's not a health issue, then it's *still* not part of what I picture as being the function of a "health office".

[rivka.livejournal.com]

I completely agree. But the actual text of the poster took things to a whole 'nother level of egregiousness.

[selki.livejournal.com]

Yes, I agree. It actively tries to create worry.

In the letter, could you propose surrounding that poster with posters against anorexia and other body-image dissatisfaction maladies? Or having next month's poster display be a bunch of such messages?

[ororo.livejournal.com]

I'll be interested to hear what happens next. Something designed to denigrate self-esteem is hardly promoting health and I think someone needs a good bitchslap.

[ailbhe]

Yikes. Letter-writing time indeed!

[glinda-w.livejournal.com]

*shudder*

Keep us posted, 'k?

Oh, off-topic: there are apparently otter sculptures outside at the library here on Bainbridge Island. I'm planning to take my camera next time I go, and will get a shot or two for you... :)

[adrian-turtle.livejournal.com]

This past winter, I received a postcard from the plastic surgery department of a local hospital. It suggested I might be unhappy with my appearance, and offered to help. I had not previously interacted with the hospital at all, and don't know if they sent the postcards to everyone within 20 miles, or everyone over 35. I called the hospital main office and asked to be removed from their mailing list. I mentioned that I had been considering going to the affiliated clinic for routine gynecology, but the postcard had convinced me to look elsewhere for health care providers who shared my values.

[therealjae.livejournal.com]

Wow, that's pretty appalling. Making plastic surgery available is one thing--I don't have to like it, but it's up to each individual. But advertising for it in a hospital is just gross.

-J

[saoba.livejournal.com]

I'd have been far less circumspect, but just as annoyed.

Grrrf.

HPW: "Well, that's from our plastic surgery department. It's not meant to say that appearance is more important than who you are on the inside, it's just that some people are looking to make changes to their appearance..."

If that's what it's meant to say, it missed. Bad communication! No biscuit!

[bosssio.livejournal.com]

basically, it sounds like the poster is saying "You UGLY? We can help!"

Or even worse, drop the question mark.

I had a breast reduction so I am certainly not anti-plastic surgery. But I agree that poster is out of place in a health promotion office.

Perhaps you could ask her if she thinks it would be appropriate to advertise cosmetics or hair creams from that office?

[firecat]

Thank you for speaking up against the promotion of body hatred.

[mjlayman.livejournal.com]

I saw a dermatologist Friday before last and again last Friday and we clearly had different ideas of her purpose. I'd gone because I'm sweating a lot when I sleep and my primary wanted me to have a dermatology evaluation for that. I was happy to have the full body exam for skin cancer (got two moles off, both benign, so I'm still the oldest person in my family who hasn't had skin cancer) and she answered some other questions I had, but all her comments and answers had to do with looking better. I finally told her that I was interested in function, not form. My skin is covered with stria; I'm not that worried about some small brown marks, as long as they're not damaging.

(We already checked for lymphoma, so it now looks like the hyperhidrosis is from the Cymbalta, which I really like, so I'll have to figure out how to deal with it.)

[wild-patience.livejournal.com]

That is very strange. I have rosacea, and plastic surgery was never mentioned as any kind of treatment. (I would imagine that the rosacea would return, anyway.) There's an antibiotic ointment that is applied to the face to treat rosacea, plus you have to stay out of the sun, wear hats, and try to avoid any triggers. Plastic surgery isn't going to fix a recurring problem.

[rivka.livejournal.com]

I have rosacea too. The deal with plastic surgery is that sometimes you can wind up with little vein-like red lines on your face that don't go away with treatment. Those can be removed surgically... but why?

[dafna]

Especially when makeup is so much cheaper. :)