International Size Acceptance Association
Encyclopedia
The International Size Acceptance Association (ISAA) is a United States
based non-governmental organization
(NGO) aimed at advancing Fat Acceptance
, directed by Allen Steadham. Unlike National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance
(NAAFA) however, the organisation has an international slant, and has several overseas branches, though many of its operations remain within the U.S. at present.
Branches within the US:
Branches outside the US:
Also, ISAA has an alliance with Allegro Fortissimo of France.
ISAA strongly encourages members and prospective members to set up branches in their own area.
The mission of the International Size Acceptance Association (ISAA) is to promote Size Acceptance and fight size discrimination throughout the world by means of advocacy and visible, lawful actions.
ISAA has adopted a position of opposition to weight loss surgery (WLS) as dangerous and unnecessary, and conducted a campaign against it in 2001. This is shared in common with most other size/fat acceptance organisations, though campaigns have met with relatively limited success.
ISAA also opposed the definition by the US government of obesity as a disease, though it was ultimately unsuccessful in preventing this. Other policies and positions include:
This is maintained and edited by Grace Moredock, ISAA's Secretary. A new addition is usually published around twice a year, though it is not regular. Early on the publication was offered for download via PDF format, though since 2001 has been published actually on-line in HTML
. The length of the publications varies dramatically from less than 10 pages to more than 30. It is available free of charge to all.
The publication has a strong youth section and content called "BBTeenz". ISAA does reach out to youth and young adults more than any of the other main size acceptance groups.
ISAA also keeps an archive of printable flyers and leaflets on its website for members to print and distribute, and encourages people to link to its site.
Some local chapters also keep their own website, either independent or as a subsection of the main ISAA site.
"Today Size Acceptance Has A Voice!" Now archived, the ISAA Rapport was broadcast via streaming Windows Media, Gia Marciano and Allen Steadham broadcasted over the internet from Austin, Texas in a contemporary "talk radio" format. Gia and Allen blended humor and insight with the hard-hitting topics of interest to the Size Acceptance Community and also inform the general public about size-related issues (for some people, for the first time).
In addition to Gia and Allen's take on today's size-related issues, "The ISAA Rapport" featured live interviews with well-known and always fascinating guests on a variety of subjects, from self-esteem to fashion to politics.
Currently, ISAA's main podcast is called PODWOM. PODWOM is the abbreviation for Podcast Without Measure, the podcast edition of Without Measure (WOM), the official electronic magazine for the International Size Acceptance Association (ISAA). Each podcast features unique segments, commentary plus in-depth discussions and interviews conducted by the show's host, ISAA Founder and Director, Allen Steadham.
Like WOM, each segment reflects a different element of interest concerning size acceptance, Respect Fitness Health, science, fashion, current events and much more. PODWOM's aim is to present each segment in an entertaining and informative way, made available in downloadable MP3 format.
PODWOM's theme song is taken with permission from the song "In Him," performed by the now disbanded Des Moines-based Christian artists, Coram Deo.
Despite being of relatively small size, ISAA has managed to pull media attention, being mentioned by Yomiuri
, CNN
, Los Angeles Times
, TIME Magazine, Fox News, and the New York Times
. However, two prides of place are for around the time ISAA was founded in June 1997, when Steadham wrote to then American President Bill Clinton
, receiving a personal letter in response (now scanned onto the ISAA website) and an in-depth radio interview by the British Broadcasting Corporation
(BBC) of the UK in February 2006 with ISAA UK head, Fatima Parker.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
based non-governmental organization
Non-governmental organization
A non-governmental organization is a legally constituted organization created by natural or legal persons that operates independently from any government. The term originated from the United Nations , and is normally used to refer to organizations that do not form part of the government and are...
(NGO) aimed at advancing Fat Acceptance
Fat acceptance movement
The fat acceptance movement is an effort to change societal attitudes towards fat, obese, and overweight people.- Background :...
, directed by Allen Steadham. Unlike National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance
National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance
The National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance is a non-profit civil-rights organization in the US dedicated to improving the quality of life for the obese...
(NAAFA) however, the organisation has an international slant, and has several overseas branches, though many of its operations remain within the U.S. at present.
The organisation today
Current leading figures
The current people are prominent in the association at present:- Allen Steadham - Director and Founder
- Daphne Bradshaw - Secretary
- Grace Moredock - Advisor and Editor of ISAA Publication Without Measure
- Kelly Bliss - Advisor
- Doris Skiba - Coordinator ISAA Diversity Initiative
- Michael Drenth - Legislative Coordinator
- Lynda Finn - Advisor
Branches
The ISAA has branches in the following locations.Branches within the US:
- Atlanta
- ChicagoChicagoChicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
- TexasTexasTexas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
("Virtual" branch) - New York CityNew York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
("Virtual" branch)
Branches outside the US:
- United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
- Middle East/North Africa
- PhilippinesPhilippinesThe Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
("Virtual" branch - though it does have a real representative, Karen Ang) - AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
("Virtual" branch - Australian representative Jodie Hunter) - New ZealandNew ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
(NZ representative, Lynda Finn)
Also, ISAA has an alliance with Allegro Fortissimo of France.
ISAA strongly encourages members and prospective members to set up branches in their own area.
Policies and mission
ISAA is dedicated to size acceptance and bringing and end to what it feels is unfair discrimination against large people. The first paragraph of its Mission Statement (available in English, German, French, Spanish and Italian) reads:The mission of the International Size Acceptance Association (ISAA) is to promote Size Acceptance and fight size discrimination throughout the world by means of advocacy and visible, lawful actions.
ISAA has adopted a position of opposition to weight loss surgery (WLS) as dangerous and unnecessary, and conducted a campaign against it in 2001. This is shared in common with most other size/fat acceptance organisations, though campaigns have met with relatively limited success.
ISAA also opposed the definition by the US government of obesity as a disease, though it was ultimately unsuccessful in preventing this. Other policies and positions include:
- Opposition to feederism and similar weight gain fetishes
- Encouraging fitness and low impact exercise (swimming, walking, etc.)
- Encouraging self respect and self esteem
- Encouraging healthy body image
Publications
ISAA doesn't have the mass scale of some more mainstream NGOs, and as such does not maintain a great deal of printed publications. Much of the organisation is centered on online campaigns and information, and media interviews. The main publication that the association runs is the online magazine "Without Measure" and associated group blog "WOM Beta."This is maintained and edited by Grace Moredock, ISAA's Secretary. A new addition is usually published around twice a year, though it is not regular. Early on the publication was offered for download via PDF format, though since 2001 has been published actually on-line in HTML
HTML
HyperText Markup Language is the predominant markup language for web pages. HTML elements are the basic building-blocks of webpages....
. The length of the publications varies dramatically from less than 10 pages to more than 30. It is available free of charge to all.
The publication has a strong youth section and content called "BBTeenz". ISAA does reach out to youth and young adults more than any of the other main size acceptance groups.
ISAA also keeps an archive of printable flyers and leaflets on its website for members to print and distribute, and encourages people to link to its site.
Some local chapters also keep their own website, either independent or as a subsection of the main ISAA site.
Podcasts
ISAA has had a variety of podcast productions since 2002."Today Size Acceptance Has A Voice!" Now archived, the ISAA Rapport was broadcast via streaming Windows Media, Gia Marciano and Allen Steadham broadcasted over the internet from Austin, Texas in a contemporary "talk radio" format. Gia and Allen blended humor and insight with the hard-hitting topics of interest to the Size Acceptance Community and also inform the general public about size-related issues (for some people, for the first time).
In addition to Gia and Allen's take on today's size-related issues, "The ISAA Rapport" featured live interviews with well-known and always fascinating guests on a variety of subjects, from self-esteem to fashion to politics.
Currently, ISAA's main podcast is called PODWOM. PODWOM is the abbreviation for Podcast Without Measure, the podcast edition of Without Measure (WOM), the official electronic magazine for the International Size Acceptance Association (ISAA). Each podcast features unique segments, commentary plus in-depth discussions and interviews conducted by the show's host, ISAA Founder and Director, Allen Steadham.
Like WOM, each segment reflects a different element of interest concerning size acceptance, Respect Fitness Health, science, fashion, current events and much more. PODWOM's aim is to present each segment in an entertaining and informative way, made available in downloadable MP3 format.
PODWOM's theme song is taken with permission from the song "In Him," performed by the now disbanded Des Moines-based Christian artists, Coram Deo.
Membership
ISAA is no longer a membership organization, effective September 1, 2006. Prior to that, membership cost 20.00USD. ISAA has had as many as 2500 members worldwide but membership was never ISAA's main focus so much as public participation in size activism and education.History
ISAA was founded on July 1, 1997 by Allen Steadham, the current director, in Austin, Texas. The first issue of Without Measure came out in August, and set out the ISAA's mission and position regarding WLS and media and medical world's treatment of fat people. From its early days, it has been a predominantly web based organisation, and has always relied heavily on the internet to expand, organise and campaign.Despite being of relatively small size, ISAA has managed to pull media attention, being mentioned by Yomiuri
Yomiuri
Yomiuri may refer to:* Yomiuri Giants, a professional baseball team based in Tokyo, Japan* Yomiuri Open, a golf tournament* Yomiuri Shimbun, a Japanese newspaper* Yomiuri Telecasting Corporation, a Japanese television network...
, CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
, Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
, TIME Magazine, Fox News, and the New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
. However, two prides of place are for around the time ISAA was founded in June 1997, when Steadham wrote to then American President Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
, receiving a personal letter in response (now scanned onto the ISAA website) and an in-depth radio interview by the British Broadcasting Corporation
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
(BBC) of the UK in February 2006 with ISAA UK head, Fatima Parker.