Queen Letizia, Current Events Part 1: June 2014 - March 2016

[LadyFinn]

Spanish queen invokes in Rome women's role against malnutrition and obesity La Prensa America in English

"Arriving in the FAO conference room, Pope Francis' face lit up when he saw Queen Letizia of Spain, who had just addressed the meeting. She curtsied before the pope and kissed his ring."
CNS STORY Feed the world, safeguard the planet, pope tells international leaders

And Daily Mail...
Queen Letizia joins forces with Pope Francis for poverty summit in Rome Daily Mail Online

[Moonmaiden23]

I admit that I am a little surprised by Queen Letizia's speech. The focus of the conference was malnutrition in all it's aspects. But Letizia seemed to zero in on obesity alone as the root of all evil ,with no mention of the polar problem- anorexia and distorted body image.

Obesity caused by poor nutrition is as much a global health concern for young people as is body dysmorphia. Just check out the shocking number of websites promoting emaciated, skeletal looking females as ideals to be aspired to. There are scores of young women who literally starve themselves and deprive their bodies of vital nutrients to look that way.

I found her speech very disappointing for that reason.

[Duke of Marmalade]

Letizia's own body image has been suject to disussions in previous years and still is, for being too thin.

In Belgium we have the opposite these days, the minister of health is a really, really full figured woman, to put it politely.

In both cases, people are questioning the credibility of the representative although they do not stand there for themselves but are representing the monarchy/government.

[carlota]

Originally Posted by Duke of Marmalade

Letizia's own body image has been suject to disussions in previous years and still is, for being too thin.

In Belgium we have the opposite these days, the minister of health is a really, really full figured woman, to put it politely.

In both cases, people are questioning the credibility of the representative although they do not stand there for themselves but are representing the monarchy/government.

that's quite true. although as cliches say image isn't important, in this case image is really important... i don't believe letizia suffers from an acute form of anorexia at least, but her raising the sword about obese people is an interesting move. although it's interesting that she pointed this out, as obesity is also a form of malnutrition people never think of.

[lula]

Moonmaiden, obesity is a problem of malnutrition... other diseases you mentioned are a psychological disease, and therefore were not part of this debate. If you visit the website of the FAO conference, you will see that there is no mention of these issues, because WHO includes them in mental illness.

I do not think you've read the whole speech of the queen, because for me this makes clear the extent to which obesity is a big problem ..."800 million people suffer from chronic hunger and more than 1,400 overweight and obese"...

Duke, Queen Letizia attended as a special guest of FAO / WHO, the representative of the Spanish government at the conference was the Minister of Agriculture.

Queen Letizia, then Princess, went months ago to WHO headquarters in Geneva to prepare this conference. For several years Letiza has worked with Dr. Maria Neira, a Spanish woman who is Director of the Department of Public and Environmental Health of WHO, and is a specialist in endocrinology.

[Duke of Marmalade]

Originally Posted by lula

Duke, Queen Letizia attended as a special guest of FAO / WHO, the representative of the Spanish government at the conference was the Minister of Agriculture.

She was special guest what comes with the title and the topic she has chosen to promote. Such events need prominent keynote speakers, whether its Letizia as Queen of Spain or any other royal involved depending on the topic like Silvia, Mary, MM, Maxima etc etc or celebrities like Angelina Jolie or Bono. So unless you hold a prominent title or draw attention or any other reason or are world-known specialist on the topic, you won't get a slot to speak.

For example I watched the news yesterday night and this event was covered but only because the Pope adressed the audience (in Spain probably because Letizia was there). Without 'celebrity' attendance such an event doesnt get the coverage it deserves.

[lula]

Duke, that's obvious, but what I meant is that the Spanish government was already represented. Also Queen Letizia has no officially linked to UN agencies and other queens and princesses.

[Duke of Marmalade]

She is a royal/high profile public figure with a field of interest
If she accepts the links to the usual organisations they will keep coming in.

[An Ard Ri]

Queen Letizia met Pope Francis yesterday in Rome

La Reina Letizia saluda al Papa Francisco en la Conferencia sobre Nutrición de la FAO: Fotos en Bekia

[Moonmaiden23]

Originally Posted by lula

Moonmaiden, obesity is a problem of malnutrition... other diseases you mentioned are a psychological disease, and therefore were not part of this debate. If you visit the website of the FAO conference, you will see that there is no mention of these issues, because WHO includes them in mental illness.

I do not think you've read the whole speech of the queen, because for me this makes clear the extent to which obesity is a big problem ..."800 million people suffer from chronic hunger and more than 1,400 overweight and obese"...

Duke, Queen Letizia attended as a special guest of FAO / WHO, the representative of the Spanish government at the conference was the Minister of Agriculture.

Queen Letizia, then Princess, went months ago to WHO headquarters in Geneva to prepare this conference. For several years Letiza has worked with Dr. Maria Neira, a Spanish woman who is Director of the Department of Public and Environmental Health of WHO, and is a specialist in endocrinology.

Obesity is not the only manifestation of malnutrition. Bone and hair loss, problems with eyes and skin, organ failure and emaciation are also some of the consequences of malnutrition. Why no mention..not even a word, about that? The Spanish queen spoke as if she was addressing a conference on the obesity epidemic, in which her speech would have been appropriate. The one she presented was, in my humble opinion, sorely off the mark.


Do the starving children of the sub-Continent have bloated bellies because they are fat??

During her journalism career and during the early years of her marriage Letizia was a slim but healthy looking woman. Frankly that is no longer the case. For someone who looks as skeletal as she does to now to lecture others on nutrition strikes me and many others as ironic.

We will agree to disagree here.

[Fürstin Taxis]

^Wow, that's really disrespectful. You don't know anything what goes on with her health and body

[lula]

Moonmaiden, I think yoy should start by reading the full speech, because obviously you have not understood it.

Casa de Su Majestad el Rey de España - Actividades y Agenda - Palabras de Su Majestad la Reina en la Segunda Conferencia Internacional sobre Nutrición

The main theme of this conference was the NUTRITION, and the main issues were the problem of hunger and obesity problem, and the consequences of both in the health.

NewsÂ*| FAO | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

Rome Declaration on Nutrition

http://www.fao.org/3/a-ml542e.pdf

Your comments seem more directed to speculate about Letizia and her thinness, that to talk about her speech at the conference.

[Al_bina]

The conference on nutrition is a useless discussion with useless participants.

[Princess of Durham]

I have too often seen morbidly obese people doing their grocery shopping with their carts piled high with soft drinks and junk food and already prepared frozen foods with nary a sign of fresh foods or items that need to be prepared. IMO, obesity is a much greater threat to health with all the attendant illnesses than being too slim. I find it VERY disturbing that there are elements in society today championing the so-called "fuller figure" when in fact, it is a very fat figure. Let's be honest the epidemic of obesity is much greater than being too thin. Of course, there are problems of third world famine and starvation but let's not mix that up with anorexia and bulimia .... very different things.

[donnaK]

Originally Posted by Moonmaiden23

I admit that I am a little surprised by Queen Letizia's speech. The focus of the conference was malnutrition in all it's aspects. But Letizia seemed to zero in on obesity alone as the root of all evil ,with no mention of the polar problem- anorexia and distorted body image.

Obesity caused by poor nutrition is as much a global health concern for young people as is body dysmorphia. Just check out the shocking number of websites promoting emaciated, skeletal looking females as ideals to be aspired to. There are scores of young women who literally starve themselves and deprive their bodies of vital nutrients to look that way.

I found her speech very disappointing for that reason.

In fact obesity is a bigger problem with a larger number of population. Thinness is not an issue as long as she is healthy, that's probably what she thinks she is. She has been into healthy eating, nutrition for a while, that's her subject, she wants to promote it. About her speech, she could talk about everything, she chose a topic and a subject she has been interested all these years.

I found it more ironic when royals visited poor Africans staying in the most luxurious hotels; Maxima lectured on how to save money; Mary on maternity with all the privileges/helps, even a Danish public hospital reserved a suit for her for days in case she had baby(s).

[Al_bina]

Originally Posted by donnaK

...[snipped]

I found it more ironic when royals visited poor Africans staying in the most luxurious hotels; Maxima lectured on how to save money; Mary on maternity with all the privileges/helps, even a Danish public hospital reserved a suit for her for days in case she had baby(s).

Your points are valid. All European royal ladies busy themselves with charitable causes as they try hard to show their usefulness and hard work. I do not think this supposedly hard work yields tangible results. Queen Maxima and Crown Princess Mary just live in better economic conditions or perhaps have less corrupt governments.

[carlota]

Originally Posted by Al_bina

The conference on nutrition is a useless discussion with useless participants.

i agree. all these forums are such a bla-bla. i wonder if any tangible actions come out of it or whether it is only for the public image and promotion of some A listers. sad.

[lula]

Well, within what are these conferences and forums, this conference was quite serious. It was a conference organized by FAO and WHO jointly, and was a conference at gubernabental level, where most countries were represented by ministers.

[Duke of Marmalade]

Originally Posted by donnaK

I found it more ironic when royals visited poor Africans staying in the most luxurious hotels; Maxima lectured on how to save money; Mary on maternity with all the privileges/helps, even a Danish public hospital reserved a suit for her for days in case she had baby(s).

of course you are right. letizia is only the latest addition to celebrities or royals who support a cause for whatever reason. they all fly in with private jets, their visits cost tons of money because they bring security and stay expensive hotels and they speak about fashionable topics that not necessarily apply to them. they bring attention to the cause as well as to themselves what lifts them on the global stage of interest. letizia has some catching up to do, with Rania and Angelina Jolie sitting in the drivers seats of do-gooders living a life of privilege and luxury.

i find letizia no more credible than all the others who engage in such events. does their participation really make a difference or help the cause? i don't know. but it certainly helps to bring attention to themselves and to their image.

[lula]

Evidently the royals and famous people who support a cause, give visibility ... but hardly their contribution will make a big change.

But I think that as with many things there are different people ... there are people who support causes because it is what they believe they should do and that is good in the photo... but whose interest is more superficial. And there are people who really care, supporting causes with interest to learn and help.

I think that the Spanish Royal House is quite prudent, few causes, but where they really engage.