The problem isn't that women are pursuing thinnes and beauty (so many aren't), it is that not enough are doing it naturally. Let's be clear: the vast majority of the female population (who are drawn from thin stock from around the world) have the potential to be thin, healthy and beautiful. This was the case before the 1980s, so why can't it be the case now?

What we have right now is a sinister conspiracy perpetuated by the fast food industry to try and make being fat normal. They use the talk of civil rights and the whole victim mentality to claim obese lazy people are 'normal'.

Go take a trip to Europe and see all the beautiful and thin women who are racially the same as most Americans. It can be done.

The less time spent with this pathetic excuse for feminism that is all the 'beauty myth' Naomi Wolf's of the world, and instead accept that beauty is the natural state for most people when they are healthy and fit, then we will get somewhere.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

During my time in high school and college, I have had the good fortune of dating a fair share of remarkable, intelligent, and beautiful young women. One sad thing I noticed is that every woman I've ever dated has issues with their bodies. This disturbed me because I felt they were all exceptionally beautiful, and it was clearly our cultures fault for forcing conformist and unrealistic standards of beauty.

I personally don't buy into society's ideal image of female beautiful: tall, long hair, fair skin, perfect proportions, skinny, big breasts. I think of this image as the "Barbie doll" paradigm, and women who look like that turn me off. Not there there is anything inherently bad about looking this way, it's just that I've had that image ingrained in my mind so many times, it just doesn't seem natural or authentically human. I'm attracted women who have natural beauty, a healthy physique (not too skinny or too fat), unique qualities, and most of all, don't look like Britney Spears, Paris Hilton, or any other Barbie doll look alike. I find subtle imperfections often add to one's personal beauty, that absolute normalcy looks unhealthy and inhuman.

Maybe I'm shallow and obsessed with the body in a different way, but I like to think I prefer a much healthier type of physical beauty. The monolithic beauty culture dominant now is just far too unhealthy, and I'm surprised many people still find it attractive. I'll take a natural girl with curves any day of the week, especially one who can speak a foreign language.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

Attractiveness sits not on the outside, but on the inside. Really!

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

Are we supposed to feel bad that some of you became the annoying, self-centered cheerleader who had money, looks, opportunities, etc., and couldn't get enough of those things? Or that you were obsessed with becoming one of those people, but didn't reach the ideal?

The pattern continues, and now you're whining about how your narcissism was imposed by something outside you, like society, the advertising industry, or whatever. It's still all about you. Good luck in therapy.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

Could it be that part of the problem is that the overall competitiveness of society has gone up? Seems to me that with a larger gap between rich and poor translating into a larger variance in outcomes depending on your individual traits, beauty becomes more urgent as getting a good job becomes more urgent so you can keep health insurance etc.

Granted the specific focus on beauty in women is largely due to an attractiveness orientation in men (just as men are, in large part, obsessed with becoming powerful because women like powerful men), but seeing as there have been paeans to the beauty of women going back to the Iliad it makes more sense to smooth things out between the top and bottom than to try to change people's standards of attractiveness.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

Women are perfectly competent adults, capable of voting, making their own decisions and running their own lives... but they're brainwashing into working-out at the gym and going on diets?

In that case, how competent can they be if they can't tell the difference between a magazine ad and real life?

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

You know, as a middle class white 23 year old female, I feel that this book is supposed to be written explicitly for my 18-25 year old demographic. However, and I know this sounds terrible, and I'm going to get lots of flack for this but...I...kind of...don't care? I know, I wish there was a way to convey my concern about all these women supposedly suffering from eating disorders, but I just can't do it anymore. I too had my issues with my body at the age of 15-16, but I guess I sort of got over it. I just feel that if we keep reproducing the fact that women supposedly hate their bodies through books such as these, they will continue to hate their bodies. These women's magazines that tell us that 99% of women hate their bodies (i made that up, I don't know the actual statistic)? What population did they pull that poll from?! Upper middle class white women! Hell, every time I read Courtney Martin's column in the Metro NYC, I feel that, wow, I don't hate my body? I must be special. But I'm not.

And, I'd hate to bring this up, but let's not forget the fact that an exorbitant amount of people don't have enough to eat. Frankly, I prefer focusing on them.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

All this pressure to be thin and beautiful, and yet all around us the far more prevalent trend is people puffing up like blowfish. Observation suggests that this relentless drive for perfectionism is a minority pursuit.

I agree that women are rewarded or denigrated for their looks far more than men are, and that as a consequence there is plenty of pressure to look "acceptable", as defined by your culture, and disproportionate rewards for those who look better than acceptable. But this article doesn't seem to touch on why this situation might exist, or why it affects women more than men. I don't buy the line that it's some sort of innate perfectionism - what causes that, then?

Really, this whole piece just seems like an excuse for the writer to talk about herself.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

Last week we had an article telling us that fat, lazy women don't like their bodies, now we have an article telling us that thin, athletic women don't like their bodies. How are women supposed to know what to look like if Alternet can't make up its mind?

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

It's interesting that so much of these posts are focused only on the surface issues like weight and looks. Which, granted, the article is about, but some underlying issues are sidestepped. As a society, we have a hard time accepting and loving entire persons. People are written off based on their looks all the time.

Sure there is a biological element to wanting attractiveness around you. But as high functioning creatures, our needs tend to extend beyond biology.

I suspect I won't get tons of sympathy (that's ok) But I find it interesting that no matter which point of the spectrum you're considered to fall on, as far as your looks go, this focus on surface appearances can wind up being emotionally damaging to young women.

I've been told many times that I'm beautiful. That's far from being a bad thing. I'm also smart and funny and a talented artist. I get a fair amount of "yeah, yeah, babe, that's nice, whatever." It takes a toll on a person's sense of self. You start wondering, does the rest of me matter? Does anyone notice or care who I am as a person? Does anyone see me as a person? What will happen when I lose my looks someday? Will I cease to matter? A close friend of mine who was overweight as a teenager, felt equally invisible, just in a different way.

We really lose out by not considering the whole person we're making judgements about.

My point is (to make a short story long) the mystique we've built over appearances and the damage it can cause to our intrapersonal relationships, extends far beyond an advertising campaign and needs to be addressed in a more wholistic manner. How we treat each other on a daily basis, even the subtle stuff matters. I suspect it happens to guys on all ends of the spectrum too, maybe it's more pronounced in women.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

as another 23 year old middle class female weighing in on this issue, i would hazard a guess that this problem is perpetuated by women enforcing it on other women, rather than men. don't get me wrong, i am in the same boat as a lot of other posters in thinking that this is kind of a smaller issue than the burgeoning obesity problem, but still, most of the pressure i have felt about this has not been enforced by a need to look attractive to men, but a need to fit in with other women.

girls who like thier body often pretend not to in order to fit in with the 'in' model of self-deprecation. i have had so many conversations in which a girlfriend was bitching and bitching about her body and the expected me reply with a denial and then offer up some self-hatred of my own. but just sepaking from personal experience i have found it to be astromonically more likely for a girlfriend of mine to raise her eyebrows when i order a cheeseburger than my boyfriend is.. or in fact, any guy is.

women are enforcing this stereotype on themselves... and here is the thing, the majority eventually wisen up. like with peer pressure, as you get older it gets easier to deal with... and if a women isn't capable of dealing with this in a healthy way by the time she reachs her twenties she needs therapy.

this is a maturity issue, not a crisis.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

As a physician who is trained in Preventive Medicine (not Psychiatry) I became involved in a series of projects launched in the early 1990's that attempted, through the Arts, to reverse this sick American obsession with thinness and body perfection among U.S. women.

One project was a set of sculptures that depicted nude women from ages 8 through 80 years of many diverse body shapes and sizes (often primarily genetically determined)-
each accompanied by a poem. One sculpture was that of a nude woman who had lost a breast to mastectomy.This set of sculptures and poems travelled around the nation to mostly medical facilities but other venues as well.

EACH SCULPTURE AND POEM WERE BEAUTIFUL

So the arts including plays, film, poems and music ,but especially the visual arts like scupture and painting, are excellent antidotes to the toxic mind poison stimuli that the U.S. mass media and mass advertising culture put forth to U.S women especially young females who are especially vulnerable to such stimuli.

Dr. Rick Lippin
Southampton, Pa
Http://medicalcrises.blogspot.com

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

I have a couple of comments.

Articles like this focus on the distorted body image of middle to upper middle class white girls. What about the body image of women with physical deformities? I think we have more valid reason to have poor self esteem and body image issues but nobody pays attention to us. Perhaps because it is true we are/will be marginalized our entire lives from becoming successful people according to the present rules of the game which rewards the young, skinny, beautiful, and rich with degrees from prestigous universities? Lends credence to the fact that these beautiful skinny young things are valued more by society than the rest of us; they merit books written about them. The NYT just had an article on these perfect young women.

I left an Ivy League school last year because the entire school, and my program, was full of beautiful, young, skinny, hypercompetitive and successful young women. Glorious young thoroughbreds. When you don't fit that mold it hurts too damn much to be around these people. I didn't belong there. I'm too old, poor, working class, and have a noticeable spinal deformity. I felt like I was back in high school with the cliques, yet again. What self confidence I had was a sham and I felt one inch high. Now I'm in another school with older women with imperfect bodies and real lives.

There's a whole generation of us throwaway women out there, slightly older women who have deforming scoliosis and other physical issues, who were told we would never amount to much and nobody paid attention. What about us? Oh yeah, when these glorious young girls become older, they'll discover how throwaway they are, too.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

that is excedingly boring especially as Alternet seems to post them weekly. Alternet apparently has a tiresome predeliction for the shallow worries of young, college educated white women. Irratating to say the least since there are other female demographics at risk and other issues around our cultural obession with unattainable standards of beauty (for male & females) that I'd rather see explored in an intelligent manner. There are myriad health and cultural issues around wieght, beauty and aging (surgical multilations for a "more youthful" appearance, anyone?) that deserve this space more than the heavily recycled subject in this article.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

show me a successful man--star athlete, musician, VP of a Fortune 500 Company--whose wife or girlfriend is not beautiful with a perfect white smile and big breasts.

do you think that women don't notice that? that unless they have a certain 'look' there will be doors that they will never be able to walk through.

and it isn't just young women. women with saggy eyelids or excess chin will be less likely to be promoted on the job or even hired. it's sad that women feel the need to undergo plastic surgery, but the reality is, in many cases it is necessary if they want to achieve their goals.

right or wrong.....beauty matters, and women know it.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

Why do we care about this when skeletal humans are starving in Darfur, ? When college students turn assassins? When thug culture is destroying another generation of youngsters? When polar bears are doomed to extinction? When hundreds of thousands of civilians are being murdered in Iraq...

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

being so mean? None of the commentators, it seems, have ever suffered from an eating disorder. The comments left by kepstein7777 and ann83, whome seem to think it's all made up of already skinny preppy girls (who were maybe not very nice to them in high school?) are heartless. I have had eating an eating disorder since i was seven. First i was overweight because i stuffed down the pain of sexual abuse and wanted to cover my developong body with fat so no one would come near me. Then as i got older and other children were mean to me because of my weight, i went the other way and tried to shrivel myself and my developing breasts. And oh, how i was praised for my sudden weight loss by peers AND ADULTS. Since high school, I have made other friends who had eating disorders over the years. I met them in college, in the work force--not that we even talk about food (and our lack of eating it/ purging it) at first meeting, we just recognized a common pain. But the pain wasn't about our relationship with food, it was with our history of being abused. We strived for perfection, feeling if we were perfect in every other way, it would atone for guilt and shame we have...

Not all girls with eating disorders have been abused, but a large fraction of us have. So, try to have a little sympathy. When I read some of the reactions, i felt ridiculed, looked down on. Nice, healthy outside enforcements for people who already hate themselves. You don't know who is reading your words. Please, for those of us out here fighting ourselves everyday to lead a true, food-filled, healthy life--choose them carefully.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

What's crazy about all this backlash against anorexia is that we (society, doctors) still expect people to adjust their bodies to fit within the BMI chart. For those of you who don't know, the BMI chart is a total piece of crap. It was created in the 1800's by a Belgian mathematician do describe body size; it was not created by any medical board, nor was it designed to tell people how much they should weigh. Of course, that's what they're doing now.

Schools are now publicly weighing kids and sending home their BMI's on their report cards. 14 year old girls, who look normal and healthy, are being told they're "obese" by their doctors. And we're constantly told that if we don't fit into this narrow range (I think the range for my height is 30 pounds), regardless of athletic ability and body composition, that we're going to die terrible deaths from our fat. It's ridiculous!

I personally eat pretty darn well and exercise regularly. I'm healthier and more active than I've ever been (including when I was 7). Yet, at 23, I'm also the heaviest I've ever been. According to these damn charts, I'm overweight and pushing into obese. I wear a size 10 and I feel and look great. But the doctors think I should cut back calories until I lose weight. Well, I only eat 1500 a day! What do they want, me to starve myself?

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

The key to understanding many current problems is to remember that we are evolved to live in tribal groups of hunter/gatherers with limited exposure to others outside our group. The tendency to like fruit, for example, serves all primates well due to the vitamin content, but in our current world the corresponding love of sugar has created a diabetes and obesity epidemic beyond imagining. Corporate America knows how to exploit our evolved traits for profit, with no regard for the consequences, and the proliferation of images of the "perfect physique" has created an epidemic of focus on the physical that is at least as much a problem as disease in this country. The same companies that sell you soft drinks and junk food are selling you cable service, magazines, movies, etc., that decry the bodies that consuming mass-produced foods create. (Then they go on to sell you weight loss products and advice, etc., as if they are compassionate and understanding of your plight, often in magazines that simultaneously display hundreds of images of unattainable perfection.)

Purely physical perfection is unattainable because it is artificial. I worked with an extremely famous actress on a film once. At one point, I saw her in front of me live, and simultaneously saw the monitor, which is what the camera was capturing. The experience taught me a lot. As I watched her in the same living space with me, she seemed like herself, another one of the people in the room, and a wonderful one, like everyone else. But what I saw on the monitor was a different story. The artificiality of the camera transformed her into an idyllic image that was truly startling in its power. But, it was ARTIFICIAL. I'm all for art, of course, but I really learned a lesson at this moment. Comparing real people to artifical means of reproducing their images can be a fatal error.

It will always be part of our evolutionary make-up to have a physical attraction to women who seem young and healthy. It will also always be part of our make-up to be attracted to women who are smart, strong, and compassionate. Have you ever seen a female model (since we're talking about women) who seemed very appealing and then heard her speak? The perspective changes completely. Personally, I've never heard a model speak who seemed anywhere near as attractive afterwards as she was beforehand. On the contrary, I've had thousands of experiences where women who don't look like magazine covers prove to be extremely attractive due to this reality: people are inseparable combinations of countless different qualities, and in the real world in which we're evolved to live, attractiveness is always based on the complete person.

One hundred years ago, before the proliferation of these images, do you think women were as focused on the physical exclusively? Twenty-thousand years ago, when we were still living mostly in the types of environments for which we evolved, do you think anyone other than the most completely balanced woman could ever be the most attractive partner?

I say, look for and resist the tendency for the corporate world to manipulate your evolutionary traits at all cost. Don't let them turn your natural taste for fruit into an addiction to Coca-Cola and eventually diabetes. Don't let them turn only one side of your sense of who people are, the surface, which is the only one they can control, into an even worse disease.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

You know I do apologize, I thought I would get a whole lot more attacks on my post like this. Thanks for disagreeing with me. (however, please say something more intelligent than that we were picked on by white skinny girls in high school...i grew up in eastern north carolina where 60% of my peers were african american, so once again please don't assume silly things like this, it simply weakens the intelligence of your argument).

But, I just think that books such as this reproduce the argument that every girl has an eating disorder. And these girls make one of my friends, who suffers from poly cystic ovarian syndrome and has been struggling with her weight for years simply mad! It is her, actually, who have made me angry with the "every girl hates her body" syndrome that women's self help books and magazines seem to constantly reproduce.

And heartless? I'm currently getting a master's in social work planning on pursuing a career in community organizing for the human rights of sex workers and the transgendered community. Please, attack my argument, and not me personally.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

Thank you for that.

My 'picked on comment' was more toward the the other commenter who specified 'cheerleader', and i didn't seperate that. (though implying that my saying so was less than inteligent--well, it could be seen as insulting. However, I'm just going to chalk that up to the nature of blogging).

I was hurt and angry, and i apologize for calling you heartless--as i don't know you personally or what you do, only by these comments.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

The comment above was supposed to be a reply to why are so many of you...

And I didn't mean to post it twice! Slow computers are a nuisance at times...

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

Well, if there's a woman out there (old or young) who likes what she sees in the mirror you certainly tried hard to change all that. I understand that you write for a living. Is it also your calling to insult and demean women ? Ever notice that men don't toleralte this crap from each other. Men don't bother to write about each others short comings. They think their fine just the way they are. I suggest that women do the same. Thanks, ANNA

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

The idea of hating the body has deep roots that go far deeper than food. I was raised Catholic and feared for my soul that I would go to hell for even thinking dirty thoughts, much less for the mortal (death dealing) sin of masturbation. Hatred of the body is deeply imbedded in consciousness. The so called "new normalcy" is not new at all. Hating the body produces a deep pain, usually far beneath the surface, resulting in a fixation on the body, and various attempts to fix the problem, which of course "fixes" it right where it is stuck. Corporatism (an interesting correlation with corpse) rides this hate to make money, inflating the fat to get people addicted, and then creating thinness/scarcity to drive the prices up. One poster referred to "surface issues"; the bosses keep sheeple distracted with circuses so they do not go deep and develop "character." The "disease of affluence" is promoted by the affluent so that our culture is one huge "eating disorder." Junk food, supermarkets, restaurants, convenience stores, sodas, pesticides, agribusiness, GMO's are stockmarket scams demanded by shareholders to fatten for the money kill/bill, unnatural disasters in view of the way our distant ancestors lived, as noted by a poster. Hell, I can't even find iodized salt now without sugar in it. Natural beauty demands a revolution from this fat/flatland ugliness. The bible got it 1/3 right when it said money is the root of all evil. It just left out power and sex, the other two arms of the body hating patriarchy, which especially hates women, but that's a whole other issue. I think of Hillary and how made up she is to sell her. I think of women's magazines and all the money men are making off of them. I heard that the CIA funded Ms. Magazine to get women into the marketplace so they could be taxed and their children in daycare so they could be indoctrinated. I feel so sad for women and their children. The RedBrownBlue party attacks patriarchy and promotes The Lover Government with a symbolic womam as its centerpiece. The womem's movement has not yet gathered together its true source of strength which is philosophical and ontological. Alternet does a service by floating articles like this, but they just scratch the surface. The depths are in the sexual bodies of womem. The flip side of this so called hatred of bodies is the love of these bodies, even and especially those bodies that are not perfect and even deformed. I have found that even in the most apparently enlighened circles, bodies are subtly put down, and I believe this degradation has disastrous effects, usually unbeknownst to the body denier. The body is conscious and hears everything the mind says and doesn't say, and it certainly feels the emotional consequences. Those thoroughbred Barbie dolls with corporate jocks are just setting themselves up for a fall. It's all a game of consciousness. Godus loves us whatever we do. Thanks for all this delicious food for thought.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

Sorry, but I get so tired of seeing these White Women's Problems getting the headlines when there are so many other issues we could discuss. Not that eating disorders and perfectionism are confined to white women (they are not), but the angle from which this author bases her presumptions seems to take into consideration one tiny demographic. Sorry, but I still think the US could do with more of these so-called "skinny perfectionists" if statistical obesity is to be trusted. Over half the US population is overweight: this is the group we need to focus on, not the others on the periphery who are too slim. IMHO, a fit and healthy body is 100xs better than one too skinny or undefined: give me some meat and some muscle any day over a skeleton!

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

i appreciated this article. i think the author succeeded in demonstrating that most girls in our society spend a lot of time thinking about appearance and weight (whether they have an actual, defined eating disorder or not), and that this fact is almost always hidden by these girls, who are in many cases high achievers or even perfectionists.
i think what the article is missing, however, is any commentary on why thinking/obsessing about food, weight, and looks in general has developed into the norm for young women. i think this missing piece is what has led to many of the rather ignorant comments that have been posted such as those that imply the author is a perfectionist who was never fully satisfied or the one stating that women are incompetent if they can't tell the difference between a magazine ad and real life. i would have appreciated more input from the author in this piece.. how does the media create and reinforce these notions of perfection? i think with a bit more development in regard to the WHY of this distressing reality, some of the ignorant assumptions and subsequent unproductive comments could be minimized (acknowledging the author's work in creating her book- extensive consultations with women and professionals - would also help).

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

As important as this is, it's just a symptom of the larger, across-the-board obsession with beauty that's been largely a plague on civil society for so long. The roots of the human instinct in a sort of 'genetic desire' to pass along the best physical traits for survival have extended to all kinds of areas where beauty no longer really means anything, but continues to be made important by the culture.

It affects everyone in some way. Height, leanness, musculature, facial structure, presence or lack of hair on head or body are all widely judged in men, especially in competitive environments. Skin color is, of course, judged all over the place, between and within races. Studies have shown an incredible number of biases and prejudices in the workplace over all manner of physical traits, with the steretypical Ken & Barbie still currying the most favor--at least forgiveness and softer judgment, if not outright preference in every case--in just about every area.

There are important specifics to every angle of the beauty obsession--young women's body images, obesity, resistance to and devaluing of aging (in women earlier than in men, but in both at some point), men feeling pushed into playing the he-man role, one ethnic group feeling pressure to adopt another ethnic group's beauty standards, etc--the list goes on and on.

But the roots to all these issues seem as strong and connected as ever. We as a society hunger for beauty, deperately so, and we hurt and slight and crush and kill for the sake of it.

And the media only seems to find new and stronger ways to fuel it. One example of that is, simply, the average level of attractivess of who we see on TV. Take a look at any number of common TV shows, game shows, news broadcasts, musical-performance shows, etc from 20 years ago, then 30 or 40 years ago. Of course, there have always been beautiful people in the spotlight. But the average show in those earlier decades was full of faces with character--expressive, distinct, a wide palette of appearance (if not always race). Compare to today, where almost every show seems full of wooden young models who have no personality, no ability to emote or create anything of depth, and who are blandly indistinct from one another. Even as racial diversity is on the rise, those chosen all fit a narrowing profile of beauty. Can you imagine Walter Cronkite as lead news anchor today?

In that nutshell alone, we see a fevered race to devalue everything else but one trait--a carefully-sculpted, precise standard of beauty that becomes more important than anything else. That's the message our youth are getting hit with, day in and day out, as their potential role models outside those standards dwindle.

What can be done about this?

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

NOT a healthy body!

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

Are there any books on the market dealing with this subject that ever get around to talking about young women who are NOT WHITE? Once again an author assumes that ALL women are the same, and does not give credence to other factors (such as race or economic status) that may shape body-image issues. Wouldn't it be a fascinating study to find out how young minority women feel about their bodies as well as what it's like being a young woman of color in a society that devalues them for not being thin, blonde and beautiful?

John Stossel (not one of my favourite people to be sure) did a program that aired ABC a year or so ago that dealt with women and body image. He interviewed young women from ALL races and classes and found that the young black women generally felt good about their bodies. The young white and asian women (most of whom were already thin or fit) thought themselves "big".

Don Imus' idiotic comment should have been a part of this discussion. Black women may not suffer from body image issues, but our hair has always been a political mindfield (remember Cynthia McKinney)? It has only been recently that many companies "allow" black women to wear their hair braided or locked, preferring them to use damaging chemicals to "straighten" their hair and therefore present a more 'professional' image. Imus' comment about nappy hair brought that back to the surface, and showed that in spite of all the white guys with dredlocks, society at large still doesn't see natural hair and hairstyles as beautiful (unless Bo Derek does it).

One size does NOT fit all, people. Progressives should know and be practicing this rather than always catering to it.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

It is about getting enough exercise, being healthy and eating balanced meals with the emphasis on plants. My wife is 54 years old and has a better body than nearly all 18 year olds, because she does just that. She makes time to adequately exercise and eats sensibly. She's raised two kids and spends quality time with 4 grandchildren, and works a full time job (so don't say you don't have the time). She isn't "obsessed with being thin" as some would contend, but rather she likes herself enough to do this for her. In fact she is 5'4" and weighs 140 lbs., but because muscle weighs a lot more than fat, most folks would guess her weight at 115. She can leg press 600 lbs. several times.

I do my part to share the chores and maintenance on our 42 acre farm, as I am retired already. I am on the same regimen as she is, and I am 56 years old, 5'11" and weigh 215 lbs., with 16% body fat...and I feel great. We still have sex several times a week and love to mountain bike, back pack, take multiday motorcycle trips, and everything we did when we were kids. If you are in shape, and not just thin or skinny, there are few limitations.

This stuff isn't rocket science, so why do so many (including the author of this AN piece) try to make it so complicated? One simply has to get away from their bad eating habits and sedentary lifestyles, and the rest takes care of itself. It is the fountain of youth! The bonus is that by living in this manner, we reduce stress the old fashioned way...we BURN it.

It is worth it.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

Learning to discover oneself is a process each of us is required to take, man or woman, and social pressures are part and parcel of this process. Who cares what anyone else thinks as long as one accepts oneself as one is? Sometimes negative pressures can develop one's character more so than presumed positive ones. While growing up can be painful, why prolong the process by pointing the finger of blame outwardly instead of learning to accept what is as it is? We may not be able to change the world but we can change ourselves if we so desire. And this takes work and acceptance that the world may never look the way we think it should look.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

At 118, (5'4" at 53 yrs old), I am at the heaviest I have ever been in my life. Most of my life I hovered between 103 and 105 and got non-stop inappropriate comments about my weight from friends and strangers. I have a naturally high metabolism but I also eat exceptionally healthy foods without being obsessive about it.

I have been shouted to by grocery store cashiers, "Oh my gawd...look how skinny you are!" I have had "friends" say, " I hate you!" as if I was flaunting myself as a contrast to their rather normal, somewhat more feminine builds. Women want to know "my secret." I have been accused (loudly) of being anorexic even though I struggled for years to gain weight in hopes of gaining a few feminine curves. I look back on photos now and see that while I was thin, I was not bony. The meat on my bones was muscle and I had the look of a tomboy. I was normal for ME.

How many guys, when a women is mentioned, ask first-thing, "What does she LOOK like?" Women are conditioned to believe that their looks are judged a priority. Beautiful women get the attention, the "great personality/good person" infers "she's a dog." What are women supposed to think is valued higher in our society?

A few posts back, someone mentioned how even physically gorgeous women will find fault with some perceived flaw as an expected comeback to any flattering comment. I think this is true. If someone responded, "Yeah, ain't I great just as I am?" they would probably be thrown out of the "Generally Dissatisfied" club for women.

The market thrives on perfection being just out of reach. If only we could buy the newest eye shadow, the latest apricot/mango creme, the most exclusive pampering luxury goop for our hair, we'd be that more desireable and respected by everyone.

((choke))

We've got to stop comparing ourselves to an unattainable standard and just be the best US we can with what we have to work with.

Sushi

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

From my personal experience, I have gotten far more grief from women than men. Sure, they have been some controlers and manipulators who bothered me about my weight. I saw through them in a hurry. Interestingly enough, the two men who made me feel the most attractive were a retired Chicago cop, and an active Chicago firefighter. I figure if these heroes like me the way that I, what do I care what the rest of the losers think! (I am not condeming anyone for having a personal preference, there is nothing wrong with prefering slender women. I prefer moderately ample men! There is something wrong with emotionally abusing someone who is not your preference, which is who I am refering to with the label "loser.") I have gotten the most grief from other women. Two kinds really. Those that were thin, but not very pretty in the face. They lorded their thinness over everyone as compensation, I guess. Then there are fat women themselves who have so internalized the standards Weight Watchers has shoved down their throats, they can only be morose about weight! Their own or someone elses. Actually, I have met very few stereotypical thin "beautiful" women who were judgemental about other people's bodies. Insecure folks seem most vulnerable to that route!

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

While our society is obsessed with obesity--according to the UN more than 900 million people each day are chronically malnourished (http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=35166).

Imagine 1000 years from now that scientists revive someone from our time. How will he explain to their historians and sociologists how we could let this happen?

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

What would have been classified porn in my youth now appears at every major supermarket checkout station in the nation. The sex tips and the barely clad bodies are titillating and I have mixed feelings that they fill my view when I wait to pay.
But, when I scan the hallelujahs for perfect abs, perfect thighs, and diet claims that girls and women are subject to along with the perfectly thin barely clad idealized females fronting the magazines I feel a social crime is being committed.
Why should all the weight conscious women of America, particularly those who have a diet related disease have to run this gauntlet?
--Craig Johnson--

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

I am not frustrated with my "problem" at all. I like my 220 lb body. Furthermore, its pear shaped, which means a LOWER risk of heart disease and diabetes. If you spent time reading medical journals instead of message boards, you would know that. I don't post messages for the benefit of people like yourself. Quite honestly, you are not the caliber of individual that counts in my Universe. I post to let other fat people know it is o.k. to fight back. For years, insecure idiots have been given free reign to attack. I tried civility, and reason. Now, I believe the only strategy that works is biting back! I actually spend NO time at the gym and never will. I have no interest in becoming a body obsessed person. I have too many other interests. For those of us who have to work for a living, there is only so much free time. Lots of other things take priority. I have given up my car and walk about 2 to 3 miles in the course of a day. I also live in a 4th floor walkup. And, not having a car forces one to live in moderation. You are limited to consuming what you can carry. But all this is wasted on you. You obviously have issues and need to create the illusion of superiority over someone. I wish you karma Bud! Next time you have a "problem" I wish you some self-righteous person lecturing you on everything you could have done to prevent it. When the Universe sends you a "quit your whining message" think of me!

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

Tired of these articles that go on and on about some problem or another without any solutions proposed = so much whining.

Also: it could have used some editing and/or spell-checking. And can someone tell me what "Candace Bushnell writing her way into found-hundred-dollar Manolo Blahniks." means? I don't know who Candance Bushnell is or who or what a "Manolo Blahniks" is. Guess I don't watch enough TV.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

Would you truly alienate your daughter, lover or friend with the same words you write here? Probably.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

You think that beauty doesn't make any difference? Well, head hunters will tell you that the better looking you are, the better chances you are at getting the job. If you're overweight, not the right height, have gray hair or no hair, or any other non-performance "flaw", then your chances are reduced of getting the job, or one that pays well. There are a lot of unconscious biases at work when hiring decisions are made, so let's not be naive about it. Tall men are supposed to command "leadership" and "respect", which accounts for their statistically higher salaries. (Of course, to be male doesn't hurt either.) A female candidate, if she's tall, is expected not to dress "too threatening", lest she disturb the balance of some man's masculinity. If she is under 5'4" and applying for an upper management position, she'd better dress in a way to "command respect." So sayeth myriad career advice columns on the internet. If you're out of work and the bills are piling up, do you really think you're going to ignore the advice?

And of course, if you want to find love, just go on Craigslist personals and see how many of ads have beauty requirements like "no fatties!"

While it's true that different ethnicities have different standards of beauty and different body types, there is still a pervasive push to look like Paris Hilton. There is a hegemony.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

It really doesnt get you love to look like a model. Else all models and actresses would never be heartbroken. If a guy rejects you because of your appearance, he is a guy who is not capable of loving anyone. You are just a status symbol to him, or not. Be glad you weren't so appealing to keep him for long. Real connection is a soul matter, not a looks matter. To be selected on a primitive level as the ideal baby making machine is not to be loved either.

Now, the health angle, type 2 diabeties is becoming epidemic as a result of the computer and convenience. I myself was able to maintain a modest level of fitness as long as I staved off buying a home computer. I was only sitting then for 40 hours a week. Now, the only exercise I get is cleaning the house and doing laundry. The only food I eat is whatever i can stick in the oven or microwave. I'm too busy reading blogs and articles and comments and making my responses....

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

Line up 100 women, all 5'5'' -- left to right -- with the first one on the left tipping the scale at 100 pounds and each lady after her weighing one more pound so the last woman on the right is a 200 pounder. Then ask 100 women and 100 men to decide which lady in line is the healthiest.

Odds are, female judges will pick women that appear the most glamorous without regard to physical fitness which can only be determined with a medical exam.

Moreover, I suspect, ladies picked by women will be skinny, whereas men would favor heavy gals, assuming they have curves and, of course, big tits.

Here's my point. Women who care more about health than appearance will, in the end, attract men more easily -- especially if they are smart and have a good sense of humor. And, of course, have big tits.

Hugh E. Scott, editor of King-George.biz -- the only website with hardcopy proof of White House corruption.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

I've heard it said that Men fall in love with those they are attracted to and women are attracted to those they fall in love with.

I don't know if that's true, but it belies a larger issue. And men have it too, just in different areas. Instead of weight, with men its being better, smarter, faster, tougher, having the best toys, the best girlfriend, yada, yada. Trust me. Have faith I will do a good job.

Okay, oversimplification. But you get my drift. What this is about is insecurity. It is about happiness found from the outside. I have to act, be, do this this way to get what I want and need. And women (me included) believe that weight and (gasp!) age will get them nowhere. The where they want to be? Admired, loved and accepted.

I am 51 years old. I have conditions that make it almost impossible to lose weight. I walk 6 miles a day, sometimes 4 days a week (I've cut down). I do yoga, and I take supplements. I eat healthy for me. I did obsess with my weight. I don't like my weight. But the problem isn't the weight. It's with believing I'm not acceptable with the weight.

That's the problem with everyone. That little niggly insecure feeling that says I am bad - I am not acceptable to other people if I am [_____]. Because that final prize will make us happy.

"I will be happy if I am loved, if I have a man, if I have a great job, if everyone is nice to me. And I can't get that without being perfect."

That's just nuts. Should you let that determine how happy you are? Okay, if you never have a boyfriend, you never have a great job, and if people aren't nice to you, that's going to put you over the edge, isn't it? Why not instead get to the root of the problem? Which is....wait for it....learning how to be happy and secure in yourself no matter what happens? If I have done anything, I hope that my sons will understand this one basic principle before I cross over.

Mind you, the opposite sex for the most part on both sides perpetuates this happiness from outside business. I've been on singles dating sites. Not the one here. You'd be surprised at the amount of men who's "my partner must be" list does not include someone more than average weight and, for the most part 5 to 10 years younger. Women want men who are taller and make money, is that fair to say? (because I don't look much at women's profiles)

There is a huge weight problem, yes. There is a fast food problem yes. I've been talking about the horrible ingredients in food to anyone that will listen. Fast food isn't only in restaurants, darling. Fast food is all over the supermarket. Try buying artificial ingredient free, sugar-free foods for kids.

And the more low fat the food is, the more they've replaced it with sugar and high fructose corn syrup. Sugar and refined flour are worse for you than fat. There are mucho beneficial nutrients in milk fat, and the fat in milk is so neglible. But we go after the 2% and skim with added lactose that will eventually lead to diabetes. Virtually every yogurt on the market uses sugar, fruit sugar or sugar substitutes. None are sweetened with honey and only plain has none at all.

But I digress.

You keep chasing after the carrot, and the carrot will make you suffer.

Bugger it. I'm a wonderful, smart, artistic and talented female, and if there are people who consider that I'm not lovable because I am not a size 10, oops 12, ooops 14, oopps 16, it's their problem. I'm okay. I'm fine.

You reap what you sow. If you are shallow and chase the carrot....if you are happy and secure inside. I'd rather be happy, regardless of what I have or what I get or who I know.

Ta.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

Why should women hate their bodies ? Feminism.
All women are foolish. But there is
nothing wrong with that as it is a natural part of a
woman's cyclical system. However,I know what they dont. Moreover,it is my intention to totally destroy feminism and all the nonsense related thereto. To see
my AUTHORITY for doing so,read below -and weep.
By THOMAS J.P.COURTNEY,ESQ.,Lt.Col,U.S.Army,Defense
Intelligence Agency
> a Traumatic Brain Injury(TBI) Survivor,
> jewsyonkersislam #372,as posted in Wickipedia,
7) Disabilities resulting from TBI
>A brief overlook at what it means to live as a
> Traumatic Brain Injury(TBI) Survivor.
Considering that Bob Woodruff (TV news reporter)
> just did a story on his "recovery" from TBI from an
> injury in Iraq,many veterans from the fighting in Iraq
are TBI survivors and the NYTimes (p.1,3-14-07) just
> did a story on retired NFL players who experienced
> Brain Injury,I will briefly recount a few things I've
learned about being a TBI survivor. As I had my TBI
> when I was 13 and am now 58,I've had a long time to
> try and figure out what I have become. All TBI
> survivors are the "same" yet no two are alike.
> When I "came back","recovered",after being hit by a
> car,fracturing my neck,lying in a coma for 40
> days,awakening to find I was completely paralysed and
> "walking" out of a hospital on a pair of "half"
> crutches after six months of intensive physical
> therapy,I found that I was not alone -and that I had
> many,continuing and ever- new "disabilities". And I'll
> note three: an inability to communicate with others
in a "normal" way,Hyper- sexuality and persistent
> "shivers" that constantly inhibit communication with
> others because they scramble/shock my brain (as to
> these,I believe they are variations/manifestations of
> a form of Temporal Lobe Epilepsy[TLE]).
>Indeed, I was just reading about TBI and things
that I "do"/have always "done" -such as staring at a
> candle,staring out a window...as I experience a
> delicious shudder/shiver- are not unknown. It seems that these moments are somewhat epileptic (many
famous authors (Doestoevsky...) and leaders( Michael
Collins, leader of 1917 Irish independence movement [manic
> depression or TLE ?]...) have also been somewhat
> epileptic: temporal lobe epilepsy[TLE]).
> When I "came back",I learned that I was no longer
> just myself but "myself" floating in a void (an
> 'eternal' present/eternity)within myself. And this
> "void" always sees and does things that I can not help
> but see and do - as I am a mere part(a raft) of (on)
> that "void" (eternity) over which I have no say.
> As to my hypersexuality,it does not bother me so much
> as I am 58. But for nearly 40 years,at least once a
> day and often 2 or 3 times,it left me with overwhelming feelings of guilt,shame,embarrassment.. And yet,on the other hand,you would not believe how many lovely{naked} young and beautiful ladies' bodies I have seen,touched, stroked,kissed,fondled ... or the fact that I have had sexual intercourse with a lady about 15,000-30,000 or more times.
> Moreover,I kid you not -and I kid you not that this is
> a merciless and demanding disability that leaves you
with little chance to do much more....and I struggle daily.
Normal people (non-TBI survivors) like to talk and share experiences,one-to-one. But,as a TBI survivor,
> such is not possible for me because ......

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

Bulimia...Anorexia...Obesity...Enough about eating disorders already! Jezus--What does all this concern about what we eat say about us as a society? Frankly, I'm sick of hearing about our "eating disorders." The supposed problem of eating disorders is result of having too much. Having too much of everything. And of coming by it much too easily.

Like my mother used to say--"There are children starving in Africa." But you know what, Mom? There are people starving right here at home, too. Not just children, but men and women, too. And they're not starving because they want to look fashionable. They're starving because they can't afford enough to feed themselves. How's that for an eating disorder?

We'd do well to worry more about all the people who are starving because they have no choice--and screw the people who have too many choices. To them I say, quit feeling sorry for yourselves and take a moment to be thankful for what you're fortunate enough to have. Take some of that food you're thinking about puking up, quit mindlessly stuffing your face just because you can, and think about somebody less fortunate than yourself for a change. That'll cure your damn eating disorders.

How about let's stamp out hunger instead of worrying so much about our eating disorders, for cripe's sake?

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

. . . will never lead us anywhere. It is a maniacal maze that always spits you out at the same point it sucked you up: wanting. We keep chasing after perfection as if it is an achievable goal, when really it is the most grand and painful of all mirages."

Indeed. And, of course, "wanting" has two meanings: 1) lacking in "perfection"--because perfection is by definition an unattainable goal in an imperfect world; and 2) desiring--that is, wanting to buy another gym membership or piece of exercise equipment or diet pill or diet book, etc., etc., in the hope that the next thing you try will be the magic one to deliver you into "perfection."

The multi-billion-dollar diet and "fitness" industries are all too happy to keep all of us chasing after an unattainable goal by purchasing their products and services. The inexplicable part is--so many of us buy into their trap and willingly enslave ourselves to these capitalist masters.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

The issue at hand here is not a woman's size, her health, or any of the other bogus reasoning running rampant on this board. The real problem is that women continue to be judged, by men and women, by their looks rather than their merit.

Imperfect men (and often unattractive, overweight men) continue to be cast as actors on television shows and movies, become music stars, and achieve other standings of high regard in the entertainment media. Women who are ugly or have unconventionally healthy bodies are only cast as the fat or ugly character. Media execs even cast a pretty, healthy woman to play "Ugly Betty." Young girls are highly impressionable, and this kind of thinking has invaded our psyches. Putting down the women's magazine is not enough, because self-loathing has invaded the culture at large. Women and men devalue women who are not considered thin or beautiful.

When Don Imus made his infamous comment, I went online and sought out the entire transcript. What is most disturbing about the conversation on his show was not the "nappy-headed hos" comment, but was rather the angle from which he discussed the women of both teams. Rather than respecting the women as PEOPLE, he discussed the merits of their looks, with one team as "cute" and the other as "hos". What is ridiculous about the whole situation is not his foul language, but the entire view of women, no matter how accomplished, as being their bodies, and their bodies alone. This is not limited to Don Imus either. People (men and women) constantly reduce women to their looks without regard to the human being behind the face, tits, and ass.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

Americans are spending an average of over
four hours watching TV per day. Do you think
this could somehow be effecting how we view
ourselves and each other?

TV wasn't introduced into Fiji until the
1990's. Here is a study looking at how
TV effected body image in Fiji:

http://query.nytimes.com/gst
/fullpage.html?sec=health&res
=9A03E4DC1E3EF933A15756C0A96F958260

http://www.dimensionsmagazine.com/news
/0,2107,50700-81467-578111-0,00.html


TV's Glamorous lifestyles have an effect:

http://healthinfo.cedars-sinai.edu/healthyliving
/familyhome/may06soaps.htm


Media effecting men too:

http://www.ivanhoe.com/channels
/p_channelstory.cfm?storyid=11103

For more on how TV is making us dissatisfied:

http://www.tvsmarter.com/documents/depression.html

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

What do you think all those college kids are doing shooting steroids to pump up their muscles? They are men! Totally ignored, not one comment about men's body obsession. They too, are dying. Dying from anabolic steroid use, dying from body obsession, probably at a similar rate as women. So hidden, supposed to be a good thing, pumping iron. And how about the accompanying GHB use, a lethal "club" drug bought at local gyms under the counter to "build muscles while you sleep"? How many uncounted, unrecorded deaths from this drug? A lot more than you could even imagine.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

This life is not about YOU (or me) . When people get so self-involved that they spend more energy stressing over their own body image than seeing the big picture (that they are cosmic blip and only here for the blink-of-an-eye), that is very disheartening. As a culture, we are promoting generations of disempowered persons. Everyone who hates their body should spend a few hours pushing around a quadraplegic in a wheelchair. You are NOT your body. The body is a shell.
GET OVER IT.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

Prolifically written. Though this is an "opinion" I have found this to be true of most men I have encountered as I grow older. Most men like the "barbie" doll female in theory, but rarely in reality. Since I am a women of curves, not necessarily fat nor skinny, I've always received positive feedback from men of all age, race, and status. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but I believe that most of us will seek out a healthy partner to live a healthy long life with, despite the corrupted images of the media. This will mean neither obese nor anorexic, just healthy and happy as...well, ourself.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

Hmmm...i suppose these people aren't quite as "attractive" as anorexics or bulimics are they? Nope, the girl who binges but doesn't purge won't ever get the "poor girl" sympathy.

Just thought I would point that out.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

When I look around me every day at the dozens of men and women who are fat (obese is a nice word), I mean really fat and ugly, I wish more men and women had at least a little more desire for perfection, or at least a healthy body fat ratio. Maybe beauty is only skin deep, but when I see blubber after blubber after blubber walking around, I wish to god more people cared about their weight and eating. We don't need to be perfectionistic about it, but we could be a bit more concerned. I'm sorry, but I detest obesity.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

I blame twiggy...before twiggy, if you look at nude artwork and photography, it was curvy women. Like Marilyn Monroe and Jane Mansfield. That was considered sexy.

Twiggy started the whole stick girl thing...I think it is pushed on most men by society. A lot of guys (and girls for that matter) prefer curvy women.

So jump in your time machine and assassinate twiggy and you can get this whole sick skinny trend out of popular culture.

Oh, and the huge pecks, shaved chests thing can go away as well....

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

I don't think anyone is trying to say that this topic is more important than poverty, for example. But I do think it's an important issue and I think the author writes about it well. She's not making it a bigger issue by writing about it - she's making us examine how we live and what we're doing to ourselves and to future generations of women and girls.

We as privileged people (I'm assuming that if you're reading this, you're probably in this category) have a role and responsibility in dealing with global problems like poverty. But we can't be effective change agents if we're obsessed with how we look and being perfect. Being obsessed with appearing perfect isn't about doing anything meaningful - it's about looking like you're doing something meaningful. And if we're talking about whole generations of young women who care more about looking good than actually making change, then I think this is a problem worth discussing.

Another negative consequence of this obsession is that we view our role as the ones in charge or the leaders of change (which is exactly what the role of privileged folks shouldn't be if we're talking serious long-term social justice). I'm so tired of us thinking that we're the ones who are fine/normal/perfect and that we should be spending our time "helping those poor people in Africa." We need to acknowledge that we don't know more than them, we're not better than them, and we have our own pathologies and problems that we need to deal with. Not talking about our obsession with appearance and perfection just fuels the attitude that we are naturally "perfect". But maybe if we start talking about it, we can all ease up a bit, take a step back, and stop being so obsessed with ourselves.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

This is not new. The body, like nature has been despised as far back as the 15th century - one could wager even as far back as a couple of thousand years ago. Attaching 'new' to this article's heading is abysmally mis-leading. The widespread acceptance of the proposition that the human being is thoroughly and completely Image bodes not well for us in our real social relations. Denial of nature is no solution to the wholesale destruction of nature. And we claim to be concerned for "fitness" and "health"!

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

I saw what one of the thin women wrote about the grief she gets, and it struck a chord in me. I am a man with a foot in both camps. I'm short and thin, as are pretty much everyone in my family, tempered by a small quantity of middle age spread. What people in my family call fatness in self-reference would make some others laugh themselves silly I'm sure. And this is after the growth spurt. I was a little shrimp of a boy before then. My favorite joke was that I was so skinny I "could crawl under a pregnant ant". I credit that one with a little creativity at least. But in junior high school I distinctly remember telling my weight to a few girls who looked horrified at me and asked me if I ate. I was 17 before I could do a proper pull-up. I literally was the 98-pound weakling. As I've grown I've felt my muscles come up to speed, and for a while I studied martial arts and came to understand that even there are a great many of these, and that to use my body in the best way I have to feel what it does best. What does a little skinny guy do to fight? That's often a big question to us little guys as we're often the first targets for bullying. I can't pick someone up. I can't wrestle someone to the ground. If I try, I'll likely be the one on my back or in the air. But one learns certain things about being bony; a good connection from my forearm or foreleg on a knee or ankle or some other places can make even the biggest adversary have a second thought. I also came into the works of Tolkien, and there found the whole image of the Elves as an example of a race of little people who hold their own quite well and fiercely. Those are some of the ways I've dealt with being a little guy.

All this, meanwhile, at an age when the anti-fat brainwash we all get - and particularly in Los Angeles County where I grew up - in my case came slamming headlong into what I actually started feeling when my turn-ons, well, turned on. I've had it hard (literally) for the fat girls ever since. And even before that, in retrospect, I used to laugh at some of the fat jokes, but the idea that fat people were ugly or that there was some overriding imperative to turn them thin never really took hold in me. I remember going to the beach in LA, and having a warm feeling in my heart when, once in a while, a girl who was other than slender would take to the sand, by all indications a near-insurgent act in that place and time.

Also, because I'm a natural skinny, who is not this way out of adherence to some Spartan near-fascist turning inward of dire militarism (the "lean mean slaughter machine" and all that), I tend not to feel much in common with those who say "I go through all this to be fit, why should I bother with someone who can't keep up?" And all this metering of time and distance, this "speed freak" mentality. Oh, big news flash, fat people don't move as fast as thin people! Big fricking deal. You do remember work is force times distance don't you? If a 400 person goes half the distance a 100 pound person does, the former still got twice as much of a workout as the latter. So much for the whole laziness idea.

But then, though I am naturally thin, I'm also privy to the question of the body image of those with malformations, though if I didn't tell you the only clues you'd have are the slash scars on my ankles. I am a corrected clubfoot, and so don't run at the speed everyone expects of someone my size. I had to struggle to get to the middle of the pack in school laps. So when fat people talk of how much they despised PE, I could understand quite well.

I hear that if we don't watch out, nearly 100% of the American population will be "obese". I still haven't heard how this can happen if fatness is the inferior trait as is so often imputed. Yes, I can see it now, the dwindling number of skinnies heading for extinction while screaming ever louder of how morbid the fatties are who are wiping them out!

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]