The media is a bully! It picks on the anorexic, the bulimic, the curvy, and the obese. Take a trip to any grocery store and as you wait in line for your turn to pay, browse the magazines. I did just yesterday. One magazine highlighted people who have taken dieting to extremes and are just way too thin! Another magazine promised a ten-pound weight loss in a week! Of course, right next to it splashed on the cover were celebrities struggling with weight gain. So many people are bullied into being something they simply are not.
We live in a world obsessed with weight and one that’s happy to bombard us with information. Every day, you simply can’t get through the day without being reminded of your weight. A commercial can remind you to sign up for a weight loss program or suggest you purchase a gym membership. Even when you surf the internet, numerous body-conscious articles greet you daily. You always have to lose the next five, 10 or even 20 pounds. Whew! Give us all a break. Where is the middle ground? At what point do we put an end to the madness? When exactly will people wake up simply feeling happy, and not rushing to the bathroom scale?
The pressure to be thin continues, and sadly we embrace it. I know many women are tired of living up to the ideas of beauty the world portrays. Most women fight back by choosing to be fat. Staying fat and striving for weight gain becomes a defense mechanism for them. If you follow any fashion trends or television actresses, you’ll notice that fat women are simply irrelevant. However, women of all sizes are fighting back. We see more plus size models and more clothing lines starting to meet every woman’s needs.
In recent years there has been a curvy revolution and more women are beginning to embrace their curves. Even though super thin models are still more fashionable and popular (on the whole), there is a steady rise in curvy models. Positive body images are being portrayed that are more realistic and healthy. It is time to shift the attention of poor body image to more positive reinforcements. I look forward to hearing people talk more about how they aim to be healthy instead of being extremely thin or obese. I long to see women released from the constant bondage of starvation which robs them of true joy.
Mirror, mirror on the wall – who is the fairest of them all? Is it the super thin, the normal, or the obese? Does true beauty begin and end with what you see? Is perfection really achieved only when the magic number on the scale is reached? I am here to tell you that there are parts of the world where people wake up and weight loss is the last thing on their minds. This is not to say your health isn’t important. I understand weight loss plays a pivotal role in your life; however, it shouldn’t consume you.
So, the next time you have a strong urge for a delicious comfort meal – go ahead and enjoy it! Please don’t punish yourself after, but understand some days are suitable for a little indulgence.