I was reading The New York Post earlier this week and came across an article entitled "Beware of the Fat Bug." Apparently there is an infectious virus called AD-36 that can actually make your fat cells multiply resulting in weight gain. The virus is airborne and can cause other symptoms such as coughing, diarrhea, conjunctivitis and sore throats. I couldn't help but notice the placement of the article - right next to an article about a plump Jessica Simpson - “Jessica is a BIG star” it read. Coincidence, I doubt it. Perhaps Jessica caught AD-36 while "airborne" on her way to visit her QB boyfriend Tony Romo. And, maybe those 8 to 10 pounds that many of us gained between Thanksgiving and New Years was actually a result of AD-36 and had nothing to do with our gluttonous holiday eating (the virus can linger up to 3 months)!
Like many women, I have struggled with low body image issues. It’s no wonder given the way we are bombarded with silly headlines such as Jessica Simpson’s and with the amount of diet ads thrusted at us on practically every magazine page we turn to remind us of how “fat” we are. It doesn't stop there. Just this morning the home page headline on AOL was about Britney Spears shedding 20 pounds by doing 2 hours of cardio a day. Who really cares? Naturally next to it was an advertisement to lose 30 pounds. The ad actually had a pulsating belly.
With the exception of the "freshman 20," which for me actually happened during my senior year in high school (too much beer and nachos), I have always been fit. My motto is "everything in moderation." There is no need to starve ourselves or to work out for 2 hours a day. The best any of us can do is to eat a healthful diet and exercise regularly.
We [women] shouldn't feel badly about ourselves if our bodies do not fit the Hollywood standard. I hate to keep bring up Jessica Simpson, frankly I have no idea how or why she became a "star", but that's besides the point. Why can't she add a few pounds, she is human after all. Maybe her present weight is a true representation of her body size. Here's a novel idea, maybe she actually feels good about herself. Maybe she likes how she looks - one could surmise by her choice of clothing that she is a confident woman.
From magazines ads to television ads (thankfully NBC pulled PETA's Super Bowl ad) we are assaulted with superficial images of the ideal woman. Personally, I find it offensive that teenagers are modeling the clothes marketed to my demographic. There is no such thing as being perfect but there is such a thing as being healthy and being healthy comes in all shapes and sizes.
Czzy
