Is Big Always Better?

My last blog exposes how the attention to body stereotypes and the use of diets and other methods of weight loss could expose women to different eating disorders. Some studies have also probed that obesity and eating disorders are closely related to body dissatisfaction, unhealthy dieting practices, and other weight related problems. In western culture obesity is rapidly becoming a serious health problem.

It is very well known that we live in a country of consumers; in fact people enjoy getting more for their money and everywhere we go there are always offers, signs, and promotions of how to “get more for your bucks.”  I think it is all about retail and money; health is obviously a secondary issue. Therefore, it is necessary to seduce people with a diet base on humongous portions of food. People loves special offers like “buy one and get three,” and the always favorite 24 hours all you can eat buffets.” People are always excited to know that they can buy large with little money or in other words buying big for less.

Our society preaches on the beauty of thinness and condemns fatness; still unhealthy and high calorie foods are openly and broadly advertise everywhere. There are also other factors that play a big part on this out of control phenomena. Television and computers are a great way for entertainment but is making people stay in home more often and become seriously inactive. Walking is a choice that we don’t take in consideration anymore (that’s why we have a car right?) even if there is not a great distance to reach. I believe our youth could be more affected for the lack of activity since they are still growing and developing.

  

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Feeding cholesterol to each other

I strongly believed that the problem of obesity in our children should be a national concern because now more than ever we see kids between ages of four and twelve developing extreme obesity. Statistics indicated that overweight children who reach twelve years in age are more likely to be obese for the rest of their lives. So, what we are really feeding our kids with? Should the government and the school system make a strong compromise to keep a healthy diet choice for children? Certainly, if we keep this path our life expectancy would be dramatically reduced.

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Parents should be more aware of the kind of diet they provided for their children

Obesity means to have an abnormal high proportion of body fat (Prah, 2006) and it offers us a great risk to become seriously ill. Obesity increases the risk for high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, gallbladder disease, stroke, diabetes, respiratory problems, cancer, arthritis, and emotional problems such as anxiety and depression (Prah, 2006).

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Obesity can make a person become seriously ill

            Even when some people claim being happy living a large lifestyle I feel very skeptic about their statements. As I mention before I considered myself an advocated of women and I considered beauty in all its extension, not just physically but also deeper inside; where our real value and assets really are. Still, extremes are never good. Keeping our bodies healthy is very important and maintaining a healthy weight is definitely essential. 

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Morbid obesity is an extreme form of obesity itself

            Sixty years ago curvy women were the ideal of beauty. By then the idea of flesh attached to bones was unattractive and undesirable (Amiel, 2010). But our times definitely have change and there is not room for a full figure woman. The National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance (NAAFA) “takes on anti-fat discrimination cases” in an effort to take fatness into acceptance and a better approach (Amiel, 2010). Members were provided with encouragement and confidence to show themselves instead of hiding or isolating away from society (Amiel, 2010).

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Cover shoot of V Magazine “Curves Ahead”

            The V Magazine is another example of how women beauty is celebrated. Their slogan reads “Big is Beautiful.” Here the models are beautiful full size women (flesh stick to bones are prohibited). Still, their models maintained a routine that keeps them tone and healthy.

            Awareness is the key for women health. Our bodies are just the shell that keeps all the beautiful assets we have inside, but we shouldn’t just let ourselves go. It is said that “we are what we eat,” and I believed that this is a strong true statement. Life is the most wonderful gift and we must appreciate it as it is.

Citation

 

Amiel, B. (2010, March 22). Confident truly huge beauties. Maclean’s. Retrieved March 15, 2011 from Gale Opposing Viewpoints Database.

Prah, P. (2006, February 10). Eating disorders. CQ Researcher. Retrieved March 17, 2011 from CQ Researcher Database.

Image 1 (n.d.) Two thirds yuck!. Retrieved April 15, 2011 from http://www.france.blog.com.blogspot.com.

Image 2 (n.d.) Obesity in America. The latest anti-obesity ads in New York are designed. Retrieved April 15, 2011 from http://www.executivehm.com.

Image 3 (n.d.) An important article about obesity in America. Retrieved April15, 2011 from http://blogs.monografias.com.

Image 4 (n.d.) Obesity in America. Retrieved April 15, 2011 from http://www.kategale.wordpress.com.

Image 5 (n.d.) Big is beautiful at V Magazine. Retrieved April 15, 2011 from http://www.examine.com.

How Thin is too Thin?

When Lucia was about seventeen years old, she started to gain weight. It wasn’t an extreme weight gain but she was obsessed with the way she looks. By then, she would enroll herself in all kind of sports and activities in order to burn all the calories and energies that she might have on hand. On top of these, she tried every single and possible diet available on the internet, magazine or TV program and even those recommended by her “friends.” I saw her doing the weirdest and most unimaginable diets in the world and obviously she did also bring into play starvation, purging, and exercising excessively (she runs for hours and didn’t stop until she was dehydrated enough to lose weight).

Eventually, Lucia experimented all of the different types and stages of eating disorders. Chasing after the image of the perfect thin, beautiful woman she desperately wanted to be (the one that is accepted and admire by many); she becomes the victim of her own self. It didn’t take long time, as everybody could imagine, for a family intervention to take place. It was absolutely necessary. Fortunately, she was smart enough to discourage herself from this destructive behavior. Although, in the past few years her personality has change a lot and I am always suspicious and scare about her old habits not being totally gone. I noticed that she has periods of dramatic gain and loss of weight.

But, why being overweight is so unacceptable in our society? I think that the concept of thin has been expanded to a twisted new level. You just need to check sites over the internet, portraits in magazines; I mean everywhere. The general message is, “Thin is beautiful” and the portraits just show pictures of women that are extremely thin (mostly if they are magazine’ models) and certainly our Hollywood celebrities are not the exception because many of them look anorexic.

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Media is being blame for the obsession with appearances and its relation with eating disorders.

Some people think that an eating disorder isn’t a real illness and they may also think that isn’t such a big deal, but the truth is totally different. In our days this is becoming a growing health issue that has already taken many lives (Prah, 2006). Victims of eating disorders have an obsession with food and they fear of getting fat. While, anorexics refuse to eat to the point of seeing themselves as fat even when they are extremely thin; bulimics used to eat compulsively and then induce the vomit, exercise excessively or use large amounts of laxatives, diuretics or enemas in order to lose the weight gain. Binge eaters eat compulsively but they don’t purge their food (Prah, 2006). Statistics also shown that while millions of Americans suffering with eating disorders are starving themselves, the United States is also facing an obesity epidemic (Prah, 2006).

In 1980 the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) published by the American Psychiatric Association finally recognized anorexia and bulimia as mental disorders. Still, obesity and binge are not recognized as eating disorders just yet (Prah, 2006).

“Eating disorders are considered serious mental illnesses” (Prah, 2006). In fact, anorexia has the highest rate of mortality in relation to any other mental illness and is often cause by suicide (Prah, 2006). Moreover, experts and further researches say that the causes for eating disorders are complex and related to many factors (social, psychological, cultural) and that genetics might also play a big role on the development of these illnesses (Prah, 2006).

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Anorexia is a dangerous self-destroy mental illness

Perhaps, I think that the real dilemma started from how we view ourselves. How or what do we see when we look in the mirror. Most women don’t love the way they look and this is when the ghost of an eating disorder could easily reach to them.

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Anorexics see themselves as fat even when they are dangerously thin.

I considered myself an advocate of women’ health and I agree that maintaining a healthy weight by exercising and keeping good eating habits is very important for our bodies. If losing weight is necessary there are a lot of healthy and natural ways to do it without harming ourselves. I also think that is necessary to educate and create and awareness on the young to prevent them from being victims of this nonsense.

We should become active critics of the media and its message and encourage ourselves to make use of this critical thinking to do what is good for us rather than playing their game as simple puppets. In my opinion, is essential for women not just to accept or follow the perspective and standards of others as our own. We need to have a voice against the pressure offered by media on their views of what a woman should look like and their constant messages on how we need to diet and be thin to “look good.”We need to understand that having a particular body size or shape doesn’t precisely ensure a life of happiness and self realization.

Certainly, women are much more than just appearance. Good looks are not what it gives us self-worth. Putting special attention to our own attitudes and behaviors about food, weight and body image can help us to avoid being a victim of an eating disorder. Building a strong self esteem is a very important part of creating an appreciation and respect to ourselves.

Citation

Prah, P. (2006, February 10). Eating disorders. CQ Researcher. Retrieved March 17, 2011 from CQ Researcher Database.

Image 1 (n.d.) Retrieved April 4, 2011, from http://www.findmeacure.com.

Image 2 (n.d.) Retrieved April 5, 2011, from http://www.natural-holistic healthsunion.com.

Image 3 (n.d.) Retrieved April 7, 2011, from http://www.blogtimesunion.com.

The Era of the Extreme Makeover

Watching at the television I can’t stop thinking about the perfect world that is constantly being offered to us. These advertisements promise to satisfy the needs of almost everything thinkable or even the unthinkable. Thus, when we purchase these products “our whole lives might change.”  You could easily become wealthy by buying a book with detailed instructions of how to accomplish that; have the perfect body or face (just pick who you are desiring to look like); you might be able to live happily ever after or just start developing some kind of super powers -- all you need to do is swallow some magic pills.

In other cases, extreme remedies are offered to drastically reverse the process of aging and become a perfect portrait. Plastic surgery is the perfect way to cheat the passage of the years and Mother Nature and the perfect way to reach perfection.  There are many reality shows linked with the magic of plastic surgery and even though the behind scenes are not revealed, most people are amazed with the before-and-after results.

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One of the participants of the TV show “Extreme Makeover “portraying the dramatic changes after cosmetic surgery.

Young girls are aware of these shows, and sometimes the idea of not being “perfect” can really make an impact in their self esteem. A few years ago, my little niece came to me and asked me about plastic surgery. I was really shocked because at that time she was only around eight years old. I did my best to try understanding the magnitude of her questions (because they were many) and the reason of her inquietude. Finally, she told me that a few days before she spent the night with her little friends in a pajama party, and they were watching a show on TV about extreme makeovers. Then she told me, “My friends said that I’m ugly looking, and I should get a plastic surgery just like the girl on the show.”

I just couldn’t believe my ears.

            I was determined to investigate a bit more about it and I decided to watch one of this reality shows. I can’t deny that I was impressed with the dramatic results that participants (man and woman) have after going through surgery. Throughout the program some of the participants were making specific request about the type of nose, lips, eyes, etc., that they were wishing to have. It was like purchasing body parts. After few months of recovery the big reveal is announce to the participants’ families. Their first impressions progress from a completely shock to an explosion of tears and an enthusiastic (almost frenetic) applause. Then they asked to each other “Who is this person?””Wow! She/he looks totally different.”

I think to myself, “Oh course she looks totally different, she is not herself anymore.”

The perfect beauty that many women are looking after with the help of cosmetic surgery is becoming some kind of body shopping. They are constructing their images in relation to the physical appearance of other women (Blum, 2005). The gorgeous women and the beautiful bodies of models and screen idols shown on the media are the “palettes of make-up …. Our doubles and our goals.” (Blum, 2005) In other words you can become her; you can become the “Other Woman,” a perfect puzzle of all the attributes you think you should have to be beautiful (Blum, 2005).

Plastic surgery can also lead to addiction or what is called “polysurgical addict” or “scalpel slave.” Many patients engage on repetitive surgeries in order to fulfill their dreams for perfection or just to keep improving what they thing they are lacking off. Sometimes, these patients are looking to fix a prior surgery they feel dissatisfied with (Blum, 2005). Surgeons are aware of this kind of patients: those that are never satisfied and are always looking for the minimal defect (Blum, 2005).

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 Media’ stereotypes could make women see themselves imperfect or unattractive to others.

                           

During the past decade women’ obsession with perfection have a dramatically effect on the fastest growing of cosmetic surgery as one of the top medical areas of expertise.

I am personally not against plastic surgery because I perfectly understand and know its benefits. Plastic surgery is performed not only as a cosmetic source; it is also use for medical reasons, on reconstructive surgery and other extreme situations. For example; some illnesses can make us lose a physical feature (a mastectomy could outcome after suffering from breast cancer). Breast reconstruction is a procedure that reverses this traumatic experience. This is just to mention one example.   

Although, I think that women should be aware of their real value and don’t let media’ to be the manipulator of our image. All women are beautiful on their own way; our unique differences are what make us beautiful. We can be much more that simple plastic clones. 

Citation

Blum, V. (2005). Becoming the other woman. Frontiers: A Journal of Women Studies. Retrieved March 18, 2011 from EBSCO Database.

Image 1 (n.d.) Retrieved April 2, 2011, from http://www.headtotoemakeover.com.

Image 2 (n.d.) Retrieved April 2, 2011, from

  http://www.accreditedcosmeticplasticsurgeryinformation.com.