Every now and then when I
pass a newsstand with women’s magazines, I feel a twinge of envy. I’m from the
age when my favorite magazines focused on fashion, beauty, career, relationships
and the latest exercise craze and diet. Now they include curvy women in fashion
editorials and even explore the negative and positive side of body image. Marie
Claire offers practical and fashionable advice with Big Girls in a Skinny
World. Glamour’s real everyday women fashion photo spread includes curvy women.
Even the High Priestess of Praying Mantis Fashion, Anna Wintour, throws a curvy
model (their version) into an issue or two of Vogue.
However, my envy quickly
dissipates once I lay eyes on the tabloid magazines with glossy cover images of
celebrities and eye catching headlines. Today’s tabloids are a mix of
celebrities, fashion, movies/music/television and plenty of gossip. Years ago
men like my boyfriend feared conversations based on relationship article and
tests their girlfriends or wives read in a woman’s magazine. Hey guys for the
most part you’re off the hook. Nevertheless, you’ll still hear “we have to
talk” on occasion. After all we’re still women and we love to talk about the
state of our relationship. Unfortunately, “Does this fill in the blank make my
butt look big?” has gone from a grenade to a minefield.
Traditional women’s fashion
magazines are published monthly. The tabloids are published weekly and they are
constantly shifting focus. One week, Guiliana Rancic is on the cover with the
“scary skinny” caption. A week later, she’s the paragon of health and fitness.
Reese Witherspoon graced a cover for her post baby body. A couple of weeks
later, she’s at a spa to get rid of stubborn baby weight.
Kim Khardashian is pregnant.
I’ve lost count of the number of magazines that are focused on her expanding
waistline along with a current (baby bump) and pre-baby (bikini) photo. Another
photo showed pregnant Kim in front of a gym with a caption that referred to a
fear of getting fat. She is pregnant, right? She’s literally eating for two.
She is supposed to gain weight. On a fashion note, Kim isn’t helping her cause.
For God’s sake buy some maternity clothes! On a personal note at least maternity
wear is fashionable now. I was pregnant in the eighties when the maternity
section was basically versions of burlap sacks and house frau mu-mus with
flowers or stripes. I burned my maternity clothes about a week after I had my
sons. Now that I got that off my chest, is it any wonder that we have six year
old girls that are afraid of getting fat?
We live in a country where
generally bigger is considered better. Employees want big pay raises and
promotions. Directors, producers and actors want big box office or big ratings.
Businesses want big profits. Conversely, we are also a nation of extremes. There are shows
that promote healthy cooking and shows based around bacon. Television weight loss programs like The
Biggest Loser and Dancing with the Stars which in my opinion is code for The
Biggest Loser: The Celebrity Spandex and Sequins Edition. There’s a reason
there are so many ads for antidepressants.
I have nothing against making
changes to live a healthier life. I think it’s necessary to eat well, exercise
and get enough rest. I’m a cancer survivor with secondary progressive MS and
Celiac disease. I get it. I’ve seen the statistics for obesity in America. I
understand the correlation to health care costs. Nevertheless, why aren’t we
just as concerned with being emotionally healthy when it comes to body image?
You have to get down to the
root cause for why people overeat. For women it’s the message we get every time
we pick up a magazine or glance at a tabloid. Perhaps it's time we reflect on the saying, Physician
Heal Thyself and apply it to our lives.
One must conclude that body image issues
must be addressed from the inside out. If a healthy balance is achieved, we’ll become tabloid
bullet proof. However, celebrities, I am sorry to say that it won't stop the people who love gossip about plastic surgery or the latest secret romance or break up. My boyfriend, Michael hates this saying but in this case it’s apropos, tabloids are considered a guilty pleasure. At the very least, I hope to put an end to body guilt
