Comments on: Keepin’ It Real: Media and Body Image

By: Change Is The Only Constant | Jogger’s Life

Change Is The Only Constant | Jogger’s Life — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 15:03:09 +0000

[...] disorder. The difference between me and many other women who struggle with eating disorders is that I never wanted to be thin. I wanted to be fit. Muscular. [...]

By: nicole

nicole — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 04:01:27 +0000

wow, you and I are so much alike in the fact that i wasnt your typical ED patient wanting to be stick thin, I was too wanting to look like a supermodel, but have muscle tone… in all my years ive been in recovery this is the first time Ive heard someone say this. Thank you!!

By: Anne

Anne — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 14:13:14 +0000

It’s interesting how all this crazy thinking we do manifests itself in one way or the other. In the same manner as you avoided the waif-like envy and adopted the lean-yet-fit idol, I stopped weighing myself but still grab the tape measure and check my waist several times a week. But onto your topic:

1. I read all the regular fitness mags, Self, Fitness, Shape, and all the fashion mags, Glamour, Marie Claire, inStyle, etc. The fashion mags make me feel just as inadequate as the fitness mags. *sigh*

2. I don’t really look to the ads in magazines as inspiration… I have a comprehensive iGoogle tab that does that for me. I scour websites with celebrity pics gossip.

3. My body role models are Kim K, J-Lo, and Beyonce. I really want a tiny waist with a nice butt! Unfortunately I’m not built that way so wishing for it is dumb.

4. I don’t need to see “real” women in magazines. I like the eye candy. Honestly, I think it is more in our own attitudes and desires than it is the media. If we were happy with ourselves we wouldn’t have all these issues.

5. I am having a great big salad!

Do you still want to look like Beth? I think she looks great, and I want to look like her! Good for you for overcoming your magazine trigger for so long and coming back to it with a healthy attitude. You have come so far. Thanks for sharing.

By: tonjatoi

tonjatoi — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 03:53:15 +0000

1 – this is random: Fitness, Good Housekeeping, People (my SIL has a subscription and she gives them to me weekly) Parenting. Have not had much time to read them the past several months so I’m slowly not renewing the subscriptions as they come due. I have missed my Rachel Ray mags.
2 – no – not as motivation at all. I sent back my Self subscription renewal saying no thanks due to the fact their models tend to be skinny and not athletic.
3 – Myself – 6 years ago before the comforts of a loving relationship with a man that can cook well took it’s toll on me. That second child didn’t help the matter either.
4 – I’m tired of all the skinny glory. I want to see magazines with real women like I see at my gym or running down the street. LIKE ME . Weight is not an indicator of fitness level.
5 – I had half a sub sandwich and a small bag of sun chips – was delish.

I’m going to email you a link – I was featured in a news story about my 4 year old’s BMI being considered obese by our insurance company. So – yeah – body image hot topic w/ me these days.

By: Grace

Grace — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 16:11:40 +0000

You’ve made some great points!

1. I tend to read healthy living, fitness, current events/policy and travel magazines. My current magazine subscriptions are: Health, Women’s Health and Natl Geographic Traveler. I’ll probably subscribe to Clean Eating and Cooking Light (again) soon too.

2. I don’t really look at ads, but I do look sometimes at covers and articles as motivators. That Ralph Lauren ad actually makes me laugh… that is one BAD airbrusher, they just made her look like a freak with that unproportionately big head!

3. I guess I’d most like to look like Jessica Biel. I don’t really care though… we’re all made differently. I’ll never have her booty. I just want to be the healthiest and in the best shape I could be (without having to spend all day in the gym).

4. Well, this body image thing is not new. I really just grew disinterested with the fashion industry in general when I realized how out of touch with reality they are and how unwilling they are to accept any sort of responsibility for their actions.

Tyra Banks did that… but so did Jennifer Love Hewitt… etc etc. So many women are making the rallying cries of “leave us alone, we’re normal”… On the one hand, I agree. I think society tends to be far too superficial (and especially on women!) and why should it be front page news if Jessica Simpson wore unflattering jeans? But on the other hand, why not be the most fit and healthy you possibly could be? Just don’t do it for the paparrazi… do it for you. But I’m not that naive to think that these women really lost weight for any other reason than to get positive media attention again. I do hope that they were wise enough to go about their transformations in a healthy way though.

5. I’m probably having leftovers of some sort for lunch. Chicken, rice, broccoli, I think.