Okay, so it's been established that we live in a diet culture. One that doesn't promote health, but rather weight and image. One that encourages fluctuation and self-consciousness. And these messages permeate our media and our perceptions of ourselves and each other.
So let's consider what the beauty ideal is today. Look at the celebrities that society deems beautiful. Most are waifishly skinny, many are over-exercised and lose weight when their celebrity status climbs. I have read numerous interviews with said celebrities who have cited their diets and workouts when they are preparing for a big role or a big event or a tour or whatever. Steamed fish and steamed vegetables and soy milk only. Three hours of exercise a day. No sugar, no carbs, organic food only, whole grains only, macrobiotic diets. Egg whites, salad, dried fruits.
All, though, are sending a message: To be beautiful, do not embrace balance and diversity and moderation in your food and exercise habits. To be beautiful, deprive yourself. To be beautiful, be an extremist. To be beautiful, loathe the natural shape your body takes when you eat and exercise healthily. To be beautiful, force it to conform to society's version of beautiful. To be beautiful, change.
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i totally agree with you. at the same time, i look at it as their job. if i were essentailly paid to have someone prepare my meals and make me work out 3 hours a day, i could (atleast start to) look like some of them too...
ReplyDeleteAnd that's okay in and of itself. But not when it permeates a food culture and promotes unhealthy behavior.
ReplyDeleteI think you and I must be at polar ends of the weight dilema. Since my first pregnancy I have had a hard time keeping weight on. While I was breastfeeding, I had to wean both girls around 8 months because my weight was dropping at an alarming rate no matter how much I ate. I understand what you mean about the diet culture today - but know that there are those of us on the other side with an equally important struggle. Through my research I am finding that I might have food allergies specifically to wheat and corn. And scarily enough that is what the majority of my diet consisted of. In the process I have done some serious damage to my stomach and intestines and it has resulted in an incorrect diagnosis of acid reflux and anxiety. I was just eating the wrong foods. I was eating dead foods that were mostly cooked or refined. I thought I was eating healthy with wheat bread, wheat pasta, whole grain cereal, cooked vegetables, a good ole' burger now and then, but it was too much dead food with no living enzymes. Cooking destroys 98% of the nutrients that are in food. Most Americans, including myself eat way too much protein causing excess acid in the stomach. Don't be to hard on the celebrities that talk about only eating fish and vegetables - it is one of the healthiest food combinations you can eat.
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