30 Women in 30 Days – Day 14
When I started this blog series two weeks ago I felt rebellious toward the “perfect woman” image that permeates the media and the fashion industry. It’s an absurd image that few woman can achieve, yet so many aspire to it.
If we’re curvy we’re too fat to measure up to society’s standardized version of beauty…extreme thinness. Consequently we often end up hating our bodies.
Excessive exercising, extreme dieting and overuse of diet pills and laxatives to lose weight are warning signs that a person could be anorexic.
How thin is thin enough?
Fashion model Ana Carolina Reston died from complications of anorexia in 2005 at the age of 21.
She weighed 88 pounds when she died.
You can see this young woman’s anorexia progress over time until her death. To me this is not beauty. It’s extreme malnutrition and starvation. The fact that she was still getting runway modeling jobs shortly before her death is tragic. It says a lot about the type of body the fashion industry holds in esteem.
Do you ever ask yourself…
Q. If I’m thinner will I be beautiful?
A. You don’t need to be thinner. You’re already beautiful.
Q. If I’m thinner will I be sexier?
A. You don’t need to be thinner to be sexy. Curves are sexy.
Q. If I’m thinner will I be happy?
A. You don’t need to be thinner to be happy. You’ll be happier when you learn to love yourself.
Curvy is beautiful!
Posted on December 13, 2012, in Art, Health, Photography, Reality, Writing and tagged anorexia, art, Beauty, Body Image, inspiration, love, musings, obsession, photography, rants, self-love, women, writing. Bookmark the permalink. 10 Comments.
I suspect it isn’t what we weigh, but what we eat, and why.
From a guy’s perspective, it’s a woman’s imperfections that make her real and beautiful. And we certainly desire that.
well said! bravo!
Jesus. Thanks, Diva, for tackling such important matters.
thanks. nice to meet you
This is a great post, Karm! You know, the media has a lot to answer for. It just seems to put people under so much pressure to be one thing or the other. Thank you for being so motivating, as always!
I think we give the media and the fashion designers too much importance when it comes to our own self image. It’s in our face constantly but there is a side to it that isn’t glamorous at all.
You’re right. I think the media is far too influential and powerful a force. It can be terribly damaging!
Very well said… From a guy’s perspective, we really dont see what the woman looks like… Its about how they carry themselves… Really sad to read about her few years ago and to come across this post…
I know men don’t see the flaws a woman believes she has. It”s all in our head and sometimes how we see ourselves can lead to fatal choices.
hahahaha!