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The “civilized” world at large is obsessed with weight. This isn’t rocket science, it’s not a new discovery, it’s just something people should be periodically reminded of so they don’t forget that it’s ok to gain a pound or two and that watching your weight isn’t a bad thing unless it becomes an obsession exclusively focused on poundage rather than health.
I admit that lately I’ve been trying to modify certain things in my normal day to day because I’ve felt the waist band tighten a bit. But that’s due to bad eating decisions, worse eating habits and the lack of physical activity, but with every effort I NEED to remind myself that I’m doing whatever I’m doing for my health as much as to maintain my weight.
As a society, American culture will always be obsessed with weight. Image is everything, substance is a nice to have and your own brain? Well that’s a prized possession nowadays. A while back I heard a five year old girl say that she was fat. Five years old… and already thinking about her figure. I’m not saying one shouldn’t take into account a child’s weight especially since child obesity is at an all time high, but seeing a perfectly normal and very adorable five year old projecting learned behavior of angst was heart breaking at best.
I then look at friends of all ages and see the suffering men and women go through because of their weight. Btw, yes ladies, men have feelings too and if you say he’s so cute and chubby, there’s a chance it hurts just as much as it does when you say it to a girl. The difference is that a man is expected to take it since social standards are much more flexible when it comes to penis porters.
“Thin is in” is a dangerous motif if you apply it to your lifestyle irresponsibly and I’ve seen beautiful women subject themselves to insane diets just in the name of “looking better”, becoming more appealing, fitting into that sexy black dress or “taking control of their lives”. It’s not that one shouldn’t look after one’s figure, lord knows maintaining a healthy weight is good for your spinal column, your feet, your knees, your heart, your liver and your kidneys just to name a few, but losing weight unhealthily is often much worse than being slightly overweight and the exact same things that could benefit from a lower weight are affected directly from achieving the number results through bizarre diets.
The amount of existing products, programs, routines and services to help people lose weight is ridiculous. Now saying advertising is to blame for this social weight complex might seem far-fetched, but saying our industry is devoid of responsibility is just rude. You just have to see a casting for a commercial to see the standards of beauty expressed in the selection process. It doesn’t matter whether you’re cool or nice or talented, it just matters that you have a pretty face, a nice ass and the required hooter size to please the targeted demographic. But that’s the point, advertising responds to people’s interests, and people want to see thin people – beautiful people – tanned people – perfect people.
A tummy tuck here, a breast augmentation there, chin lift, eye lift, botox treatments and voila… you have ceased looking like the person you really are. Sometimes the effects are positive, but often times, people focus more on the outside than the inside. Vanity and Fear are two hellish motivators that will forever push the economy. All I’m saying is that one should be happier with whom they are and if not start from there. A one night stand depends almost exclusively on physical chemistry but a relationship depends on the intangibles, the nuances, the details and on interpersonal chemistry.
You should like the person you are. You should feel comfortable in your skin. You should eat healthy to be healthy. You should live healthy to enjoy life. All the things people subject themselves often weaken the spirit by embedding importance on what’s on the surface. A person should be beautiful from the inside out and wilting a child’s innocence to project your physical fears as a parent is unfair. Let the child have its chocolate, let them relish on a twinkie. But also insist on the goodness of eating all types of food. Of following a balanced diet and of being active. If you hear your child saying that they are fat, maybe it’s time to have a chat and what better excuse for a nice long calorie burning walk, than to nurture what really matters, which isn’t what appears in TV screens or magazines.
Cheers
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