EXPOSE your body

It seems every young woman in America today (or at least on this site) is more concerned with losing weight, "achieving" a flat tummy, or shrinking their thighs to 13" around than they are with understanding and loving themselves.

It is scary reading most of the posts in this forum. Adolescent girls wanting to capture their prepubescent bodies before they (God forbid) gain some curves, ladies comparing their tiny body measurements to one another's, and starving themselves into a size 2.

What's scarier is seeing the support these girls get from the other brainwashed teens. Yes, I understand that some teenagers are legitimately overweight and have been advised to lose weight by a doctor; but I do not understand why (or how) some girls think every woman's body is supposed to fit a 5'7" 125pound mold. Most bodies were not meant to look like that. To try to force it is just asking for problems.

Every individual is unique and beautiful and one should not strive to have someone else's body. It's a never ending cycle of self-deprivation, guilt, and comparisons that every blindsided teen is captured in.

What I want from you beautiful people who are reading this is to stand up against the pressure to conform to the media's perception of beauty. Recognize what is beautiful in you and be an influence to struggling, confused young women.

My input:

My measurements are not the focus, but don't think I'm someone who gives the "big is beautiful" speech every time someone pokes my chub just to make myself feel better. Truthfully, I am 5'6" and 120 pounds. I was heavier in the past, but found that when I started loving myself for how I'm made, the weight came off. Without the stress and preoccupation of not eating this or that, I was able to focus on being healthy and taking care of myself.

I love my womanly figure, my narrow waist and big hips. I have thick, muscular thighs and a round face, but they are perfect. I can grab a big handful of muffin top and skip stones in the ripples my legs make when I run, but I know I am healthy and beautiful. I love my body.

I know what you mean, I see people on here like "I'm 90 pounds and i need to loose 10 pounds and I'm 5'5" and I'm like....What the hell? I mean I understand wanting to be thin, but their are girls here that want to be underweight, which is stupid. It also stunts your growth, and NOT just "bone wise" if you get what I mean.

brainwashed? that's a little insulting.

i don't believe that anybody is brainwashed here, it's just a matter of liking what you like.

not that i'm condoning "losing 10 pounds at 5'5" and 90 lbs," but i don't understand why everybody has to blame the media for this.

the media only caters to what the public WANTS to see... if this weren't the case then the media would not sell.

the reality of things are, however, that things will not change. people will continue to strive for better rather than loving what they are. it's incredibly unlikely that things will ever be different.

sure, there are exceptions (such as yourself) but they are a minority.

@3lia: wanting to be underweight is not stupid. WANTING something is not stupid. you can't help what you want.

I think "brainwashed" is a good term. The media sucks these days and it really hurts people, especially the young one's who are "5'5, 90 pounds and want to lose 10 more." 

I am 5'3, 160 pounds, it says I should be 124, but honestly I think 135/140 would be just dandy. :)

I liked your post, infact, I loved it.

Thankyou for this.

<3Meg.

the media is not a robot... the media is people. real people.

again, the media reflects public opinion. OUR opinions. what we like.

honestly, the women used as sex appeal are not stick thin. pick up sports illustrated; the women in the magazine have curves. ultra-skinny models are meant to be used, essentially, as coathangers to show off clothes. such models don't represent sex appeal like their fuller, more womanly counterparts in magazines that sell the WOMEN, not the CLOTHES.

The media is not "real people".

The media are people who want the world to view what they are as what real life is. How real is The Real World? The media wants to suck people in (target age group: adolescents), so that they can control their mindsets and make more money off of them (us).

and so those are not real people?

they are. the world is ruled by people. it's all us.

the people in the media are only doing their jobs. they provide us with entertainment, and i, personally, am grateful.

okay, so literally the people who are in the media are real people.

and literally the people in the media are doing there job.

the media itself is what is screwed up.
although I personally believe that the people who run the media are screwed up for knowing what the media does.

& although we don't agree on this I still like how you think.

and still, the media can't be solely blamed for influencing peoples' opinions. this would mean that people are no smarter than mindless herds of sheep and are told what to like, which really isn't so.

my desire to become thin, actually, had nothing whatsoever to do with media. i never looked at any magazines and i never knew anything about celebrities. instead, i looked at the other girls around me. real people. i was not told, nor "brainwashed", by the media to like thin. i'm sure there are many others who are similar...

maybe that's why i think like i do: i am not a mindless sheep and the media does not tell me what i like. i personally believe that society is NOT as impressionable as people seem to think.

you're right, the media cannot be solely blamed for influencing peoples' opinions, I think that the people around us are as big of an influence as the media.

like you, my desire to become "thin" came mostly from looking at the people around me, my friends, enemies, acquintances, etc.. but the media does put the pressure on, you hear everyone talking about how "hot, cute, pretty" all these popular people are and it makes you feel as if you have to look like them to be considered that way as well.

although the media does not tell me what I like, i still believe that todays society (atleast the younger of us) are very affected by what the media portrays.  todays society, in my opinion, is getting to a very ugly place.

true. however, this is just how society works. if we really didn't like what the media was showing us, then we wouldn't give it our money.

all in all... we're going in circles. we like the media, so we buy it. in return for our money, the media shows us what we like. and since we like it, we pay money. the cycle we're in is constantly ruptured by new ideas, but those gaps are closed soon enough depending on whether or not these ideas are well-received by the people. sometimes, these ideas come from the "media"; sometimes, new folks break into the scene and maybe change our course a little bit by taking a risk and introducing us to new fads. this is how it's always worked.

i don't think society is heading downhill at all. it has its ups and downs, and a lot of people feel that we're in one of those "downs" right now. the "problem" here is that society is actually NOT a whole. every person in the world cannot interact with one another, and so it's incredibly difficult to affect the flow of things. i don't feel right complaining about something that just IS and always will be, you know?

i think that my main problem is with all these stupid fads.

and i really don't like seeing young girls, who are weighing in at 100 pounds at height 5'5, feel bad about the way they look just because there is a new way that everyone is supposed to look.

i used to be bulimic because i couldn't stand being 5'3 at 125, can you believe that? i kept seeing images over images of these super skinny celebrities and thought i had to be lean and tall to be "pretty". then I saw all of these popular girls at my high school and thought that i had to look skinny like them, my problem was that i had curves, i have curves. and i hated them, i thought it meant i was fat.  now i'm 160, i was introduced to meat by my loving boyfriend of 3 years who wanted me to be healthy, and i'm trying to get back to a healthy weight.

well now that you know my life story i think that the way that we think is pretty much the same, with a few tweaks. and i think that's just how it is, we're humans, we have our own version of everything, media can't control that.

life is good, over all, and that's a good point, i don't feel right about complaining about that either.

People/things do have an effect on what we "want" and sometimes not all people "want" what is best for their body. I honestly don't think that people who "want" to be underweight should simply go for it because they "want what they want". Yes I completely support people doing things to make them happy, but in most cases with things like this someone wanting to be constantly underweight is going to get sick, be it starvation or a mental disorder, and chances are doing what they "want" is not going to help them in the long run. And I'm not blaming it solely on the media, because I understand how dumb that is because people are individuals, but I was more going with the thing that their are people on here that have no confidence and want to lose excessive amounts of weight considering their height/current weight, and overall it's not going to make them happy when they actually do lose it.

Edit-also this was a reply to garnet18 :P I'm not 100% sure how the reply thing works.

Original Post by 3lia:

People/things do have an effect on what we "want" and sometimes not all people "want" what is best for their body. I honestly don't think that people who "want" to be underweight should simply go for it because they "want what they want". Yes I completely support people doing things to make them happy, but in most cases with things like this someone wanting to be constantly underweight is going to get sick, be it starvation or a mental disorder, and chances are doing what they "want" is not going to help them in the long run. And I'm not blaming it solely on the media, because I understand how dumb that is because people are individuals, but I was more going with the thing that their are people on here that have no confidence and want to lose excessive amounts of weight considering their height/current weight, and overall it's not going to make them happy when they actually do lose it.

Edit-also this was a reply to garnet18 :P I'm not 100% sure how the reply thing works.

ah, i see.

well, what if it does make them happy?

i admit that i lost a lot of weight in an unhealthy way, but i am, more or less, happy. happier than i was when i was overweight.

i'm not underweight, and as much as i honestly would like to be, i'm not going to try. i can understand that many people with eating disorders want to keep on losing more and more weight because it's a control thing, but for me, i believe it was strictly about the weight. i've reached a weight that i'm comfortable with, and although i do sometimes wish that it were a helluva lot lower, i'm more or less content here. that being said, the only difference is that i would not accept myself and i would not be happy if i were to gain weight. but i believe that having lost a lot of weight, i'm FAR more comfortable with myself now.

*shrug* i guess i'm an odd case? assuming that most other people who develop eating disorders can never attain the happiness they strive for... i guess i have. dunno.

Hey girls!

I am so excited to see this thread take off like this!

I love the debate about how the media affects young women's minds/how it doesn't. I can see both sides and I agree that people feed into the image the media portrays. BUT, the point of my topic was for girls to reject the media's/peer's/parent's/boyfriend's/horrible little voice's demands to be thinner.

Happiness does not come with being thin. Happiness comes with loving yourself and living to love others. And losing weight shouldn't be in the equation of being happy. If you strive to be healthy, then I can agree, losing weight is a good reason to be happy.

I want some real accounts of girls being happy with their curves, their weight, and the things they love about themselves--despite what everything around them is saying.

I think the point is that if being underweight is what makes a girl happy, then her priorities and vision of beauty are seriously skewed. By who? Other women. And the way women are portrayed on TV, in magazines, in movies. If you think women in magazines are real, you are seriously misinformed. Do you have any idea how much airbrushing and post work it takes to get those photos to be "perfect"? They have to remove any touches of unwanted rolls or cellulite. They make the models so shiny, it's ridiculous. And then they sell their magazines and say, "This is the ideal woman". Not even some models look like that!

Come on. To say girls aren't brainwashed... that's sort of stupid. They are. The idea of what is beautiful is always influenced by artistic mediums of the age. Back in the days of the Renaissance, fat was in, and that's how women were painted. Take for instance Botticelli. Even later, look at Renoir's work.

Also, girls think that being super thin is the way to get a man? Let me just show you something. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-53036 1/Blue-eyes-blonde--good-bed-What-men-REALLY- look-ideal-woman.html

I guess that's all I have to say about that. :P

TO: mla931

Sorry to get a bit off topic :)

Although I am currently trying to lose weight, I am ever so happy with my curves!!!  I wear a 38C size on my chest and a size 9 or 11 size on my hips, and I love that.  I am trying to lose the belly, thigh, and arm fat; but I don't want to be stick thin.  I'm still happy with how I look, and my supportive boyfriend loves how I look as well. Like you said, Happiness does not come with being thin.

:)

<3Meg.

her priorities are skewed, huh?

there is no rule that states health is more important than appearance.

just hear me out:

there is no right or wrong in this situation. it's all about preference. i realize that, as this is a health forum, most of the opinions here are going to be way biased. you're going to tell me that health is more important than looking good. i'm not saying that looking good is more important than health, but that neither is more important than the other because in the end, it's all about what ULTIMATELY SATISFIES the individual in question. happiness is not the goal of life, satisfaction is. some people are actually satisfied being miserable so long as they are thin. if that's their preference, FINE. if they're satisfied with what they're doing, then that is what is important to them and nobody has the right to tell them that they are wrong for wanting something. are homosexuals' preferences skewed, too? what about pedophiles? pro-choicers? i realize that the situations vary a bit, but in the end, it's all about living life HOWEVER YOU WANT. i only believe in striving for what you feel comfortable striving for. if that's the perfect body, fine. if that's health, fine. in the end, we're all going to die. might as well live life how you want to.

also, like i said before, many girls are inspired by thin women they see walking down the street. i was that way. it's not all about the airbrushed women in magazines. and, like i said before, i am happier now that i'm thin than i was when i was overweight. i am living proof that it is possible to strive for thinness and happiness and to achieve both. sorry if i sound vain, but the idea that "thinness will never make you happy" is a little silly.

As a former member of the media (I worked in film and then for the National Enquirer.  yes, you read that right), I just want to defend "the media," or at least parts of it.  It's not a one-dimensional entity, and most magazines that promote weight loss promote it through exercise routines, not dieting.  Further, those same magazines regularly deride actresses for looking "too thin."

"The media" doesn't hate curves.  #2 on Maxim's Top 100 is Scarlett Johansson, who definitely has curves and, from her height and weight (5'4" and 125 lbs) has a slightly higher BMI than I do (mine is 20.5).

Perhaps most importantly, while I don't base my value as a human being on my height and weight, I do think being fit is important.  I made my weight loss goal - 124 to 114 @ 5'3" - not as a permanent one, but as the first step on the way to becoming more fit.  I fully expect to gain that weight back...I just want it to be muscle this time instead of fat.  I've got boobs and hips.  I'd rather have my 34C than a 22" waist any day.  But trying to lose weight made a huge difference in my overall quality of life.  I eat fresh food, I cook more (and enjoy it), I've started growing my own veggies, and most importantly, I feel better.  Now that I'm exercising regularly, I have more energy and feel more motivated in my life.  And when I see the results of my efforts pay off in my appearance, e.g. definition in my abs or toned thighs, it's rewarding.

So that quest to have a flat stomach and to lose 10 pounds when I already have a healthy weight has done wonderful things for me.  I don't have any illusions about being 102 lbs again (the weight listed on my first driver's license).  That would be, well, creepy.  But in trying to effectively lose weight, I learned a great deal about how to actually get the body I want...and everything I've read tells me that to do that, I have to be HEALTHY and I will at some point have to GAIN weight, not lose it.

So while I appreciate the feeling behind your post, and I agree that far too many young women focus on trying to be super-skinny instead of focusing on what's good for them, I also agree with garnet18 in that the media isn't the cause.  The real cause, I think, is how much kids are forced to be perfectionists, and to think that if they, say, get a B in their AP Physics class, their life is over.  Whether it's the media or, more likely, their parents, someone is failing to tell these kids that their lives are what they make of them and that they are not defined by what school they go to or by their grades or their internships or by how much money they make or - most relevant here - by how they look.

First off, I think that in spite of "loving herself," OP comes off as bitter. I, for one, cannot stand posts and threads that end up targeting those of us who are naturally thin. Somehow it is *my* fault if my peers want to be thin like I am - just because I happen to have a slender frame and can maintain a 120 lb. weight on my 5'9" body with hardly any effort at all?

PLEASE. You have got to be kidding me!

The fact remains that either you believe eating disorders to be a mental disease or not. If eating disorders (however mild) are a mental disease, then it's certainly not the fault of peer pressure OR the media. So far I have yet to come into contact with any type of disease that can be contracted solely by watching television or movies. I've certainly never caught the flu or malaria from watching shows or movies about them! I've also somehow managed to watch films about mental illness without contracting it. And yes! I've even watched films with frighteningly skinny girls in them - without developing any sort of bizarre eating habits. So to tell me that peer pressure or the media is the cause for someone to develop a DISEASE is a complete factual and logical fallacy.

If, on the other hand, you do not believe that eating disorders are a type of mental disease, then I still find it hard to believe that it is somehow the girl's peers or the media who are at fault. The inability in our society today of most people to TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR ACTIONS appalls me deeply. No matter what a girl may claim as her "motivation" for wanting to lose ridiculous amounts of weight, it is ultimately her decision what to do with her life. Unless someone is forcibly withholding food from her, I cannot fathom how anyone could say it is the fault of any other individual. I think it's time that people start taking responsibility for their choices in life, rather than pawning all the blame off on other people, organizations, professions, or nebulous concepts like "peer pressure."