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New Challenges for Body Image
By Laura Knoy on Friday, November 20, 2009.
For decades many Americans have struggled with how their bodies look, even to the point of danger. But in 2009, new challenges have come up, like cyber-anorexia clubs, the rise of eating disorders in men and boys and the tension between the "big is beautiful" movement versus America’s war against obesity.
Guest
- Barbara Jago, director of the Communication Arts program and associate professor of communication arts at UNH Manchester; she teaches about gender and body issues
- Suzanne Sonneborn, nutrition educator at the University of New Hampshire and coauthor of the cookbook Good Eats: Quick and Easy Food for Busy College Students
We'll also hear from
- Cass Mercer, senior at the University of New Hampshire majoring in women's studies, and director of a UNH production called "The Mind-Body Dialogues"
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I am at an average weight, but because I am tall, I am considered thin - not skinny, but thin. I should be comfortable with my body but my boyfriend is obsessed with the big boobs and butts that he sees in porn. When I was younger, I struggled to be skinny and now I find myself wishing I was curvy. You can't win!
Parents are responsible for their children and are to blame for poor choices.
Also, I disagree that healthy food is expensive. It is the way you shop. For example the fancy lettuce that is 3 to 5 dollars, where as head of lettuce is 99 to 1.29. Baby carrots versus long carrots. Packaged products are expensive
It's the choices we make.
Media has an influence, but parents have the most influence
Thanks
Patrick
In the early 70's I attended Colorado Womens College in Denver. There was an ongoing dialog everyday in the cafeteria about how to cut calories by numerous groups of young women, i.e. eating just lettuce (iceberg then) with lemon juice and foregoing any semblance of nutrition. I think this has always been the case and will always be. I still find it ridiculous at 59!
What is an obeseogen chemical contamination of our bodies? And, why are you keeping this vital truth hidden? Another "WTC building no. 7", I guess. Shame on NPR.
I'm sorry, but while I understand why teaching kids to accept themselves is a good thing, the reality is that WAY too many kids are overweight these days. And they're overweight because their PARENTS are overweight. For most people (not everyone, but most), it is lifestyle that makes you fat from the outset. I see a lot of huge toddlers and kids these days, and you look at their parents and realize they have NO chance at being a normal weight. The food they're eating and the sedentary lifestyle they're living is is going to make them fat and unhealthy for life. (And just think of the cost for all of society!) I grew up with health-food eating parents who didn't allow a TV in the house, and we all spent much of our time outside. I may have complained about this as a kid, but man, I'm grateful now. Everyone in my family is normal weight and healthy without worrying or even thinking about it. We eat well (everything in moderation), and we stay active. And our kids own kids now do the same.
There really is no "normal" weight. and there is no "obesity epidemic" either. the BMI index is based on a white, European male in his mid-20's from the earlier half of the 20th century. This is not a blame game! Eating fresh, healthy foods and exercising regularly is the key. we need to be creating a culture of and teaching nutrition and exercise, not calling people fat or saying it's a sickness. Even folks who eat well and exercise will not be "thin"; our ideas of body image are stuck in tunnel vision. metabolism changes over time. perhaps if we stopped looking at our fellow humans with disgust and judgment and started trying to accept that we're all different, there is no standard, then we'd be generally happier with each other and ourselves all around.
Hey;
When I was a kid, physical fitness was encouraged even mandatory in school ( it was the '70s).
Now, it is not encouraged, not mandatory or even practiced.
As adults, we need to make our own decisions, but even if our kids are overweight, work to help correct it and encourage them to like themselves.
On that note, I read somewhere that less than 1/2 of 1% of the population looks like someone on the cover of Vogue, Redbook or Cosmo - we are who we are - deal with it.
Oh, and don't even get me started on BMI..
Glen
In response to your question about the seemingly opposing issues of childhood obesity and children on diets. Saying that 90% of 4th graders have dieted does not mean that 90% of them are underweight. If a child is teased or pressured about their weight they certainly may begin skipping meals or engaging in unhealthy eating behaviors. Then when they feel hungry, or still aren't thin enough, and when they are bombarded by both media images of unattainable perfection and thousands of ads for food, it is easy to see why anyone would turn to "eating their feelings" or just give up on changing their bodies. Self esteem is the key.
The issue that people are not looking at it the fact is that most of the businesses..from the diet industry, plastic surgery, toys, diet supplements, on and on...DO NOT LIKE happy people. it does not make them money. After all- they pay billions to make sure their target market is unhappy with themselves so they can sell their product to them to "fix" them.
Why is the age of kids with eating/body image disorders getting worse? They (the corporations) must in a sense continue to "grow" their market..so they target a younger and younger audience to support their "brand".
Businesses (like those described) above love ADDICTS! Need them to survive and prosper.
This may seem radical.
I think most often these discussions are focused on symptoms instead of causes, even though the topics seem like causes, i.e. media, generations, geography - - their not. To me and fundamentally we're all missing the point when we seek to validate ourselves with food or anything else that causes addictions like exercise, peer or societal approval, drugs, american yoga, wealth, love, relationships, etc. Instead, if someone really wants to change – they need to learn to how validate themselves with the most important need and that is SPIRIT (however one chooses to define it and certainly not a puppeteer in the sky pulling strings and granting favors. If people truly want to change, and in this case it's feeling good about the way they look, they need to become involved in and learn a process (that is grounded in physics) that teaches them how to become one with spirit or fully actualized. A healthier and more attractive body will be an additional beneficial outcome.