"I'm selfish, impatient and a little insecure. I make mistakes, I am out of control and at times hard to handle. But if you can't handle me at my worst, then you sure as hell don't deserve me at my best." - Marilyn Monroe
This is how absolutely confusing the diet/fashion world can be: I cracked open the new issue of Teen Vogue, and the Letter from the Editor was called "Heavy Stuff." It was talking about teen obesity, and said that "only about one percent of women in this country are anorexic. . . while obesity looms as perhaps our greatest national health crisis." So basically, she was saying that the real issue that needs to be worried about is teens being too big, not too small. Now, just on the very same page, one of the pictures showed two models described as "born beanpoles" skipping down the beach in swimsuits.
And I just don't think that you can say one of these weighty issues is more important than the other, or really even separate them out. Eating disorders can be harmful, and obesity can be a problem, too. But I think all of this crazy-focus, both on model bodies and on weight gain, can take things a little out of control. It's like we're on a national weight obsession, which can make managing your own changing body like walking through dynamite.
Your body is really your personal property. I think it is so hard to remember that when you turn on the TV or open a magazine, and all the body talk jumps out - Look at her! Eat this and be healthy! Be your best weight! - buy your body is absolutely and completely yours. Always remember that. At the end of the day, nobody can tell you how to look at it dress it, feed it or take care of it - it's all for you.
I have always been a magazine reader - Seventeen, Teen, GirlsLife, you name it. Some and my cousin were shocked and disappointed by this headline: CosmoGIRL! magazine is shutting down for good. And with the future of many of my teen mag faves looking a little shaky (since everyone is switching to Internet these days), it's made me think a little about the impact these magazines have had on the teen world.
You see, a few years back, I did a project for English class about the effects of the media on women, especially teens. And so I went through and counted the amounts of ads, especially those with unrealistically thin models. I don't know the exact numbers, but I remember it was pretty darn high. And you might be thinking, Well, I don't really pay attention to the ads, I just read the articles. But sometimes those surprise me too - or at least the covers do. Like I realized recently when I looked at a past issue of Seventeen that 5 of the 8 were about clothes or beauty. And I do love the beauty articles, but I just think that the headlines of being a teen are so much more than that.
I'm not trying to bite the hand that feeds me - I'll admit that I turn to magazines for advice on just about everything. And I love that. But someone once told me it's important to be aware of what you're consuming, because then it doesn't affect you so much. So keep an eye out - what kind of messages and images about beauty are you taking in every day? Where do they come from? Do you agree or disagree? Being an aware consumer will help you seek out sources that have a positive message - and might just change your whole attitude.
