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Health, not TV-perfect bodies,
is what brings quality to lives
By Brittany Strickland
November 26, 2007 | It shouldn't be the quantity of
life that matters to people -- it should be the quality.
Health should be a top priority and to many Americans,
staying fit isn't that simple. With the media force-feeding
fad diets to the public and convincing us to binge on
seven-day weight loss drugs, it's no wonder the average
American's self esteem is quivering.
It is ridiculous that nearly every copy of Shape
magazine not only has topics such as "Find a Workout"
or "Get Fit" but also articles entitled "Look Great"
and "The Ideal Weight." There is nowhere we can run
to escape the constant barrage of ideal body types and
flawless figures.
A healthy lifestyle is definitely essential to obtaining
a positive quality of life. It is beneficial to our
spirits, our physiques, and even to our mental wellbeing.
However, some bodies are simply not made to fit into
size 2 jeans and just because that body is in actuality
a size 6, that person should not have to be ridiculed
for their genetics. The choice to be healthy should
be the individual's and it should not matter if they
are flawless or not. Sex symbol Marilyn Monroe wore
a size 8 in pants, which is now considered to be a "plus
size".
Ridiculous.
It is clear to me that women are the main targets
for attacks. We might as well have a bulls-eye tattooed
on each thigh, both triceps, and every inch of our waist;
however, the public is brutal to men as well. On the
home page of Men's Health, there is a picture of a man
with not only a 6-pack, but an 8-pack. It doesn't seem
that these ads care about the strength of a man's heart
or the capabilities of his lungs, but that the definition
of their abs is what counts. It's quite the hypocritical
impression.
A healthy diet should not consist of inches yet it
should be full of nourishment and exercise. There is
enough to fret about without the addition of mental
abuse which is weighing on the average individual. Even
in an effort to relax, we watch TV. Painful examples
of what we should be are plastered on the screen, such
as models like Kate Moss: previously addicted to cocaine,
standing at 5-foot-6, and weighing in at whopping 105
pounds; she's supposed to be an ideal. Lyrics describe
us as "lots of pretty women", and even the expectations
of a woman are described in a poem by Bukowski, as he
writes,
the female is durable
she lives seven and one half years longer
than the male, and she drinks very little beer
because she knows its bad for the figure.
Where are we supposed to go to be ourselves, and when
we get there, will that be enough?
NW
MS |
