This week I have decided to take a closer look at how all sections of the media deal with health and weight and how this is affecting us as a nation.
Have you ever heard as much talked about dieting and weight loss as over the past few months? The world seems to be fixated with diet this and diet that. Super thin models and obese individuals. My god, every magazine contains a picture taken of some celeb with cellulite. Obviously the photographer has very little to do other than wait on some celeb to get up out of a chair and then take a photo of her legs. One week later, or even the next day it appears on the cover of various magazines - "Posh has cellulite". Every copy throughtout the world is sold.
Who has little to do now? The camera man or the individual buying the magazine. We encourage more of the same. In simple terms, if Victoria's cellulite sells magazines it doesnt take a rocket scientist to work out what is going to sell next month's issue.
So who is at fault here, the magazine, or, are we victims of our own glee at seeing Posh's cellulite?
The knock on effect from magazines like this and the psycohological effect it has on an individual are scary. The media is a powerful weapon. We all believe what we see and what we read.
Most people seeing Posh with cellulite gloat over the photograph. However, if you look closely enough, Posh has just risen from a netted chair which has caused a dimple like effect on her legs. Because the press say it's icellulite, we clowns believe it. Where does it state that cellulite is illegal or that you shouldnt have it? When I talk about the psychological effects it can have on an individual, this what I mean. Your daughter picks up the magazine and reads the article on Posh and how the magazine protrays Posh. The words cellulite, fat and how disgusting this looks starts to lodge in your daughter's brain. It is not the cellulite, it is the way that this has been protrayed that sinks in. Similarly there are the individuals who looks at the super thin models and aspires to be like them.
What the media, and the individual involved, poking fun fail to see, is that it encourages controlled eating for both the individual to stay thin and the individual that aspires to be thin. Over a period of time, this will lead to mental health problems such as anorexia, bulimia, binge eating and eventually self harm. The fact is that we are victims of a growning society of media hype on how we should look.
I dont remember any law being passed to state that you should have to ba a certain size. It's a bit like going to mass in your sunday best and if I can recall the good man himself wore a robe and sandals. The main thing is going to mass, not how you look when you're there. The main issue here is being healthy, nobody stated that you have to be a certain size, yes there are set guidlines for health reasons for underweight and over weight. It doesnt state you have to be a size zero. Personally speaking, if you are happy with yourself and you are content, that is all you need. If you are not content with yourself, it wont matter if you are a size zero or a size 20. You still wont be happy and you will continuously jump from one fad to another.
I will touch next week and the coming weeks on anexoria, bulima, binge eating, etc... I will list certain behavourial traits that may make the condition more recognisable. A lot of these conditions have been brought about by media, peer pressure, family issues etc. We will give an insight into each and how to overcome it.
