Rise Of the Real People

I actually dont believe that the women in the Dove campaign paint a healthy picture of body issues . To me personally I think they are out of shape and unhealthy. I am sure if they took the BMI that their body index would be over weight. While they might be "average" Who wants to be "average". Shouldnt "average" be tone and fit instead of flabby?

And I was diagnosed with anorexia nervosa when I was 19. I mean, there really were a lot of things that influenced what I was doing to myself, but I was in a state of mind where I didn't feel like I deserved to be taken care of, or to take care of myself. So I stopped eating. Did I want to die? Yea probably, considering I attempted suicide sometime in the middle of my disorder, as do many of the clients I now see. For me, it wasn't about control, it was about refusing to give my body what it needed to live.

Whoa... check out my previous post: I am a counselor for girls with eating disorders!! I know what I'm talking about. I'm currently working on a masters thesis about eating disorders and body image. Yes, eating disorders are about tons of things, totally individual for each person. BUT... one thing they all have in common: total self , and body hatred.

Brandimike: I understand that you arent trying to be hateful or anything but before you call others ignorant, quote your sources right. People arent anorexic because they hate themselves. If you read the DSM-IV you would know that a major source of eating disorders and other self harm disorders is a control issue. People dont starve themselves because they want to die, its not some prolonged suicide attempt, they want control.

Media Literacy : http://about-face.org/
Eating Disorder Stats : http://www.anred.com/stats.html
Binge Eating Disorder Info : http://win.niddk.nih.gov/publications/binge.htm
"Onslaught" (a slightly disturbing short film by Dove) : http://www.campaignforrealbeauty.com/dsef07/t5.aspx?id=7373

And also, leave it to the US to create a culture of fear; lets make everyone SO scared of becoming obese, that they decide to starve themselves instead. Anorexia and bulimia are a much bigger problem, believe it or not, than obesity. Part of being able to make intelligent decisions is not relying on the media for your medical information.

Obesity is usually caused by an eating disorder: binge eating disorder. It a diagnosable mental disorder in the Diagnositc and Statistical Manual. The reason that people over eat is the same reason that people under eat, they hate themselves. I think that calling obese people greedy is like calling depressed people selfish, or anorexic people vain. I realize that people make these comments out of ignorance, but try to educate yourself about these issues.

TPeach doesn't know what he is talking about. I don't care what anyone says, people can be beautiful without having to be anorexic or a barbie. Having normal models would make the everyday girl feel better about herself instead of comparing her normal image to someone whose standards are way too high. The whole point of fashion is to be unique, not just another clone. I for one am glad that they are starting to do this.

To PuppyT: So fashion is only for the thin? Lame.

Think about this. In the fashion industry you are considered "full figure or "fat" if you are 5'7 and wear a size 6 or 8. This is an average size for a female. I think it should be a being healthy and looking healthy and fit.

No one is ugly! That would be like calling art ugly. I mean, you could, but for every piece of art that one person finds ugly, there will be at least 10 people who find it beautiful and want it displayed in their home. Uniqueness is beautiful. And if you are an emotionally intelligent, evolved, cultured human being, you will realize this as well.

I just want you think about this.. The fashion industry considers a woman "full figure" or over weight if she is say 5ft. 7 inch and wears a size 8. This is an average size.

There is a line between healthy and obese. In addition, there is also a line between healthy and anorexic. Your BMI (Body mass Index) should be between 15-25. Anything under 15 is just as dangerous as anything over 25. I have lost 150 pounds and did so for mainly health reasons. Although I now weigh 184 at 5'9" tall, by modeling standards, I am still grossly overweight. The average American woman is a size 14, I am a size 12. Obesity is a problem in both of the sexes and should not by any means be ignored. However, MEN ARE MORE OF A RISK FOR CO-MORBIDITIES THAN WOMEN. This is due to the fact that men are less likely to go to the doctor for regular check-ups. (New England Journal of Medicine)
Being beautiful is about how you carry yourself...not just in the physical sense but in the emotional sense as well. I never let my weight interfere with who I married. My husband is attractive and has never been overweight. It is important to be true to yourself. If you desire to change your appearance...do it because you want to look and feel better about yourself...NOT BECAUSE SOME 85 POUND 5'10" MODEL SAID YOU SHOULD.

Many of my anorexic clients are models. Rotting teeth and hair falling out can all be diguised in various ways if you spend enough money. My point is that healthy can me a lot of things, not just thin, and not excluding "fat."

TPeach, what your saying is ludicrous. All you have to do is go around and ask people what they find attractive, and probably most people are not going to include skinny. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Everyone is beautiful to someone, and it is absolutely ridiculous to imply otherwise. I think you need to travel abroad and do some sociological study in order to see that men do not necessarily like "skinny" women. If I were a man, I would be offended by that comment. I would like to think that men are not all shallow, and have some sense of what they value in another human being.