"Not to mention, there seems to be a coincidence with getting smaller and shrinking, with women’s rights and bodily autonomy being in jeopardy."
This and the Caldwell image proves that our bodies are a political act. By nourishing ourselves--physically and mentally--we can remain strong and use the power we all possess,.
So, I have gained weight in the past few years from the double whammy of perimenopause and stopping disordered (not) eating. I intellectually know that another diet won’t work, nor would I want it to. The amount of time (working out 3 hours a day) and energy (barely eating) is simply not sustainable for me anymore. But I struggle with it. I have made progress accepting my body and knowing I am soooo much more than just a body. I very much believe that letting my face, hair, body be whatever they are going to be as I age is a direct act against diet/beauty culture and the patriarchy. And yet…this resurgence of thin-white-youth culture, just when I thought we were beginning to dip our toes into embracing body diversity, is so disheartening. Dr. Oz’s statements the other day, about chronic illness draining our society and health (read thinness) “being patriotic” and all the unspoken BS underneath those statements…has sent me to a really difficult place again. I hate it here. I hate this beauty/thin/ableist propaganda that this administration overtly and covertly pushes out all the damn time. I don’t hear very many people speaking out about, or pushing back against it. Or maybe I don’t know how to find them. I guess I am just venting in a place that feels safe to do so. Thank you for creating that space. And, thank you for your articles. They are a bright spot, in an increasingly desolate time.
Banning TikTok might just be healthier...more time off-screen, less misguided health-fluencing, less ADHD-like symptoms, and more time to talk IRL around the water cooler
I remember chatting with a colleague in the office kitchen when the female head of our department sidled up to my colleague, putting her arm around her waist, and saying, “If only we could all be this thin.” Meanwhile, the department head is thin. I am not. It was an awkward and uncomfortable moment. I stepped away.
This is a great essay, beautifully written as it both cites research and pulls in relevant pop culture references. I'm sorry you have to deal with all that superficial, meaningless wellness "take the stairs" etc nonsense at work!
Spot on, as always! Thank you for making sure that we are not distracted by trends.
I eat a varied diet, frequently vegetarian, which I enjoy, I move throughout the day, listen to my body at to the types, quantity, and timing of eating and my weight just kept getting higher (BMI is "obese"), and only recently did a physician suggest that losing weight might be helpful for managing some of the symptoms that I have been experiencing. The symptoms continue to bother me and sometimes I have no appetite or foods upset my stomach, so I don't eat much. I end up feeling weak and very tired. I have now lost weight, but I am highly aware that it's not been without a huge cost to my quality of life. I've undergone tons of tests and imaging and am seeing so many different specialists to try to figure out what's going on, but overall the weight loss is not something I am celebrating. What I want most is to feel good for more than a day or two without then feeling awful for another two.
So, I think people need to always consider that weight loss is not a "beauty is in the eye of the beholder" situation, it's more like the feelings about weight loss should be centered on the one who lost the weight. Just like they do at doctor's offices, we should normalize asking "was the weight loss intentional?"
"Not to mention, there seems to be a coincidence with getting smaller and shrinking, with women’s rights and bodily autonomy being in jeopardy."
This and the Caldwell image proves that our bodies are a political act. By nourishing ourselves--physically and mentally--we can remain strong and use the power we all possess,.
Another inspiring post. Don't ever stop!
Thank you for your perspective! It’s so disheartening (and yet not surprising, given ::waves hands::) to see this cycle repeat.
So, I have gained weight in the past few years from the double whammy of perimenopause and stopping disordered (not) eating. I intellectually know that another diet won’t work, nor would I want it to. The amount of time (working out 3 hours a day) and energy (barely eating) is simply not sustainable for me anymore. But I struggle with it. I have made progress accepting my body and knowing I am soooo much more than just a body. I very much believe that letting my face, hair, body be whatever they are going to be as I age is a direct act against diet/beauty culture and the patriarchy. And yet…this resurgence of thin-white-youth culture, just when I thought we were beginning to dip our toes into embracing body diversity, is so disheartening. Dr. Oz’s statements the other day, about chronic illness draining our society and health (read thinness) “being patriotic” and all the unspoken BS underneath those statements…has sent me to a really difficult place again. I hate it here. I hate this beauty/thin/ableist propaganda that this administration overtly and covertly pushes out all the damn time. I don’t hear very many people speaking out about, or pushing back against it. Or maybe I don’t know how to find them. I guess I am just venting in a place that feels safe to do so. Thank you for creating that space. And, thank you for your articles. They are a bright spot, in an increasingly desolate time.
Banning TikTok might just be healthier...more time off-screen, less misguided health-fluencing, less ADHD-like symptoms, and more time to talk IRL around the water cooler
Thanks for this excellent piece!
I remember chatting with a colleague in the office kitchen when the female head of our department sidled up to my colleague, putting her arm around her waist, and saying, “If only we could all be this thin.” Meanwhile, the department head is thin. I am not. It was an awkward and uncomfortable moment. I stepped away.
I appreciate all of your content, thanks so much!
The tumblr comparison is so real. #skinnytok is this generations pro-Ana blogs.
This is a great essay, beautifully written as it both cites research and pulls in relevant pop culture references. I'm sorry you have to deal with all that superficial, meaningless wellness "take the stairs" etc nonsense at work!
Spot on, as always! Thank you for making sure that we are not distracted by trends.
I eat a varied diet, frequently vegetarian, which I enjoy, I move throughout the day, listen to my body at to the types, quantity, and timing of eating and my weight just kept getting higher (BMI is "obese"), and only recently did a physician suggest that losing weight might be helpful for managing some of the symptoms that I have been experiencing. The symptoms continue to bother me and sometimes I have no appetite or foods upset my stomach, so I don't eat much. I end up feeling weak and very tired. I have now lost weight, but I am highly aware that it's not been without a huge cost to my quality of life. I've undergone tons of tests and imaging and am seeing so many different specialists to try to figure out what's going on, but overall the weight loss is not something I am celebrating. What I want most is to feel good for more than a day or two without then feeling awful for another two.
So, I think people need to always consider that weight loss is not a "beauty is in the eye of the beholder" situation, it's more like the feelings about weight loss should be centered on the one who lost the weight. Just like they do at doctor's offices, we should normalize asking "was the weight loss intentional?"