Spurring this blog post is a show I recently watched on Oxygen called Dance Your Ass Off. The concept of the show is that contestants compete in a weekly dance-off while working out and eating right during the downtime in between competitions. Whoever has the most weight loss and the best dance routine at the conclusion of the week is the episode’s winner…and will avoid elimination, thus securing them advancement towards winning $100,000.
The show itself is not spectacular, in fact it is a glorified Dancing with the Stars, minus the so-called d-list celebrities and plus the tacky costumes and makeup. But while I was watching it, I realized there is something truly bizarre about America’s (and internationally too, I guess) obsession with body weight. And, while I’m being candid, it really doesn’t center around males. So I’d like to get to the root of the female self-image problem, even if it really has no roots.
I have a very clear memory of myself, probably around 7 or 8 years old, encountering my first weight-related issue. Someone had purchased a shirt or dress for me in a “LARGE” or whatever the child equivalent size is. It barely fit and I was beside myself, crying to my mom that no one else wore a LARGE and now how could I accept being an X-LARGE? How could I accept being different from the average? I don’t doubt that many girls (and guys) have a similar memory to this, wherein they struggle to understand their deviation from the norm of society. Weight is controllable, but only to a certain degree. Some people will never be a size 0, and why should they punish themselves for that? Is it because those women and people who are found to be the most attractive and respected in our country are those who are thin? Overweight-ness implies laziness. And wasn’t America born and built on the belief in hardwork to achieve the American dream of success? I guess being overweight is un-American in some kind of twisted way. Anyways, I’m rambling here, but it’s because of frustration.
There is the story of the Weight Loss Twins, Bill and Jim Germanakos (website can be found clicking here) who lost 350 lbs together on the weight loss show The Biggest Loser. They are interesting because firstly, they are men– so many of these shows focus on the obesity of women. Secondly, their father had died of obesity-related issues. They were prompted to lose weight because it was affecting their everyday lives and particularly their mental states. Here they are holding up one pair of pants spanning both of their now-fit bodies:
I wonder how much of weight loss and gain is mental. Probably 90%, and the rest is genetic/metabolically linked. It would be an interesting experiment to see what would happen if someone was raised to believe they were fat, never allowed to look in a mirror, etc. Would they BE fat? Or would they continue just doing their thing as a skinny person who believes they are overweight? I wonder about how much a parent’s role is supposed to be in promoting a positive self-image in their child.
Apparently a father is supposed to encourage that his daughter or son is attractive and normal, even if they really aren’t. When I was looking up articles to reference in this blog, I read a few relating to the idea that since a father is a daughter’s first example of how a man “should be,” they are a stronger influence over the self-esteem of their child. If a girl sees that he father accepts her as special and important, they will feel that all other men will see them in the same light. This might be idealistic, but it is an interesting thought…especially considering the enormous pressure put on girls to be beautiful and thin. From personal experience, my father always assured me that I was smart and had important opinions and talents. He never told me I had to relate or become of the ladies in Seventeen or YM, but I still developed a huge insecurity about my weight regardless.
With girls as young as 7 being treated for anorexia, you have to consider all of the external factors, including bullying and eventually the hormonal throes of adolesence. Having been called fat at various times throughout middle school, my personal insecurities never stemmed from my parents. When you get a chance, try out this Dance Your Ass Off show. It wasn’t tacky enough to hate or good enough to like, but it still made me consider how commercialized our bodies have become.
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