My problem is that I dont think people understand what loving your body truly means. Loving your body is about self-respect. Wanting to be healthy, and wholesome. That means finding, striving for and maintaining a healthy weight. Putting good things into your body, acknowledging moderation and feeling good about yourself at the same time. The definition of "loving your body" that women perpetuate today is very different. It reinforces complacency really. It gives an overweight woman the excuse to not try and give up on her battle for health. 1 in 3 Americans are overweight, it is an astonishing statistic. Also recall that the leading cause of death is cardiac disease. Diabetes is a growing concern among Americans as well. Many of the leading health issues today are directly related to unhealthy weight.
The fact is that Marilyn's weight fluctuated drastically throughout her career and there were times where she was slightly overweight. Her average size was comparable to today's 10 (sizes are different now than they were then). While I may not agree with today's definition of "plus size" in the fashion world (mind you in the "real" world plus size is larger than runway plus size...), Marilyn was neither as large as some people think she was but was also by no means exactly thin. I refuse to believe that she had a 24 inch waist with 36 in hips and waist... I wear a size 4-6 and I dont have a 24 inch waist... in her pictures she doesn't look extremely un-proportional. Other people make the point that in other cultures being bigger is more beautiful. My argument there is look at which cultures those are. They are typically 3rd world societies where size is a marker of wealth, a large woman means she comes from a family with the means to feed their family, it is more a sign of wealth than an image of beauty.
The one that really got me was someone walked around the BART stations posting fliers onto the advertisements for LAP bands also lauding the whole "love your body there's nothing wrong with you, there are other ways to lose weight" philosophy. I found this extremely ignorant. They don't give just anyone a LAP band. Recipients meet a strict criterion of level of obesity and having already tried other means of weight loss. People who qualify for a LAP band are unhealthy and often morbidly obese. LAP bands are not for the casual dieter who wishes to lose a few pounds. They are also a last resort for people who have tried to lose the weight on their own. It isn't about becoming toothpick thin, it's about being healthy, avoiding cardiac disease, extending quality years of life.
When people talk about being comfortable in your own body it has more to do with embracing who you are and accepting the things about yourself that you can't change than it does about size or shape. So yes, love your body, but also respect yourself and your body, find health and balance.
When people talk about being comfortable in your own body it has more to do with embracing who you are and accepting the things about yourself that you can't change than it does about size or shape. So yes, love your body, but also respect yourself and your body, find health and balance.
