This country has it all wrong when it comes to promoting a healthy lifestyle. As someone who has struggled with body image issues myself, it is disgusting to me how extreme the conversation has turned. It seems like there is an advertisement on every TV channel or corner about some diet or get-thin-quick technique. Most magazines feature emaciated-looking models, and we are taught that such looks are the ideal. Yet, there is hope for fixing the stigma around having a BMI greater than 18, the lower boundary of a healthy weight.
Just last week, Aerie model Iskra Lawrence defended her curves. First off, she is a model for a nationally-respected company. The fact that she even has to defend her normal figure is beyond me, because she is beautiful! Some keyboard warrior posted the following on one of her photos: "Fat cow. It’s only cus every F****r on this planet is obese that that’s the norm… Plus-size models? give me a F*****g breaking. Everyone needs to stop eating McDonald’s, the NHS is f****d because of people like her eating too many bags of crisps." She responded brilliantly with the following photo and message: "I'm sorry I couldn't help myself...This is for anyone who has ever been called FAT. Thanks for the inspirational words on a recent pic...Opinions are like arseholes - everyone's got one."
She went on to defend her completely normal and healthy lifestyle with another picture by saying the following:
"I do not condone binge eating. I eat whatever I want in moderation. I will eat crisps but I’ll also make healthy home cooked meals and work out regularly. The message is who gives a F what anyone else thinks of you. YOU are the only one who decides yourself worth. And sorry I’m usually not rude or give anyone the finger but these online trolls smdh."
Where has moderation gone in this discussion? It seems that the media is targeting only one group when, in fact, there is a much broader spectrum. It is not a question of fat vs. thin. There is a happy medium, one in which it is okay to enjoy one's favorite foods and/or skip a day at the gym. We are only human. We're not perfect, and most of us cannot afford to dwell on having perfect bodies like many of these models we so idolize. I know I don't spend all day at the gym, and I sure as heck am not about to give up my favorite foods to be a size zero. Life is short, and being thin is low on my list of priorities in comparison to my health.
There have been positive movements that have come out of this. For one, the French government passed a law in December 2015 "decreeing that models working in the country must possess a medical certificate deeming them fit to work, in a bid to prevent the use of 'excessively thin' models" (Vogue News). Any Photoshopped images must also now be labeled "touched up" in that country. The certificates will only be awarded to models that pass BMI evaluations that account for their body style, weight and age. Companies that employ models without certificates "will be liable to a fine of more than £50,000 and could be given a prison sentence of up to six months" (Vogue News).
Also coming out of Europe last week was a decision to ban an ad out of unrealistic body expectations and a severely unhealthy-looking model. "On Wednesday, the Advertising Standards Authority of Britain ruled that the ad was 'irresponsible' and that the model looked 'unhealthily thin,' fanning a perennial debate in the fashion industry over when thin is too thin" (The New York Times). Rulings like this are aimed at preventing anorexia nervosa within the modeling industry, but they are also preventing the disease among young women around the world who look to high fashion models as inspiration. However, as can be seen in the photo below, the issue extends beyond just women. According to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders, 1/10 of anorexia nervosa cases are males. These unhealthy standards and the ideal that society has created of a cut male are just as dangerous.
The discussion is just getting started. I am optimistic that this country is headed in the right direction, as is the rest of the world. People are finally understanding that neither extreme is okay. Obesity and emaciation are equal evils. The sooner we can get behind a tone of moderation, the sooner we can stop losing people far too young to both conditions.
