I was standing in the checkout line at Big W the other day and started reading the covers of all the magazines while I waited. I saw my hand reaching for one of them intrigued to read more after the headline caught my eye.
Then I stopped myself. I realised something. Almost every popular magazine in front of me had something in common with each other....
"I lost 8 kilos in 12 weeks - Find out how"
"Your best body ever"
"Sexy Summer Diet"
"Get sexy abs in only 14 days"
"The body issue"
"Bikini War"
"Flat Belly secrets"
"Best Bikini makeovers ever"
"Diets to your door- weight loss made easy"
"Which laser treatment will change your life"
"Bikini confidence - 16 tips that really work"
"Booty vs Bones"
I kid you not, these are truly the headlines on the covers of all the popular magazines this week. Maybe they are milking the coming of the new year for all it's worth? But the amount of reference to losing weight and improving ones appearance astounded me. Needless to say I resisted the urge to purchase that magazine.
I am trying to figure out what my reason's for losing weight are....?
Is it because I really want it, or is it because the rest of the world is telling me I should?
I am really very unsure. I mean, I remember how good I felt when I was [young] and slim. I was confident and felt pretty. But, I think that most of the time I still feel that way (when I make an effort).
What am I striving for? Do I want to "fit in" or feel good? And is the battle really worth it?
We live in such a superficial world.
7 comments:
January magazine covers are always like that - a combination of Christmas binge guilt and swimwear season anxiety. They are all evil. I refuse to give any 'women's magazine' my money.
For me, losing weight is worth it because I know how much healthier I feel when I'm thinner. However, I'm sure there's also an element of wanting to look "good" - ie, look like the magazines tell me I should look. It's complicated, hey?
It sure is complicated!
It's terrible isn't it? And yet, if you asked any of the editors I'm certain that they'd tell you that they are helping women.
One of our mainly music mums is trying to teach her girls that they need to have beautiful hearts - that's more important than what they look like. (Particularly important when they are pretty girls who get lots of comments on their looks). I say she should go for it, because even those of us who believe 100% that our insides are more important can be sucked in by the world's viewpoint.
SNAP! I wrote a very similar blog post about this too! (you can read it at http://footprintsaustralia.com/blog/2011/12/27/new-year-new-you/). It bugs me as well.
Seriously, are womens mags that bad nowadays? That's awful - good on you for not buying it!
That sounded like "come on - they're not that bad" but really I was going for "I can't believe they've sunk so low!" I don't look at them at the supermarket because I want my little girl to pay the same lack of attention to them. So I'm a bit out of touch although I pick up some info, e.g., I believe the current dopey hair fashion is due to some poor kid called Beeber. See I know Stuff.
Becky, I think you are beautiful just the way you are. God has been showing me lately that my sense of self-worth should be found in Christ and what He has done for me. I am worth something because God loves me and made a way of salvation for me. For a long time I felt that my self-worth was tied up in being a mother or having a uni degree/important job. I now feel free to be myself rather than being upset that I don't fit a certain image.
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