Body Image (was Re: [HPFGU-OTChatter] Oppressing the overdog)

[Sheryll Townsend]

--- Ali Wildgoose <diagonalley_ at hotmail.com> wrote:
> Sorry, just felt the urge to comment on this...
> 
> >As well as being stridently opposed to homophobia
> in all its horrid guises, 
> >I am also opposed to oppressing the overdog.  
> Hence my comments about 
> >physical beauty being a mixed blessing for women a
> few months ago.
> 
> <snip>
> 
> >The same goes for savaging men on the grounds that
> it's their turn to 
> >suffer for a change (for God's sake, doesn't female
> chauvinism come under 
> >the "two wrongs don't make a right" category?),
> being horrible to thin 
> >women (um, isn't the issue we're fighting about
> body image?
> 
> *sighs*  Well, living in New York City, I am
> constantly bombarded with 
> armies of thin, perfect women as I walk down the
> street.  And being a 
> college student, most of the girls my age are thin,
> perfect girls.  
> Personally, I'm what you'd probably call
> "comfortable" - by no means fat, 
> but not thin either.  5'9" and a women's size 12. 
> Which I think is a 
> perfectly reasonable size to be, though being a 10
> would be nice.  But when 
> surrounded by size 2's on a daily basis, it's a
> little hard not to be 
> bitter.
> 
> Thank god I have a boyfriend.  The competition here
> is a kinda steep.
> 
> Makes me miss the suburbs.  Too much TV and driving
> everywhere make for a 
> nicely rounded herd. ;}
> 
> Ali
> (who's not really sure why this post was needed, but
> felt like making it 
> anyway)
> 
I can totally relate to what you're saying Ali. Once
upon a time, I was a size 9. Bear in mind how sizes
have changed, what I wore as a size 9 is now what my
daughter wears as a size 5. However, after having a
child and marrying a man who makes chocolates, bakes
the best carrotcake on the planet, and, thankfully,
hates skinny women, I am now a size 18 (and I'm 5'9",
as well). Now, granted, I could stand to lose 30 lbs,
but I don't obsess over it. And if Andy is going to
come home and make Beef Wellington or something
equally lucious, I'm not one to say 'Sorry, honey, I'm
trying to watch my weight'! 

My worst enemy on all this is not myself, but my
sister. Those of you who were in chat yesterday, I
only have one sister, so yeah, it's the same one. She
is obsessed with weight, runs every night (10 km) and
has a Nordic Track in her bedroom. She does things
like pokes my stomach and says 'what's that?' Of
course, I'm very good at tuning her out, but still,
the comments are unnecessary. Does she really think I
never look in a mirror and that I'm completely unaware
of my size?

I actually see the harm in her behaviour affecting her
daughter. My sister is constantly talking about how
fattening certain foods are and things like that. Now
her 5 year old is coming downstairs and asking if her
clothes make her look fat. At 5 years old! And my
sister just smiles, and says 'I wonder where she gets
that from?' She just doesn't seem to take it as
seriously as she should. 

After reading your post, Ali, I couldn't help but add
that bit of my own.

Sheryll, who has never in her life turned down a meal
someone else has cooked!

=====
"Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons, for thou art crunchy and taste good with ketchup."

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