The Thinning Out of American Women

It's hard to believe this hasn't had a comment since June, '07 when the topic is far from dead. Yesterday's entertainment news was about how Jessica Simpson has 'let herself go' because she is no longer stick thin. She looks healthy and normal and far thinner than any of the women you'll see in your average shopping mall. When will this craziness end?

I agree with cvarano. The actresses and singers shouldn't only look at themselves when they are dieting they should also think about the children around the world who look up to them and want to be like them.If the TV would talk about whats important instead of what someone looks like all the time we might get off of someone being too big or too skinny or too whatever. Everybody isn't the same and if you are in the spotlight and you have someone looking up to do don't do stupid things like starve yourself,or commit adultery cause that is telling our young ones its okay.And thats not true.So if the media and the Celebrities would help out some we would have some things a little better. And if they didn't want people looking up to them and following in their footsteps then they shouldn't be in the spotlight.

I don't think we'll be able to change this epidemic until the women that young girls look up to, mainly actresses and singers, look more like real healthy women instead of incredibly "starve yourself" thin.

The problem with the world is that the perception of beauty is to be rail thin, which I considered very unhealthy. In fact, most people in movies or the rich and famous are too thin. Maybe, they should start using as stars in movies with talent some of the eveyday size people instead of those looking on the verge of death. The average Joe or Josephine that most be people can identify with instead of the few that look sickly considering them beautiful.

I must say, this is absolutely one of the most annoying issues. I am a big woman, and I am very proud to be one. I don't understand how people can starve themselves. I usually don't eat breakfast, it's just that I feel sixk in the mornings, or I don't have time. I know that's very wrong, but sometimes, I can't help it. I usually get lunch early anyway, so I didn't think it would matter, but I guess I was defintely wrong!

Bottom line is that anorexia and other eating disorders start in the head. It is either a mental illness, or a symptom of mental illness. Depression, bi-polar disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder are all mental illnesses with various self-destructive and ritualistic symptoms. No matter what the cause, nature or nurture, or a bit of both, it does our society a disservice in general to hold unnaturally thin models and celebrities up as role models for girls and young women. Parents should be aware, and discourage unreasonable dieting. From the time girls are very young, they are pointed toward what will become their perception of beauty.

This issue becomes even more complex because of the growing obesity problem in this country...there is so much media about how terrible it is to be obese which further fuels the neuroses of anorexic people. It's almost like the "rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer"...the fat are getting fatter and the thin are getting thinner. I don't know what to suggest because I've been friends with anorexic and bulemic women and felt helpless - nothing I tried seemed to help. It's similar to alcoholism - you can't really help them until they've decided they want to help themselves.

What is it going to take to change the tide on this craziness? As an extraordinarily educated society, the US should be focused on healthy eating and bodies and not just "physical" attractiveness. We're educated enough to understand that healthy living is the path to a long and vital life. We are so celebrity obsessed that we look to celebrities to be our role models and they are in turn pressured to starve themselves by societal demands for "skinniness". This is what our daughters are learning! It just seems like a vicious and frightening circle.