Back in skinny jeans

A doctor's point of view: Is Our Obsession With Weight Loss News Unhealthy?

Blogger: Susan Parsons MD
Blog: Diet Secrets MD

NOTE: Dr. Parsons received a Master’s degree in Human Nutrition before going to medical school to become a physician. She has 3 degrees from Ohio State University – first a B.S. in English, then later the M. S. and the M.D. She is currently Board Certified in Family Practice as well as in Hospice and Palliative Medicine.
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Weight loss is a popular topic these days. Does this mean that most of us are overly obsessed with our looks and our figures?  Granted, eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia are too common. And the compulsion to be thin has sadly wrecked the health of more than a few.
 

But look around. As a family doctor, I see a far bigger problem for society as a whole, and that is obesity.  More than 65% of Americans are now overweight, and other developed countries are close behind. Even our government is concerned. 

 

Corpulence is not primarily a beautification issue, except maybe in Hollywood. Obesity is a health problem, and it is growing by leaps and bounds.  Did you know that the average adult weighs 25 pounds more now than in 1960? Our idea of "normal" today may be skewed.

 

The biggest problem with obesity is not whether you can get into your bikini or skinny jeans but the costs to your health and well-being. Diabetes, heart disease, cancer, birth defects, infertility … all of these problems (and more) are promoted by the condition of being too fat.

 

So, while some women are overly fixated on cellulite and what to do about it, the majority of us should probably be more concerned about our extra pounds than we actually are. (more after  the jump)

 

Healthy recipe from 4-Star chef: Roasted Corn and Watermelon Vinaigrette

Blogger: James Briscione, 4-star Chef with a B.S. in Nutrition/Dietetics
Blog: Chef on the market

In the restaurant, when dealing with food safety, we learn all about the ‘danger zone.’ It is the temperature range where bacteria can grow rapidly and potentially make food hazardous. Now that Labor Day (the symbolic end of ‘bathing suit’ season) is right around the corner with the holidays right on its heals, we find ourselves in the midst of a different ‘danger zone.’

In this zone, diets and exercise routines are the ones in danger as the motivation to look good on the beach or at the pool wanes with the summer sun. But there’s no need to slack, this is best time of the year for healthy eating. Farmland across the country is producing by the bushel right now, fields everywhere are full of flavor and nutrition. This is the time to get to your local market or farm stand. You’ll not only be taking care of yourself with delicious, good-for-you food but you’ll be supporting your community and the environment by buying from local farmers.

Here is a recipe takes advantage of some of the wonders your local market is guaranteed to be overflowing with. Plus, it’s a unique, healthy option for your Labor Day cookout.

Roasted Corn and Watermelon Vinaigrette
Serves 6    

½ Seedless Watermelon, cut into a medium dice

4 Ears Sweet Yellow Corn

2 small Kirby cucumbers, seeds removed and sliced optional

2 Limes, juiced (3-4 tbsp juice)

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 Tbsp Chives, finely sliced

Cayenne Pepper, or Piment d’ Espelette

Chervil

(cooking instructions after the jump)

5 Radical Ways to Show Yourself Love

Blogger: Elizabeth Kempkes
Blog: Creamy Nougat Lair

• Make a list of the things you love about yourself.  Pick 5 things. . .no, wait. . .10 things that you love about yourself and write them down.  Put your list someplace where you can see it everyday.  I know that for many people it’s hard to even find one thing you love about yourself, but remember, this isn’t about what other people find attractive about you.  What do you find attractive about you?  Try also to find physical characteristics you love not just your sense of humor or intellect (which are important but most women can’t hear enough good things about their bodies).My list goes something like this:

• I love my flexible and expressive hands.
• I love the color of my hair.
• I love the curve between my waist and hips!  It’s totally exaggerated, swooping, and sensual.
• I love my feet (which I didn’t find attractive at all until my first pedicure).
• I love my thick thighs.  They make great substitute drums when the rhythm gets me!
• I love my sense of humor AND the way my body shakes with laughter.
• I love my sparkly brains.
• I love how my eyes change color according to my mood.
• I love my weirdly pointy elbows.
• I love the mole on my face.  It’s so distinctive –I really can’t imagine having it removed anymore.

• Buy yourself flowers.  No, this isn’'t just something desperate single people do.  Buying yourself flowers is an important part of self-care.  Most women take for themselves a fraction of what they give to others.  It’s also an important reminder whenever you see them to take a deep breath, relax, and know you love yourself enough to treat your senses to a riot of blossomy color! (more after the jump)

Don't want that muffin top

Blogger: Katieo
Blog: Sister Skinny

Are you familiar with the term "muffin top?"

Did you know, for example, that there are people in the world who take pictures of other people who exhibit this condition and then put them up on their Flickr page? Let's all say it together now: YIKES!

So, a little while ago I posted on possibly being an 8; I tried on a pair of Gap jeans in said size that were, errr, rather tight. And while I do not regret purchasing them,  they will be shelved temporarily. Because I've noticed what fits in the morning does not always fit in the afternoon...or even mid-morning.  And come to think of it, those saggy bottomed 10's shrunk up quite nicely in the wash. Sure it only lasted 2 days of wear for them to stretched out again. I do laundry enough that throwing them in with a random load more often shouldn't be a problem.

One last thing about the muffin top; after going through aforementioned Flickr slideshow, I've noticed it has everything to do with the cut of jeans, not the thinness of waistline or torso.  I don't really feel self-conscious about my middle, but I would like to stay far far away from this:

and so people, I remain a 10. Don't worry, I won't be here long. :)

Body Shapes: Similar sizes are not all shaped the same

Blogger: Alicetini
Blog: Just a Girl

I spent the evening with a couple of friends, one of whom is a lovely woman who we shall call 'L'.

L is actually a size bigger than me on the bottom half. She's quite definitely a pear shape, whereas I'm a bit broader and bustier up top. However, I think we're probably quite similar weights, because we're close in size.

I have a fair amount of tummy fat, so I assumed that her tummy would be similarly jiggly to mine. Imagine my shock when we were getting ready for bed (we had a sleepover) to notice that actually her tummy is quite flat, and her little bit of fat is no way as big as mine.

Why? Surely at about the same size and thus weight we'd have quite similar body shapes? I always assumed, that because she's curvy, like me she's not comfortable with it. I couldn't be more wrong. (more after the jump)

A Year Review in Retouched Pictures

Bloggers: Magali Amadei & Claire Mysko
Blog: 5 Resolutions to Transform the Fashion and Beauty Industries

NOTE: Magali and Claire are the founders of Inside Beauty. Magali is a former top fashion model who suffered and healed from bulimia. She became the world's first top model to tour nationally on behalf of an eating disorders organization. Claire has served as the Director of the American Anorexia Bulimia Association, the Executive Editor of SmartGirl, and the Assistant Director of Communications at Girls Inc.
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Without further ado, here's a roundup of our favorite Extreme Photoshop makeovers of the last year.

Let's journey back to last August, when Katie Couric was about to take over as anchor of the CBS Evening News. The network ran a nice little "welcome aboard" story in CBS Watch magazine, accompanied by the photo on the right. Big (as in about 10 pounds too big) problem: they had already released the photo on the left to the news media months before. Oops.

As the autumn leaves started changing, we also felt some change in the air. In an episode of Ugly Betty, Betty accidentally leaks un-retouched photos of a popular actress. The horror! Despite the fashionista freak outs, the photos are published and in the end it's a feel-good, body image-boosting lovefest. We got all misty-eyed. And we got even more excited when we saw this video, created by the Dove Campaign for Real Beauty:

By spring, there was a whole new variety of digital alteration blooming. It turns out this retouching thing isn't just for the ladies anymore. (more after the jump)

Anorexia and an Internet Suicide

Blogger: MamaVISION
Blog: MamaVISION

NOTE: This post deals with some very graphic information about Anorexia and Suicide, but it is real life, and the intent behind the story is to educate people, namely parents and loved ones, about some of the true realities of what is going on in the Pro-Ana arenas online. MamaVISION is on a mission to help as many girls move away from the dangers off Pro-Ana living and onto healthier lives. If you are sensitive to this kind of graphic information, then click out now.

Anorexia has killed yet another, but this time the death of a young girl is documented, minute by minute, for the world to see.

Kristi, the ring leader of the Live Journal Pro-Anorexia site documents her last moments of life on the post below, proving yet again the adapting Pro-Ana lifestyle is messing with fire.

No fear Pro-Anas, your journals will not miss a beat. Your new leader immediately took over for Kristi, reiterated the PRO-ANA MISSION, and dedicated to convincing us all you are an eating disorder “support” site.

Hold your comments Pro-Anas: I have no intention of interfering with your beloved sites, since I am a believer in free speech and removing the Pro-Ana sites from the web serves no purpose. I refuse to put my head in the sand. (more after the jump)

My Good Body

Blogger: Laura
Blog: Hello Sunshine

Just as the narrator begins, since I was a child all I have wanted is to be good. To be the good girl who always does and says the right thing, eats with the right fork, has great hair, and of course, a good body. For me, similar to most American women, my good body is thin, fit, and toned. And so begins the quest for this perfect body. I discovered a world where women nip, hide, slim, sweat, pull, tighten, loosen, wax, shave, exfoliate, tweeze, condition, trim, pump, plump, and adjust their bodies to always be different. Somehow perfect never arrives, and self-love is always just a few pounds away.

I understand now why self-help gurus always say you have to start by loving yourself exactly as you are NOW. I understood it mentally before, yet couldn’t quite connect it to myself. I will not love myself when I lose those few pounds, when the cellulite vanishes, when my teeth sparkle, when I fit into smaller pants. Because when those pounds are gone and your teeth are glowing, there will be an extra roll on my stomach or hair on my arm to obsess over. But I can love myself now. My body has shifted to a fuller model. I have breasts I dreamed of as a little girl, I have a butt, hips, and a curve to my stomach. Yet I have been living in a world somehow determined that if I return to my pre-adolescent one-dimensional body, somehow everything would be good.

Tonight I saw that I have a GOOD BODY*. (more after the jump)

Is Mindless Eating “Weighing” You Down?

Blogger: Lara Kulpa
Blog: Lady de la Luna

I remember a while ago, my aunt had told me that she’d been trying to practice “mindful eating”. Yesterday, I read an article in Shape magazine about letting go of the “diet mentality” and paying more attention to what your body’s really in need of in terms of nutrition and hunger levels, as opposed to counting calories eaten and burned.

Is this a new wave of thinking in terms of weight loss?

I’ve always said that dieting is rarely a matter of knowing what to eat, how much, and so on. That it’s rather an exercise in balancing your lifestyle. Sit at a computer screen all day? You’re going to need to do more exercise than someone who works at a construction site. Skip breakfast? It’s time to break out the mini-meals, and make them nutritious.

I don’t care who you are, or how much you may or may not have dieted in the past - you can instinctively tell the difference between something nutritious and not so. It’s not a matter of knowledge, but rather decision. (more after the jump)

People need to shut up

Blogger: Leslie Goldman
Blog: The Weighting Game at iVillage Diet & Fitness

My girlfriend, R., was out with her little girl enjoying a nice lunch when a grandpa-aged man approached the two of them and announced, completely unsolicited and pointing at R's daughter, "She needs to go on a DIET!"

Her daughter is five months old.

What the *%@!?

And more recently, a woman approached the pair and exclaimed, "She is such a LARGE BABY! Is she in the 99th percentile or something?"

I really don't understand what goes on in peoples' minds. Why is it considered acceptable by so many to comment on total strangers' weights? I myself have been subjected to this, starting from when I was younger and constantly greeted with comments from my parents' friends of, "Oh, she's so big!" (they likely were referring to my height, but still...blah!) and even in grad school, I remember being at a black-tie benefit and a doctor I worked with grabbed my waist and told me I needed to eat more. Lasagna was hanging out of my mouth at the time so I couldn't retort with a witty comeback but I could see the look in my husband's eyes - we both wanted to take a swing. (more after the jump)