Tuesday, September 16, 2008

I'm Fat, a passing thought

The way we look at women, and a womans body has become an intense sociological job, Everyone has a set standard, everyone has a view point, and for the most part, being thin has been the standard since the 1960's. Thanks Twiggy. Women have a tendancy to obsess with how they look, and historically speaking a womans body was always under the microscope, but more recently the womans body equals health and happiness.


As a society we are growing heavier and as we get older we do gain more weight , our body preferences are growing thinner. Being thin, thin is defined by Hollywoods veiw point, is seen as the only way to be satisfied with ones self. Thinness will lead to a great man, great sex, and a great job, thus a happy and full life. Despite the concerns of feminists and other observers, body image issues seem to be only growing in importance. With movies like 13 going on 30 and the women trying to promote a change in magazines, trying to push them toward real women, I still only see a lean toward the unreal, the ungettable look.

This obsession with the way women look hasn't helped us see ourselves for what we are. If we are on the heavier side we are judged as lazy and unhappy. If we are 'too' thin we are seen as bitchy or snobby. Feminism doesn't always free women either. It hasn't helped society see women for real women, but at the same time feminist ideal pushes us to stray away from things women are naturally good at nurturing, thus we tend to no longer nuruture ourselves or our bodies. Then hollywoods standards are very obvious. Watch any show. A man can be heavy and bald, and moderately if not completely unattractive, but still have a successful show. However his wife is always super attractive. She is thing and her hair is always long and thick. As a society we pride ourselves as being advanced in thought, but I ask how is putting a woman in a BOX an advanced thought?

I know that appearance has always been important. Being heavy used to be a status quo. If you had some chunk you were obviously wealthy because you can afford to eat not because you were lazy. Being tan hasn't' always meant you had the money to lounge around and be a bronzed beauty, it used to mean you were a laborer, the poor portion of society. Appearance has always mattered, but what we are supposed t look like changes.

According to Psychology today, when most people think of body image, they think about aspects of physical appearance, attractiveness, and beauty. But body image is so much more. It's our mental representation of ourselves; it's what allows us to understand ourselves. Body image isn't simply influenced by feelings, and it actively influences much of our behavior, self-esteem, and psychopathology. Our body perceptions, feelings, and beliefs govern our life plan who we meet, who we marry, the nature of our interactions, and our day-to-day comfort level.

The thought is "if I were only 5'5 and 115 lbs have clear skin and great hair, I'd have it all'
I just want to know this, how come what we weigh equals self satisfaction?

For the most part what society expects becomes what is real. Unrealistic expectations become reality. In order for a man to see a woman as attractive, she has to be thin. In order for him to fall in love she has to be hot. AND vice-versa. Women wont go seeking a relationship unless she feels comfortable with her body and very rarely do women over size 12 feel okay with their bodies, thus the whole system is pushed into overdrive -- reaffirming that size matters. When in fact it doesn't.. it is our damn perception!


Sigh. I woke up today and hated my body. Normally I am completely comfortable with it but I realized I am Fifteen pounds heavier than I want to be and I don't look the exact way I want to. My world is a slightly lonely place and today I blamed my body for it. Stupid societal expectations. Even my girlfriends who are highly advanced in many thoughts, still influenced todays reaction at myself. They are beautiful and thin women.. I am bigger than most and yet they still see themselves as FAT so.. how do they see me? I MUST BE HUGE! Then I know my reactions at myself will influence them. Perhaps they see me as thin? and my thinking I'm disgusting will only encourage their further thinking they are disguisting as well! RAWR cycles, I hate them.!


This whole way of the world and its damn importance was not an is not how God wants it.
How do I change my own view point? How do I see me for me? How do I say I am beautiful to God and that all that matters? Today its going to be a struggle. Everyday is. But I need to smack myself and say I am beautiful to me and to God.. SO SCREW the worlds idea.!

So to my fellow readers:

Lets start a new fad, a new trend, a new view point,

LETS LOVE OUR BODIES JUST THE WAY THEY ARE

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

YOU ARE RETARDED!! YOU ARE NO FAT!!! YOUR A VERY VERY BEAUTIFUL WOMAN, MOTHER, ECT....YOUR A SKINNY BEAN....AND WHAT THE HECK GUYS ARE ALWAYS LOOKING YOUR WAY! JUST MOST THE BOYS IN THE WORLD TODAY ARE LOSERS SO YOU NEED TO KEEP WHAT YOUR DOING LETTING THEM KNOW YOUR TOO GOOD CAUSE YOU ARE AND THE RIGHT ONE WILL COME YOUR WAY SOON! I FEEL IT!

Unknown said...

I love my sister lol. thanks rissa

Unknown said...

I am down too, it seems that even the most beautiful women don't like themselves, their thighs or stretch marks. Personally, I feel that part of why I have struggled with my weight my whole life is because I needed to be humbled. Would I have met the people and friends who love me for me if I was different? Maybe, maybe not. We all need to be taken down a peg or two, and realize that the lack of money, clothes, possessions we have does not define us. We define ourselves. The question is not who do you want to be? But rather, who are you?

ps. I love you Kelli bear.

-Maria- said...

"Body image........actively influences much of our behavior, self-esteem, and psychopathology."

Good post, good points! We are soul, our body does not define who we are, it is simply a temporary holding place for our soul before heaven!I hate that i let it influence how i live/what i do. I love you and your honesty and wow, i know how it feels to wake up and have bad bod days but rest assured you are not in any way shape or form a big girl, you've got the dream bod, curves in all the right places and still skinny!
Ria

Shawn said...

I think your post was great. Society does seem to put a standard on the way things "should be". You see though that is the job as christians we have, is to go against the norm. For it was said, Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will. So all in all, it is our job to stay away from what others think and think for ourselves. What is God's will for me?