“Unnecessary dieting is because everything from television and fashion ads have made it seem wicked to cast a shadow. This wild, emaciated look appeals to women, though not so many men, who are seldom seen pinning up Vogue illustrations in a machine shop.”” — Peg Bracken, The I Hate to Cook Book (1960)
The visual messages surround us — be thin, be small, be weak. Whatever you do, don’t be a power with which society must reckon… Rather than allowing the whims of commercialism to shape your views about the shape of your body, invite a standard of health and vitality to influence your thinking. …eat a nutritious diet … exercise moderately and regularly. Your body will take its own natural shape with muscles toned, skin tight, and energy maximized. Rather than lusting after the “thin look” in the misguided belief that you will be lusted after, let your natural curves attract a lover who loves you for who you are, not what you’re trying to be.
Let your body be a powerful force in your life, guiding you to eating and exercising habits that will give your shape a full, healthy form. A loved and empowered body will cast just the right-sized shadow. Your shadow will reflect a powerful you. —Carmen Renee Berry, Coming Home to Your Body
5 Responses
HI Donna,
I am sending to you for the CaC box swap.
Please email me your address at
melbamcmullin@comcast.net.
I will be making your box…probably on Saturday and mailing it out Monday.
Hope you are well.
XO,
melba
I love the quote – noticing the date says so much…
Free your mind, and the body will follow.
Here’s to the power of embracing our bodies for the miracle of engineering that they are
Many blessings,
Kara-Leah
When I look at the people I see on the streets of cities in the United States, and compare them to the people I see on the streets of cities in other countries, I’m not seeing any evidence that people in the U.S. are listening to any advice that says “be thin, be small, be weak.” Quite the contrary–obesity is clearly out of control in the U.S.
Yes, I agree JIm – it is out of control. But the message to women is still that they are supposed to be thin – and many of us simply are not, never were, and never will be THAT thin. We’re curvy, and that’s just how we’re made….
I think it is more difficult for a weak and thin woman (or man, I guess), to carry herself with confidence and power. Over the course of my life, I have never been thin and weak, even at my slimmest. I have always thought of myself as a large and strong woman. That has given me confidence to carry myself well, which is sexy.
It needs to be mentioned, though, that fat and weak is just as bad (or maybe worse for the physical body) as thin and weak.