weight

A lot of this has to do with social norms. We studied this in my last class, which was abnormal psychology. A lot of it has to do with the various forms of media that kids and teens are exposed to and a lot of it has to do with the particular culture that a person is a part of. In some countries, such as Africa, it is attractive to have "meat on your bones" and it is a sign of happiness. In the United States, "thin is in!" It's ironic that a sign of starvation or low nutrition is considered "beautiful". When people consistently see thin people in magazines, in movies, and on television, they naturally assume that they should appear that way in order to be "normal". Sometimes, the level of "thin" that a person embodies is not always physically possible to achieve without severely limiting calories, exercising relentlessly, or resorting to eating disordered behavior.

I really need to reduce weight as I've been overweight for a while. But I can't do anything about it now as I'm in the family way. Probably after a few months I should start with regular vigorous workouts and get back to shape :)

It is crazy how I always beat myself up over wanting to lose 30+ pounds right now when I am already below the average weight for American women. What is portrayed in the media to be a socially acceptable weight is stick thin and that is what we believe is beautiful. In reality most of America is overweight and cannot possibly ever look like those beautiful people. It is hard to set realistic goals for yourself and when you don't set realistic expectations, you go to desperate measures such as being anorexic or bulimic to get down to the weight that you think is correct. Personally I have went down the anorexic path before and it was horrible. Now I eat in moderation (but not healthy) and exercise as much as I can. Everyone has their own personal struggle with how they view their body. There is a right way to handle it and a wrong way and exercise and eating right is the right way.

Insecurities and the media are to blame for women who feel they must stay slim to be excepted. It is sad.