Posted by jujube on February 3, 2005, at 9:53:10
In reply to What does your weight mean to you?, posted by Racer on February 2, 2005, at 13:45:37
That's an interesting topic. I wasn't teased or criticized about my weight per se when I was young, but I did become self-conscious of my body image at an early age. I started developing quite quickly when I was about ten or so, and really didn't think much about it until a close family friend of my mom's commented in a crowded room "she's a little girl in a women's body". It made me feel even more uncomfortable than I already did when I was around people. I spent years wearing sweaters and shirts two sizes too big to "hide", and still do sometimes. I was never fat, but I did go through periods of strenuous and almost obsessive dieting hoping I would shrink, particularly in one area, and be waif-like like so many of my friends. I find now that my weight can fluctuate, and I find myself prone to gain (not enormous amounts though) when I go through some kind of significant change (a move, a new job, etc.). I find that weird, and maybe it's just me who experiences it - who knows.
I remember one of my best friends at one point became so ill trying to lose weight in order to be skinny and petite like so many others in our circle of friends. She was an extremely athletic girl, and her doctor finally told her that the weight goal she had set for herself was ridiculous because she was so athletic and very muscular. She was by no means fat, and eventually accepted and even embraced the fact that she was the right size and weight for her body type, even though at first it was a hard pill to swallow.
I agree that it's not easy to accept our own body weight when we are bombarded with images of tall, skinny women with almost boyish figures peddling clothes to us - average women - who certainly aren't a size 0 and probably never will be.
And, this issue isn't exclusive to women anymore. Men, I am sure, struggle with the same distorted views of the "ideal" body weight and body image.
poster:jujube
thread:451802
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/eating/20041128/msgs/452384.html