Beauty Is In The Function

- Friend, CK


Some other thoughts on beauty...

How do YOU define beauty? Share in the Comments below, we'd love to hear!

Happy Healthy Juicy Beauty-full!

Why Women Can't Have It All... Or Can They?

I just stumbled upon Glamour.com's recently-published article: Why The Woman Who 'Has It All' Doesn't Really Exist'.

'Why Women Can't Have It All, According To Barnard College President Debora L. Spar', though, is the title that actually appeared on my Facebook newsfeed and one that drew me in.

Barnard, in case you didn't know, is Columbia's all-women sister school— I went to Columbia, only reason I know. I was curious to see what this Barnard president had to say, expecting something empowering and inspirational. Something on the lines of: 'Feeling down about yourself? [Yes]. Don't feel bad because it's an ideal/unrealizable goal anyway. [...Ok, but that's not what Facebook is telling me...].

The article's headlining photo is a woman dressed as Wonder Woman running in New York City's midtown with a hoard of other women running after her trying to keep up.

As you can see, the woman is 'svelte', 'scantily-clad', hair so thick 'like Beyonce', beautiful enough to be in Glamour's publication, and, actually, real. How appropriate. Does she, the model, have it all..? Clearly, I'm missing the point but the image is loud, hard-to-miss, and relevant. No?

Spar touches on major life areas— self-image, marriage, motherhood, and career— pointing out despite womens' increasing freedom, we are pin-holing ourselves into a greater misery than when we were suppressed. She writes, 'Feminism was meant to remove a fixed set of expectations; instead, we now interpret it as a route to personal perfection. Because we can do anything, we feel as if we have to do everything. In other words, women today face towering expectations: a pileup of the roles society's long heaped on us, plus the opportunities feminism created.'

On this note, Spar has a point. While feminism has opened a lot of doors, at the same time, it has also increased the pressure to achieve more. But is that a bad thing? And is striving for more the same as trying to be perfect? It's one thing to beat yourself up over things you can't necessarily control like finding your soulmate or even landing your dream job— yeah, that's not HealthyButJuicy— but it's another thing to blast others for trying to reach their goals and criticizing 'Why Women Should Stop Trying to Be Perfect'.

Because what about the writer/speaker herself? Spar is the president of 'arguably the most important all-women’s college in the United States', or at least that's what is touted on her book's description on Amazon.com. She is a mother of three, is married to a husband whom she 'adores', and engages in the daily 'burden' of keeping up appearances by spending about 282 hours per year on beauty (unlike the noted, average 30hrs/year compared to men).

It's funny. She shares...
On beauty: 'Any magazine rack confirms our obsession with one scantily clad celebrity after another... As a requirement for success, beauty becomes just another burden.' Huh? Why is this woman publishing her thoughts in Glamour of all places?— a woman's 'guide to the latest fashion trends, outfit ideas, hair + makeup how-tos, and celebrity scoop', and where the focus is all about beauty and 'burden'.

On marriage: 'Marry someone you love and like; finding a person who doesn't care if you're perfect is a good start.' You hear that ladies?! Stop wasting your time on douche-bags you don't even like. Duh. It's easy as finding a box of fiber cereal for breakfast, a great way to start the day. Try the supermarket?

On motherhood: 'Now we've set the standard that if you can become a biological mom—by spending exorbitantly and undergoing endless medical procedures—then you should. Is that liberating? To me, it feels like another way women have to be perfect or, in this case, perfectly fertile.' Ouch. Let's seriously hope her infertile 'friend' doesn't see that comment...

On work: 'Professional women are frequently asked, "How do you do it?" I hate the query, because doing it all, as is expected of women today, is not doable.' But seriously, how did she do it?

Her conclusion: 'The most crucial thing for women to know today? No one does it all. We each, if we're lucky, will have our chance to leave a mark on the world, but we are trying too hard to be perfect. So don't emulate Wonder Woman; think about what's wonderful to you instead. Then boldly, audaciously, joyfully, leave the rest behind.'

In other words, 'You'd be lucky if you have any impact in this world. Stop trying to be like me. And just settle.'

HealthyButJuicy thinks otherwise.

On beauty: To reiterate MissGlamorazzi's philosophy, 'Makeup is a supplement, not a requirement.' Other than maintaining acceptable hygiene (ie. showering), if you adhere to a beauty routine that feels burdensome, stop it. Use the time to work on your inner beauty.

On love: Source


On motherhood: However you became a mother— through sex, adoption, or one of the 'at least 15 additional ways.. none of which involve sex'— makes you no less of a woman nor crazy.


On being a homemaker: Spar referred to the toils of having to make this dish— Harvest Vegetable Pancakes With Greens and Goat Cheese via Martha Stewart's Everyday Day Food magazine. This is yet another case and point about the author and reason to question how relevant what she is saying is to the average consumer/woman/reader. Who makes vegetable pancakes with beets, carrots, potatoes, and chickpeas? From scratch? Seriously. Who? At the risk of sounding controversial, people who are health-conscious might. People who have the time might. People who are highly educated are the most likely. Time and time again, studies show folks with higher education tend to be healthier. It's an unfortunate disparity but one that still has not yet been bridged. Moreover, it doesn't help when leaders in our educational field don't help, or even make the gap wider with garbage to sell.

On work: There will always be someone out there who is better than you. Likewise, though, there will always be someone out there who lacks your talent. But who even cares? It's not about them, it's about you.

The HealthyButJuicy conclusion: Like everything you hear about health, take what Spar is saying with a grain of salt and always ask questions. Is she a reliable source of information? What will you do differently (if anything) and, ultimately, will your actions make you a better, happier version of you?

All in all, women can't always get what they want. That much is true. Neither can men. But does that necessarily and automatically restrict your ability to be happy, to have drive, to be HealthyButJuicy, or to have it 'all'?

I'm single and unemployed. I lost 10 years of my life to illness, and friends and career-building time along with it. I have this beautiful sunshine I call daughter and the most amazing mother that is an angelic warrior who loves me. I smile. And I laugh. It's not a perfect life nor am I expecting it to be but I kinda feel like I do sorta have it all... Is that crazy?

What're your thoughts? On Spar's opinions, article on women, perfectionism, and having it 'all'? Share below in the Comments and/or Tweet us your thoughts. We'd love to hear!

Happy Healthy Juicy Women! HealthyButJuicy believes in you! xoxo :>

Brutality In Every Step

Warning!, Dear Reader. The image you are about to see below is disturbing, slightly graphic but, to your benefit, slightly blurry as well, due to a terrified, shaky hand [and perhaps moving train]. But what you are about to see is real. No actors or models were used. This is the true story of not just one but millions of women, who sacrifice intact skin in the name of 'pedi-' [pronounced 'petty'] fashion. Arguably, this might even be considered an epidemic form of self-mutilation.



















These snake-skin pumps required not just one or two bandages but TEN. TEN! Five PER foot. Who knows how long even those would last, as walking typically causes chafing and sweat production— neither good for secure, long-lasting adhesion of bandages.

One possible explanation for all of this relies on conspiracy theory: Could it be designers are scheming with Johnson & Johnson et al. to mutually boost sales? It makes sense how Band-Aid is profiting, but vice versa? Yup, vice versa also true, as described in this NY Times article, It’s No Boo-Boo: Bandages as Fashion Accessories.

And check out this 'Best of' review taken from some fashion blog:

Title: A Chic Way to Blister-Proof Your Sandal Feet: Band-Aid Friction Block   [..hurl..]

Strappy sandal season has arrived...which typically means newly-exposed tender winter feet, covered in blisters and plastered over with unsightly bandages. Instead of ruining the look of your fab new footwear, try Band-Aid's clever Friction Block Stick; it contains a lubricating formula that glides on smoothly and reduces rubbing on skin, helping to prevent blisters from ever developing.

Compact enough to fit in your pocket, it is also affordable enough at $5 to stock up and stash in the medicine chest, the glove box of your car, your purse, and anywhere else a blister emergency might arise.

Moreover, is this proof of continued oppression against women? After all, it's been reported that Band-Aids were invented by a man whose wife 'often cut herself while doing housework and cooking' [ref]. And now, even despite three waves of Women's Lib, female feet are still not liberated from harsh conditions. When will this end? I mean, look at this!


From left to right: 1) What women are expected to cram their feet into. 2) What women could wear instead. 3) What women's feet are actually shaped like.


Fourth Wave Proposal? Wide-width, orthotically-correct kickers become all the rage for evermore!


Happy Healthy Juicy Save Our Soles!

For many, Pregnancy can be a Bumpy Ride (don't fall off the wagon.. nom nom)

Who is Ali Larter? I've seen her name a bunch of times and since she is referred to under the assumption that people know who she is, I still don't know who she is nor would I be able to identify her if she were in a lineup of blonds. She's blond— that much I know. So, to put an end to the mystery, yet, more so to know who I'm referring to for the start of this post, I Googled her. [For those of you who are as clueless as I, she's an actress and has actually appeared in a bunch of things. oops.]

And in case you're not updated on the latest, she more than four months preggers with her first child. Speaking of pregnancy, she's been quoted as recently saying:

"I eat everything. I bake myself strawberry shortcakes and then I wake up at three in the morning and I eat them... I work out. I play certain roles where it's important for me to look a certain way. But now it's just freedom. It's like, 'Bring on the Sprinkles cupcakes, pizza, pasta.' I'm loving it!"

Too bad she didn't mention burgers, fries, and nuggets with that list— she could've added McEeDee's to her CV.

The unfortunate thing in this is that Ms. Larter is not the only woman to say, think, and act like this. Take reality star Kendra Wilkinson, for example. During her pregnancy last year, she's been quoted as saying:

"I’ve been eating a lot of breakfast - eggs, bacon and cheese sandwiches with wheat toast, a lot of waffles with peanut butter. Peanut butter is my biggest craving. I actually put bananas and syrup all over it, too. Even though I don't usually eat much meat, I've been eating a lot of ribs with barbecue sauce and steak. Also, my craving for chocolate came back. I never ate it before because it gave me migraines."

And...

“I never ate fast food before I was pregnant. But every now and then I’ll get this sudden craving for, you know, like Arby’s or Taco Bell. A lot of spicy food, too!”

And, commenting on a trip...

There were so many rides and SOOOOOO much awesome food!!!!!!!!!! I seriously couldnt stop eating! lolololol. I ate bbq ribs, baked beans, chili, and a sandwich…to name a few. Oh the perks of being pregnant hahahaha!!

That's not to meant to support the notion, though, that all blondes are, well, dumb. Contrary, supermodel Gisele Bundchen, who also had her first child the end of last year, was quoted as saying..

"I did kung fu up until two weeks before Benjamin was born, and yoga three days a week."

She also said she was "mindful" about what she ate and explained,..

"I think a lot of people get pregnant and decide they can turn into garbage disposals."

Thank you, Ms. Bundchen, case and point. I couldn't have said it better myself.

Happy Healthy Juicy, You [& Your Unborn Child] Are What You Eat!

One small step for fashion, one giant leap for legkind..

Stop holding your breath, Ladies, literally. This fall season's fashion lineup is finally rolling out Jeggings!

Yes, I know, it's not even August yet—perhaps this is retail's way of saying, 'Hey, you're not spending enough.' So to get your wallet, I mean, attention, stores are already starting to put out autumn threads, despite triple digit weather.. How's that for strategy? In a couple of weeks, it'll be costumes for Halloween, which'll be *like* just around the corner..

So what are jeggings? Jeggings is the hybrid name for jeans + leggings.

With skinny jeans leading the trends, women have had to cram their bottom halves into tight, unforgiving sleeves of denim for a while now, which is not completely a bad thing in that the practice likely helps increase body awareness, but cutting off circulation isn't the only way to achieve that; things like fitting rooms, the media, and the beach take care of it already.

Finally though, with jeggings, maybe women can now be more mobile, comfortable, and maybe even be a little more active. I'm excited to see what shoemakers come up with..


Happy Healthy Juicy Fashionable Comfort!

Busting Up Shop... or perhaps your chops instead.

Office Space— the classic yet iconic flick nerds love.

For many (..of those who sport the sock-sandal ensemble?.. oops), this is considered the best movie scene ever..



Well, it turns out this smashing deed isn't just for geeks, the big screen, or men even.

A shopping mall in China has "opened a special store for [WOMEN ONLY] to break all kinds of things to relieve pressure and bad mood for a minute in Shenyang", according to People's Daily.

The store is partitioned by room theme, so women can choose to vent in a bedroom or living room— a kitchen is supposedly on its way.

Though the concept is pretty ingenius and absolutely hilarious, it's questionable whether dealing with frustration like this is productive. ..Might these behaviors eventually present themselves in real life?

Some healthy alternatives, or at least until we get one of these shops ourselves, you might consider these activities instead:

• Pound pavement: Running or jogging work your body from head to toe, and if you do it long&hard enough, you're sure not to have energy to be angry thereafter.
  
• Splash water: It's summer, man [&wo-]. If you need to vent, that's really all you do when you're under the deep blue.
  
• Paddle water: If you don't want to actually get in it, try a canoe or kayak instead.
  
• Hit the gym: If you really can't handle the great outdoors, get your heart pumping, body sweaty, and squeeze the negative energy out of you any which way you can, non-violently, that is. That's really the key to any great workout.

Happy Healthy Juicy Anger [&Fitness] Management!

Beauty Isn't a Pretty Picture..

Heidi Montag doesn't annoy me per se. She does, though, make me a little sad.. for her, or her character.. so her?

Heidi nee-Montag-now-Pratt is a starlet on the MTV reality series, The Hills, which is now in its supposed final sixth season and in which Heidi is juicier than ever, literally. Healthy, though, she is a far cry from. Between this season and the last, Heidi played transformers with her self and returns with a new body.

Last November, Heidi underwent 10 (yes, TEN) cosmetic procedures, all in one (anesthetic) shot, which included:

1. Mini brow lift.
2. Botox in forehead and frown area.
3. Nose job revision. ('revision'='take two')
4. Fat (re)injections in cheeks, nasolabial folds and lips. (from #9)
5. Chin reduction. (for the 'Jay Leno chin')
6. Neck liposuction.
7. Ears pinned back. (for the 'Dumbo ears')
8. Breast augmentation revision. (3Ds, literally)
9. Lipsuction on waist, hips, inner and outer thighs.
10. Buttock augmentation. (Butt lift? Butt lift.)

It’s sad (both depressing and pathetic) to watch her become a plastic toy— her doctor, hu$band, media and rest of the world has and continues to play with and use as nothing but fodder. In the end, after all, she is a real person and not just a character of 'reality' tv.

But aside from her fictitiously voluptuous and svelte body, transformer that she is, I really do think she is more than meets the eye. More confident? Anything butt, I mean but. Fame hungry, perhaps..

True, she documented the whole experience and got front cover of People Magazine. Yes, she’s booked interviews (GMA, Ryan Seacrest) and earned herself about 1/3 (=$10,000) of her op(ted) expenses back from her first bikini debut post-op. And yes, she probably is seeking a reality show of her own with video footage of the experience and, I wouldn’t be surprised, a book deal for the diary she kept.

But, despite her (media) claims of wanting more, she also publicly admits..

• Why she did it: ‘I was flat and insecure..the biggest reason is to feel better, to feel perfect.. I had [had? or have?] insecurities.. I was an ugly duckling before.. For the past three years, I’ve thought about what to have done. I’m absolutely beyond obsessed.. I’ve become obsessed, photo by photo, with how I look. When I was shopping for my boobs, I wanted the best, so I sat down and flipped through a bunch of Playboys.’


• How she felt after: 'The pain was everywhere—my head felt like it had a jackhammer on it. I couldn't talk because of my jaw and chin... I was like, "I wanna die right now. I'm in so much pain. I don't know what to do".. I almost felt like I was gone.. I looked like I had been hit by a bus. I was a purple, swollen mush—I didn’t look human! It was so scary. I could hardly move.. It was more traumatizing just seeing it than even feeling it really.’


• And that..: She said she needed help going to the bathroom and was scared of water the when it was time to bathe—scared of water. Water.


• How some things have changed: She can’t jog anymore and said, ‘I'm very weird about hugging people now.’


• How she now feels: ‘Fragile’. [Claims popping up of prescription pill addiction, which wouldn’t be surprising, though wouldn’t help the situation.]


• And if she's satisfied and done: 'I’m already planning my next surgery—I’m determind to get bigger ones! [referring to DDD breasts, which means she’d need to go international as they are at their FDA max—800cc].. 'Nobody ages perfectly, so I plan to keep using surgery to make me as perfect as I can be.’

The girl shows tell-tale signs of abnormal psychology, including perfectionism, self-conscious, and obsession, to name a few, [plus ridiculousness, aka. irrational thoughts and behavior]. She explains: ‘Think about the industry I’m trying to go into. My ultimate dream is to be a pop star.. it was [Britney Spears’] sex appeal that sold. Obviously, looks matter; it’s a superficial industry.’ By ‘pop star’, I’m guessing she was hoping to shine with her chest? I think it worked too because I’m blinded already.

Even so, I am unsure whether she totally fits the DSM-IV criteria for BDD—Body Dysmorphic Disorder—which is what readily springs to mind.

Whatever the case, though, I will never be able to understand why women continue to mutilate themselves in pursuit of beauty and in these so-called modern times no less. Granted, this comes from one who still grapples with the face-painting industry and women’s *willing* daily rituals, but still..

I’m not a historian by any means but we [the female race] have worked so hard and have gotten this far, why are we choosing to regress and remain weak and fragile? How have we succumbed to the foot-binding mentality?

Whilst I’m an advocate of ‘to each his/her own’, one of my greatest concerns is how this will (and already does) affect future generations. It’s been reported that Christie Brinkley and daughter Alexa Ray Joel— who overdosed just last December in her battle with depression, mind you— have recently had what seems like a mother-daughter bonding moment.. in a hospital with knives. Christie lifted her face, Alexa got her nose done (and used the lame excuse of correcting a deviated septum).

Even scarier, which I didn’t know until doing research for this piece, is that the cosmetic industry has teamed up with travel. 'Medical tourism', they call it. The trend these days is all-inclusive vacation package deals, with a buffet of procedures to choose from. As if life-altering (and possibly threatening) changes weren’t enough, why not do it on foreign territory to save a few extra bucks!

Even more scary, or sick?. Industry, of course, capitalizing on the insanity and the numbers that $how it. A look of how insane it is here in the US, bloody capital of the world..

12.5 million: number of cosmetic procedures performed in 2009.
10 Billon (with a capital 'B'): amount spent on cosmetic procedures in 2009.

Top 5 surgical cosmetic procedures (in 2009):

1. Breast augmentation (289,000)
2. Nose reshaping (256,000)
3. Eyelid surgery (203,000)
4. Liposuction (198,000)
5. Tummy tuck (115,000)

Top 5 'minimally-invasive' procedures (in 2009):

1. Botulinum toxin type A (4.8 million)
2. Soft tissue fillers (1.7 million)
3. Chemical peel (1.1 million)
4. Microdermabrasion (910,000)
5. Laser hair removal (893,000)

2009 compared to 2000..

• Total cosmetic procedures is up 69%
  
• Botulinum Toxin Type A isup 509%
  
• Tummy Tuck is up 84%
  
• Breast augmentation is up 36%
  
• In sum: "More people [have] turned towards body contouring and minimally-invasive treatments for facial rejuvenation."

American Society of Plastic Surgeons


I leave you with this..

Does this look like a girl that is happy.. or sane?..


..or healthy and truly loved?..


Was it worth it?..


Would you ever wish this upon your sister, daughter, mother, girl friend, wife, or any other person you did or did not know?


To my understanding, Heidi thought of this as an investment in her career.
If only she could have found some other way to stand out and be unique. Perhaps by *like* getting an education vs. surgery. Maybe then she would have discovered the wonders of things like Photoshop and spared herself the pain and suffering. Maybe then she would have gotten a clue and could wow us with the beauty of her mind and not the Superficial her album and body have flopped to be.

But what's done is done. As for the millions exposed and contemplating, men and women alike: Embrace the ugly (completely) NON-invasively. It's only subjective anyway. Diet, exercise, love, laughter, and hugs—lots of them—are what will lead you to your HealthyButJuicy and help unleash the celestial being you dream to be (not nip/tuck!), duh.

Getting & Sharing the Lowdown

In the April 2010 issue of Men’s Health Magazine (UK Edition), staff member Alex Harris *personally* goes ‘on assignment’ to do some in-depth reporting. His story feature? High-class orgies.

He researches group sex parties, participates in one with success, then another with fail, then another without fail—‘success’ and ‘fail’ used loosely. He writes about his experience and what he gained [and lost] from it.

I’m sort of dumbstruck by it all.

I admit it made for an interesting read and enough so for me to write about it, so the magazine is obviously doing its job in that respect, but...

How is a story like this assigned? Having an inexperienced protagonist tell the story is advantageous as it allows the reader to better relate, but where is the line drawn between writer and.. prostitute? The feature itself even noted that group sex is legal [in the UK] if all are consenting and unpaid but different laws apply if payment is involved. Harris wasn’t paid by other participants but, on the other hand, was for participating—how else could he have written the story? Does that count?

Entertainment aside, what was the moral of the story, if any? Harris does write about the disconnect and slight remorse afterwards but seems to revel in his last tryst and doesn’t make clear what the charm is third time around—will [or has] he continue[d] even after the article’s been printed or will his last experience remain the last? It’s not for me to say with whom and how many at a time this guy should be having sex with but if the magazine is really that popular [google: ‘men’ or ‘men uk’] and then publishes somewhat of an endorsement of this activity, then there are words to be dropped—social responsibility are two of them.

At the forefront of my mind on the subject matter was safety, but no where in his ventures does he mention protection or even consideration thereof. The only disease he does worry about, however, is addiction. Addiction?! Addiction. That’s what he’s worried about. ..take that as you will.

The feature reminded me of a similar story I read just months earlier. Pamela Druckerman (a former journalist for the Wall Street Journal) published a piece in Marie Claire on what she got her husband for his 40th birthday: a threesome. She describes the process of finding someone and the actual experience but, aside from worrying about the planning, also fails to mention use or even concern of protection in the act. She does, though, conclude:

I'm left feeling unsettled. I can't wait to shower. Sadly, I'm more conventional than I'd thought. In theory, I didn't mind sharing my husband for an afternoon. In practice, I was shaken up. I wasn't bored; I was bothered.

What ever happened to good ole monogamy? And what’s with these adventurist types? Why can’t they seek risk elsewhere, in other things like..
   - Leaving the house without an umbrella on a very dark and cloudy day?.. or..
   - Getting in the express line with more than 10 items?.. or..
   - Eating school food for lunch? ..Just to see what it’s like..

The cost, in comparison, for the latter at least, would be less than $2 versus perhaps a lifetime of STD(s), trauma, or worse, early death.

I’m just sayin’..

Reality-Ideality-Toolbox.

    Jennifer Lopez Marketed.                             J Lo For Real?








             Barbie.                                                 Magician: Photoshop.

Bodies Can Support Image, Just Not Life.

It’s been reported (reliability of source, unknown) that Posh Spice, aka. Victoria Beckham, is trying to beef up, sans beef, but with starchy carbs because she’s trying to get preggers. They’re supposedly trying for a girl this time. Her and her soccer player husband, David, have three boys at the moment.

This post has been looming in the back of my mind for a while and it seems like this is as appropriate a time as ever to bring up the issue, which is… housing. ..of babies-to-be.

I started noticing a somewhat dramatic trend in Hollywood a while back— an increasing number of celebrities were giving birth to multiples. And I’m not talking about Octomom or Kate Gosselin. But consider Angelina Jolie and Marcia Cross, amongst others, both are mothers of twins.


And then there’s Giuliana Rancic—do you know her? In case you don’t, she’s the co-host of E! News with Ryan Seacrest, ‘reporter’ for celeb events, and, as of recent, star of (yet another) reality show. Because of her latest role, she’s made it public that she’s trying to get preggers. She even went on The View to talk about it:

"[The doctor] said [I should gain] 5-10 pounds, which I know isn't a big deal and if you want to have a baby you should do whatever it takes… I had to bite that bullet. You have to understand something. I work out everyday of my life, I love feeling good, waking up, working out. I finally did gain the 5 pounds. We're working on more."

So how do you think she’s doing?             [comment box is below].
(The pic on the left is from June ’09. The pic on the right is from March ’10.)






It’s been about a year [?] since she’s been trying and still no ‘luck’ (nor excess calories, it seems). Her stint on The View apparently also didn’t turn out so well. The day after...

Whoopie said: "It's not like she's an actress; she's on the red carpet, so she should gain the weight."
Giuliana’s retort? "Because I'm a reporter, I'm held to a different standard than an actress? It's almost like she puts actresses on a pedestal. I thought that was the most ridiculous statement I've heard on that show in a very long time."

In other words: 'It’s not fair! Why are they allowed to be skinny and I’m not??’


Please, tell me now what’s really ridiculous..

..in the meanwhile, I’ll tell you what’s not fair:

• 1 in 5 women struggle with an eating disorder or disordered eating.
• Eating disorders affect up to 24 million Americans.
• At least 50,000 individuals will die as a direct result of an eating disorder.
• The diet and diet related industry is a 50 billion dollar a year enterprise.
• One study found that over 1/2 the females between the ages of 18-25 would prefer to be run over by a truck than be fat, and 2/3 surveyed would rather be mean or stupid.
• If today's mannequins were actual human women, based on theoretical body fat percentages, they would probably cease to menstruate.
The Alliance for Eating Disorders Awareness, (2010 Apr 06).


…o, and one last one:

Everyday men, women, children, and adolescents are bombarded with images of women like Angelina, Posh, and 'G', (who may or may not be menstruating), and duped into believing that that is healthy and beautiful.