Weighty Issues

[alexxkay]

Was in Park Street yesterday, and it was postered with a more-interesting-than-usual ad campaign. Apparently, Dove soap has decided to target a currently under-served market niche: women who don't look like super-models. They're calling it Campaign For Real Beauty, and have a website set up, campaignforrealbeauty.com. The women on the posters I saw were still a lot less diverse than the actual beautiful women I see in the real world, but I think it best to not get too nit-picky over this. Rather, I choose to celebrate this as a step in the right direction, toward a saner world.

On a related note, I was talking about weight/image issues with some folks the other day. I mentioned, off-hand, that I didn't think I was acquainted with *any* women who didn't think of themselves as overweight -- even the ones who clearly weren't, by any rational definition. This was challenged, and I admitted I wan't 100% sure. So, if you're a woman reading this, and don't think that you are overweight, I'd appreciate hearing about it in a comment.

Comments

[alexx-kay.livejournal.com]

The sad truth is, most people in America (male and female) are overweight.

True, but sort of tangential to my point. I know a non-trivial number of women who I would classify as either "just right" or "unhealthily skinny", who nonetheless classify themselves as "fat". So many, that I thought it was unanimous among my acquaintances. Turns out it isn't quite unanimous, but is still a large majority.

[new-man.livejournal.com]

I know many women who understand that maintaining a healthy weight and physique takes work -- but who wouldn't call themselves "fat" any more than someone who refuses to get into a car with a drunk driver is "paranoid".

I know a great number of women in common with who consider themselves overweight -- because they are. That doesn't make them unattractive or bad people -- it makes them the same kind of realistic as Mermaidlady and Lakshmi exhibit.

I know one woman who I consider "thin" who thinks of herself as overweight.