First, let me say that I don't care what the Hollywood set is doing, saying, wearing or looking like. If Oprah weighs in at 100 or 300 lbs, it makes no difference to me. I don't buy tabloids and don't normally read the tabloid news. But, it is out there and it's unavoidable.
The problem is, a lot of people do read the tabloid news and they do care what the stars are wearing, doing and weighing. Above; you will find a picture of the actress Alyssa Milano. You may (or not) remember her from the comedy "Who's the Boss". She grew up on American television. Well, now she is 41 and it seems she just had a baby. Congratulations to her.
I don't know much else about her but, I saw a news item on Yahoo this morning that said a comedian had made fun of her weight and she had responded. I don't know if all this was planned by publicists or not. I don't care. What I do care about has more to do with our culture than the silly goings on in Hollywood. As you can see by the picture, the woman looks just fine. Certainly she is in excellent physical shape. When the comedian in question makes a "fat" joke and the "star" responds, it sends a message to the rest of the country. No matter what her response is, it brings her weight into issue and in the minds of many it validates the comedian's idea that she is "fat." This puts forward an unrealistic image of acceptable body image to the rest of us and contributes to the problem of eating disorders in this country.
There was a recent news story about forcing the toy companies to make a "fat" Barbie doll. All in the name of political correctness and fairness. The theory being that the obese doll would make the heavier girls feel better about themselves. I'm not really worried about that. It's the 15 + year old women I am worried about. They are the ones who see these magazines and watch programs like Access Hollywood and the like; which publicize this unrealistic image of perfection.
The media also puts forth the message that once attained, the perfect image must be maintained. This too is nearly an impossible task and has a disastrous effect on the self-image of the population.
We have to stop expecting to attain the magic, perfect body instantly. Programs like "The Biggest Looser" are horrible for your health. It promotes fast intensive weight loss which in most cases won't last. It gives the average person an unrealistic expectation and sets them up for failure and a destructive weight gain.
Instead of making an insulting comment about Alyssa Milano's weight, the comedian in question would have been better served to start with something like "Wow! Look at Alyssa Milano, she looks pretty darn good for a woman who just had a baby!" Make the jokes after that, if you must.
The key to weight loss is education and a supervised program of exercise and nutrition. When I was in Cardiac Rehab last year, I learned so much about how we process calories and how to eat smart. I also learned about the tricks food companies use to get you to buy and how you must, must, must read those labels carefully.
It's the small changes that will bring large dividends in the end. Remember, it's not a diet, it's a life.
By the way, I think Ms. Milano looks just fine...
As Always...
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