The lovely cmae over at Small Victories (Petites Victoires) has written a great post in response to an article Villanova University and the College of New Jersey.
The article says:
Thin is still in for advertising, new research suggests, unless you're trying to sell cookies or self-esteem.What does cmae say?
...
Seeing thin models also made college-age women far more likely to turn down a snack pack of Oreo cookies offered as thanks for their participation in the study, or to opt for a reduced-fat version. Women who had just seen thin models were nearly four times more likely to say no to Oreos than women who hadn't, and 42% more likely to opt for reduced-fat cookies if they did indulge.
To my mind, this study only proves two things:Girl, I like your style.
- Women are still getting the message that they have to look like a praying mantis in order to be desirable (props to my man for that analogy), which thoroughly disgusts me. Perhaps it is cliche, but I believe this kind of messaging amounts of violence against women.
- Women are still getting the message that eating less food is an effective way of achieving this "ideal," which is not just disgusting, but 100% false, since only some ridiculously low percentage of the population can ever even hope to look the way skinny models do.
Not only does she write great blog posts, she also asks great questions. If you haven't check out my response to her question in the latest instalment of Ask The Marshmallow.
6 comments:
I also find it weird that the women who look like praying mantises still think they're fat, and want to look like stickbugs. I feel like there must be a node in the female brain - about the size of a jellybean, let's say - always telling us that we're not good enough. What is up with that? I've met so, so few women who are happy with themselves. Is it a societal thing?
Yeah, you bring up a very good point - it's like some sort of defect in the female gene, this feeling of inadequacy. That's something that I'm glad the size acceptance movement is tackling, that we shouldn't feel inadequate for being who we are - though it's a very big question, something bigger than you and I.
What does make us feel bad about ourselves? I guess feelings of inadequacy have driven human advancement, therefore become part of humanity through the principle's of natural selection. Maybe the monkeys had models to.
Yeah its such a shame that we are still brainwashed this way.
I stopped trying to lose weight ages ago. I now try and live the healthies happiest life possible. And if that means being a certain size that isnt stick thin, then so be it.
My happiness is far more important then my weight or size. And it should be the same universally.
Aw gee whiz Marshy...
:-*
This morning I was getting my lunch together for work. I wrapped a cookie in cling wrap and then saw footage of Miranda Kerr on TV. I left the cookie at home. How fitting that I read this post today!