Monday, January 4, 2010

The not so naked truth....

Todays headline is all about Jennifer Hawkins posing nude on the cover of Marie Claire. Headline reads "Bianca Dye slams Hawkins over nude shot". "How is she a role model for body image if the average woman looks nothing like her?" Dye told the Nine Network's TODAY show this morning.

Bianca feels that putting Jen on the cover promotes to women that this is how you're meant to look". How are we meant to look?
The great debate about negative body image continues. We have to ask why we are more inclined to feel better about ourselves if we see images of what Bianca Dye calls "real women".
Are these "real" women going to inspire us to love our bodies or just accept that being overweight and unhappy is OK!

Dont get me wrong but being OK with your body begins when you LOVE who you are and that often comes from when you work at being the best YOU can be!

How does negative self image have anything to do with the media. Every woman knows how great she feels when she is thinner and lighter so why encourage women to give up on themselves and accept that they are a size 16 if they are meant to be an 8 and accept that that is "normal". We are saying that our dear Jennifer Hawkins because she is blessed with good looks and an amazing body is not a good role model for other women???

The dictionary defines A ROLE MODEL as a person whose behavior, example, or success is or can be emulated by others, especially by younger people. A role model is someone who we look up to and admire for their success and accomplishment in a particular area and those who inspire us to be better! And how will seeing images of large size women do that exactly?

If we are looking for a role model in acting then we would choose a great actress to emulate. Or a champion sportswoman or a fashion icon. We definately wouldn't be choosing poor performers but this is exactly what this great debate is asking us to do!

Bianca Dye who also posed nude back in January issue of Madison, said she was finally comfortable in her own skin at size 12-14. Dye posed not only to illustrate her own body battles but also to help young women love themselves the way they are. I'm not sure then why she would be slamming Jennifer Hawkins for doing the very same thing! Is it not OK to love yourself the way you are as a size 8?

Does this mean that to look like Jennifer and aspire to be better than what we are is wrong? In an article Dye says "The whole point of this (her nude photoshoot) was to show that women in the media, with a public profile, have all kinds of different figures" Yes and Jennifer Hawkins falls into that category, right? She is also "different".... in a slimmer, smaller size!

The Butterfly Foundation that helps women combat eating disorders has defended a naked, untouched magazine photo of supermodel Jennifer Hawkins, saying it promotes awareness of positive body image.

I think it time that we celebrated and encouraged ourselves and other women to look great. And if we ate better food, exercised our bodies, practised yoga and pilates and maybe spent 30 minutes of our day doing something that feels great, you would fall to the weight you are naturally meant to be! Jenn doesn't just sit around eating blocks of chocolate, as I and you do...I try not to... but if we committed to her exercise and food regime then maybe we too would start to look and feel as great as Jenn does!!

In an article Bianca Dye says "I'm like anyone in that I get upset when I can't squeeze into my favourite pair of jeans. But I'm OK with that now and I think maybe I'm not meant to be that skinny rake I used to be.

Are we saying that being "big" is more natural and real? I've never felt very beautiful being a size I knew I shouldn't be! I think we all know what is the best weight for us, its when we feel good about ourselves, when we are as Bianca points out, OK with what WE ARE, but that doesn't mean that you should be OK with being unhappy and overweight. We are the fattest nation in the world, lets not celebrate that!!!

Its time us women supported each other in aspiring to be our very best and yes that means having a beautiful body that we love and want to show off just like our Jenn. You go girlie !!!!

Watch it on TODAY TONIGHT

2 comments:

  1. here here! As a size 10, 6ft tall woman... I am also very 'different'. And while the model agency may ask me to lose weight, and 'friends' say I should gain weight - i know in myself that not only am I well proportioned for my height, I am also happy and healthy. Happy and healthy should be communicated as the message in all media - not slamming Jennifer because of her natural physique. Size 12 is not always the best to be celebrated, especially if it contradicts your natural intended physique of size 8 or 10, and youre just plain overweight!

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  2. If we are encouraging women to be "OK" with being overweight, its no surprise that we have the highest rate of obesity in the world!

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