...And if you haven't, then you are one lucky son of a bitch! But seriously, everyone is concerned about weight. Whether we're thinking about gaining or losing weight, looking at others who are overweight or underweight, or "perfect". Weight is on everyone's minds, with many thanks to the media. And it's not just weight, but health and fitness also. There are so many ads, commercials, magazines, TV shows, or products that are out there for people to see, try, and buy into. It has become a huge market! There are gyms popping up everywhere. I know in my town alone there are four different gyms. In NYC, much like Starbucks, there are gyms practically on every corner.
There is so much pressure on girls and young women regarding their bodies. Thanks to the media and how women are portrayed, many young girls become self conscious of their bodies. Most become concerned about their bodies before they've even started growing and developing! Women, particularly in movies and in magazines, are often skinny and tall, with flawless skin and other "perfect" features. They are not realistic. Nor are these women that appear in men's ads who are skinny, yet still have nice asses and large boobs. That is not natural. (Yes I know there is like that 1% of women who are lucky and have bodies like this, but I'm speaking in terms of the majority). It's not as bad as it used to be like when I was younger, but it still happens. For instance today, I saw on the cover of a magazine that was comparing and criticising Kim Kardashian and Kate Middleton, who are both six months pregnant. They were both being backlashed because Kim has gained a lot of weight, while Kate has barely gained any. They cannot and should not be compared. They are two totally different women, not related what-so-ever, who live two different lifestyles. Everyone's body is different.
While women are most often the victim of body image issues, it happens with men too. It is becoming more common now than ever. Where the issue for women is be thin to be beautiful, for men, it is to be big and buff. Weight Watchers, one of the biggest weight loss programs in the country, has even begun targeting men in their ads. They even created a special diet program just for men. I think the effect is trickling down to young boys, boys that are much too young to be concerned about becoming "jacked". Being a gym rat myself, I see these boys working out who are MAYBE 12, 13 years old. They should not be lifting weights, trying to bulk up. Their bodies are just starting to grow! I think children under 18 should not be allowed in the gym, at least not unsupervised. It is harmful to their growth and development to be lifting weights and taking protein shakes and whatever other muscle building crap they put in their bodies. They could very well stunt their growth, or cause some other deformation to their bodies by not letting them grow and develop naturally.
Don't get me wrong, I am all for exercise and being healthy, but there are limits. Being fit and healthy is more than just about weight loss or muscle gain, its about knowing your body and what it needs nutrition wise as well. Everyone's body type or form is different, so everyone will carry weight on their bodies differently. I cannot say it enough, everyone is different, so the same diet or fitness regime won't work for everyone. You need to know some biology/anatomy of the human body first, then take that knowledge and apply it to your own body, then you can start to figure out what works for you.
Also I think the most important thing is for children/young people to learn about their bodies (as far as growth and nutrition are concerned) at a younger age. Nutrition isn't even offered in many (if any) High Schools, sure there's a section in their health class textbook, but most kids dismiss health class as an easy A or not important subject. I took a nutrition class in college, and it was one of the best classes I took. It was really difficult, because it is a science, and while I struggled on the exams, I learned a lot! I think nutrition should be a subject offered in high schools, or health class should be made into a heavily weighted subject like math or English, and it should be first introduced in elementary school (obviously not as in depth as in middle/junior or high school, but the basics).
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