Ready to start your own body image revolution?
Well perhaps they’re not so shocking, given the source: Who Magazine, November 2008.
They had a poll on who.com about body image, diet and exercise. Who responded:
554 women, evenly distributed over age groups, with 76% aged between 25 and 49.
Their clothing size was 6-10 25%; size 12-14 25%, 16+ – 18%
75% of them said they would rather be smaller than bigger, preferring size 6 over size 16.
54% wanted to lose weight. That’s a massive weight loss market! Do they need to lose weight (according to the flawed ways we have of deciding who ‘needs’ to lose weight)? The survey results don’t say. 58% have used slimming pills, 25% have used laxatives, 25% smoked to maintain or lose weight, and 16% said they would try gastic banding surgery. 20% want to be slimmer for fashion reasons.
15% admit to purging after eating (bulimia nervosa). 4% have gone or more days without food. 32% try fad diets.
37% were not happy with their figures. 62% thought having a “better” body would drastically improve their lives. 66% believe that slim women climb the career ladder faster.
One third of women are embarrassed about their bodies in front of their partner. 53% say their partners love them just as they are. 11% have partners who want them to slim down.
What’s not to like?
2% don’t like their faces; 4% don’t like their arms; 63% don’t like their stomach, 12% don’t like their butt; 19% don’t like their legs, 28% want to change their thighs, 8% want different breasts. The mag doesn’t give results on how many don’t like more than one bit. But they do say that 10% have always been happy with their body.
10%.
So every every 10 women you know, only ONE is happy with her body.
How much do your actions and language contribute to the debate? Is that contribution positive (you are gorgeous the way you are); or negative (you shouldn’t be eating that, what a fat cow, I feel so fat)?
Do you think it’s ‘normal’ for women to feel this way? Would love to have your comments.