August 2007 | Letters to the Editor
For better body image, don’t blame the ads
Dear Editor,
I was pleased that you opened a discussion about body image in the media (A Pound of Flesh, July 2007). I would like to express that a big problem with body image is not only that there are these ultra-skinny models bombarding us on TV, in magazines, movies, and ads, but there is also a sense of guilt, self-consciousness, and shame that pervades the American psyche. Blaming the ad companies is valid, but does not solve the problem.
We are ill-equipped to deal with our issues, and constantly looking outward for solutions, thinking, Well, if I didn’t see so many beautiful, skinny women, I’d be happier with my body and myself. I feel like the change does need to involve a focus on healthy bodies rather than body fat percentage, but change also needs to be a personal one, where we stop looking outward (to these magazine ads and TV actresses) for validation and start looking inward for self-worth. Would these issues still be here if we had more “average-sized models” than “rail-thin” ones? I think yes, because the advertising world is not centered around making people happy—it is there to convince you that you’re not good enough, pretty enough, thin enough, clean enough, etc. It will help if we shifted the “ideal woman” image, but in this consumerist, ad-driven society, people need ways to help them stop looking to these external sources for their own sense of self-worth.
—Charlotte Banks, Internet
Mad about Brad
Brad Warner (“You Can’t Be Deceived.” June 2007) certainly got one thing right: he is an idiot! He had nothing interesting to say and his sarcastic tone was most unbecoming. I’d rather hear from the REAL Buddhist masters like Thich Nhat Hahn or Pema Chodron. Please inform Mr. Warner I think I’ll continue supporting the publishing industry, thank you very much.
—James, Internet
![[Send]](http://seattle.consciouschoice.com/sendlink/send.gif){kind=small}
Recommend this page to a friend
Top Ten pages recommended to friends:
