We have all seen the pictures...and the headlines. "Porkerface", "She ate the meat dress!", and "Is she pregnant...or just fat?" The singer has been turning the criticism into a new cause, launching a "body revolution" to encourage fans to embrace their flaws and post photos of themselves that "celebrates triumph over insecurities." The woman has admittedly gained 25 pounds, yet the story is making more headlines than the upcoming presidential election.
What kind of message is this sending young women of the world? With starts like Gaga, Demi Lovato, and even Katie Couric openly admitting to struggling with eating disorders...is too much effort going into treating existing problems versus preventing them? I think Gaga's "body revolution" is a great start.
I am in no way condoning an unhealthy lifestyle, but weight fluctuation is perfectly normal, within a moderate amount, of course. What are young girls, many of whom are going through puberty and already feel emotional, alone, and awkward, supposed to think when they see their idol being scrutinized on every website and magazine? Unfortunately the answer all too many times is making extremely unsafe and unhealthy decisions with her body.
No matter how many Zumba classes I take or how many hours I spend on the elliptical, I will never have the perfect body...and I am finally okay with that. Know what I think the sexiest thing about me is? My new found confidence in myself, that stems from my healthy lifestyle. Being healthy on the outside will make you exponentially healthier on the inside.
So the key to prevention is mindset? Maybe. Giving young women the tools and knowledge on living a healthy lifestyle will help them not only make better decisions when it comes to their bodies, but also give them the confidence to embrace their flaws along with their beauties...because everyone has plenty of both! Negative body image and the subsequent eating disorders are like a cancer eating away at our youth...so shouldn't we be putting as much effort into prevention as we do treatment?
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