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27 January 2008

Jenny Craig... Healthy??


In what universe? How could she do it? How could Queen Latifah, beautiful, strong, confident woman that she is hop on the bandwagon with Bertinelli and Allie?

Look - before you jump all over me here, I can appreciate her concerns about diabetes and hoping that a 5-10% body weight reduction will spare her the horrors of that disease and others. I really can. And I am all about being your best you and healthy and happy. But Jenny Craig???

Haven't we all been warned about processed foods especially in excess? How can a diet composed mostly of packaged crap be any good? Do you see what is happening? The fashion/modeling industry is beginning to fail the diet industry. BMI minimums for models and people slowly opening up to the idea of being publicly honest that a size 10 or 12 woman is more appealing than a size 0. All of these things spell danger for the diet industry - an industry that sports a whopping 90% failure rate and yet we pour millions of dollars into it... when signs are starting to point to people being okay with who they are - the diet industry will start to pretend it is there to help you with your health.

I am not interested in debating weight and health issues. I believe there is no one standard out there that applies to everyone. To look at me one would think I am at least borderline diabetic, possibly with an underactive thyroid and certainly with cholesterol and heart problems. Truth is - I have none of those problems. I am healthy. And yet I am overweight. It has taken me most of my life to "get it". To understand that you don't HAVE to be fat to be unhealthy. To understand that if you ARE fat you can not automatically be considered unhealthy. I have battled poor self image my entire life and I can not afford to fall for this nonsense that I need Jenny Craig or any sort of food in boxes to make me healthy. Someone wants told me that sexiness is a feature of self-worth, not figure. Such an eye opener THAT was.

To Queen Latifah I say: "You disappoint me." I am sure she doesn't care. But I can not help but shake my head in sadness and disbelief.

Watch and see people - watch and see... you will start to see diets peddled focused not on inches and pounds lost, but to make you "healthy". Before you sign up for the madness - think. That's all I am asking. Think. try the simple things first - make sure you are drinking enough water. Make sure you are eating only when hungry and stopping when you are full (sounds simple- but it is SO not). Make sure that you take steps to love your body. Right now - the way it is. If you don't you will find it very hard to take care of it. Listen to your body - if you suffer from things like Chronic Fatigue or Fibromyalgia try cutting mack on preservatives. Everyone, add a dash of Tai Chi on the side - you will be all the better for it.

Hugs...

4 comments:

Frederick said...

We need to face reality in many areas concerning health. "One cure fits all" thinking is rampant in the medical profession. I have personally experienced this many times.

There are many factors that cause people to be unhealthy and I think it is time the medical profession realizes and accepts this fact.

Someone very close to me is overweight and constantly dieting in an attempt to have a runway model figure, yet she is in perfect health and always has been. Doctors are flabbergasted that, at age 50, she has no health problems and her blood pressure is "right on the money" every time it is taken. What she eats is not the problem with her weight. She eats only health foods and in small amounts. It is genetic and the ancestors who gave her those genes all lived long, full and healthy lives.

On the other hand, my brother was always as skinny as a man can be. He never weighed over 130 pounds in his life and he weighed 111 pounds when he died at age 47. He was 6' 1" inch tall. You cannot imagine how a man that tall looks at 111 pounds; yet, our "thinner is better" society would think that's great.

There are too many personal stories to list here about the battles with doctors over my own health and had I not stood my ground, I would have been long gone by now. Even they admit that, but still hold that their opinions were valid. Stupid! Stupid!

Oh well, we are at the dawn of a new century and I am hoping that this century will see as many, if not more, advances in all things, including health issues, as they saw at the beginning of the 20th century.

All my best to you, Ms. Daisy.

Daisy said...

HEY!!! I'm not 50, LOL!! JK - sounds like me. I sometimes feel like my doctors are almost mad because they can't find anything to yell at me about!

That is my point though - there is no one-size-fits-all scenario. They impose the same standards on everyone and I just do not believe that is okay.

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