Change Your Body. Image

First things first.  The average woman in the US is a size 14 and might I add that some of those women are absolutely gorgeous.  It is really not about your size but rather about how you feel about your body.  Admittely it is hard to love your body when we are being bombarded with images of women that are so very far from the reality.  In fact it has become an unhealthy and rather scary depiction of a woman, some almost look like a doll and some have actually had surgery to look like Barbie.  There is even a real life Ken running around who was recently focused on in a documentary about plastic surgery.  Almost ever part of his body was manufactured and surgically created.  Never mind photo shop and all the cuts and pastes are done to present a woman in the best light possible and so that she looks incredible.  Never mind that a lot of models are barely 21 made to look like they are 30.  Although makeup is a wonderful thing for some, a lot of makeup is used on models and what they really look like is pretty far from what we see in the photo.  As sad as it may seem we are likely not going to stop this false imaging of women any time soon.  We can only wish that men will be exploited in the same way preferably the one who sexualize women.  I personally find it offensive that almost every magazine is still focused on size 4 being beautiful and that this is likely the only way a model will be chosen to be in the profession.  Time will tell yet it does not seem to be moving any closer to changing the image of women to one that is more realistic and represents the majority.  But let's not blame the models as in that case we are killing the messenger.  It is not their fault.  

I would like to be one of the men who congratulate Beyoncé and Adel for making it to the cover of Vogue and being more full figured, real women.  I am not a woman yet when I saw Adel on the cover of Vogue I literally scrambled to find the perfectly neat copy and bought it.  I almost announced it out loud and frankly had I been in a little more of a crazy mood I think I would have yelled: "Hey everyone, may I have your attention please.  Adel is on the cover of Vogue.  Please buy a copy of it so that magazines get that we believe women like her are beautiful".  I was so thrilled that as soon as I got home I displayed the magazine on my ottoman where everyone would see it.  I almost had an Adel made it to Vogue party.  With so many women who are curvy and beautiful we only see a small fraction of them on TV or in ads.  We must ask ourselves what is wrong with that picture and why this is the case.  We must take a radical stance of this ongoing attitude about beauty and begin to understand that skinny, just like young, does not necessarily make you beautiful.  In fact it is all types of women that make this world a beautiful place.  There are many more beautiful depictions of women and there does not have to be a size attached to this idea of what is pretty.  

For all the women out there I would like to share this healthy idea.  Don't look at your size, look at how you are feeling.  Don't worry about size but rather how much exercise you get outdoors in the fresh air.  It is not about poundage but muscle and tone.  In the end no matter what size you are you must love yourself as you are and understand that you too are just as gorgeous as any other woman.  Understanding what your body needs will go a long way so just listen to your body and don't listen to the outer voices.  Don't buy magazines that depict beauty in such a limited way.  Embrace where you are now and know that whatever transformation takes place should be based on loving yourself as you are.  Do all that you can do to honor yourself in every aspect of your life and if you are happy where you are then that is all that should matter.  Remember that others will have an opinion and that men can be a bit limited in their thinking.  Don't allow yourself to be led by what men say or do.  Don't believe that you are less attractive and that you don't deserve the most wonderful man in your life or to be single and happy.  For all the women I love I want to say that I think you are all beautiful.  Each of you are a unique and wonderful spirit with a lot to give and a lot to say.  It is the real woman who has made this world a more compassionate place.  It is the real woman who is in the majority.  It is no longer acceptable to hide.  There is no reason to hide.  Come out of the closet in your fabulous dress and heels and work it!