The New Face of Fat



Holly Madison is most known for her roles on "The Girls Next Door" and as Hugh Hefner's former leading lady. She has now made a name for herself starring in her own E! Reality Show, "Holly's World". The reality series follows Ms. Madison's adventures in Sin City where she stars in "Peepshow" on the Las Vegas Strip. The striptease revue requires Holly to show a lot of skin. According to "Peepshow" producers, she's had a bit too much skin to show off as of late.

Producers slammed Holly for her weight, pressing her to trim the fat. She was accused of lowering "Peepshow" standards because of the 15 lbs. she put on since her move to Las Vegas. Holly was rather resistant to suggestions she should go on a diet, citing her love of french fries and body pride as grounds for dismissal of such a ridiculous proposal. As the story often goes in the entertainment industry, she eventually succumbed to pressure to trim down in order to appease "Peepshow" producer's demands and one can speculate, to save her job.

Ms. Madison did need to have one last word before relenting and did so in a bold way, posing in a bikini sans photoshop in the current issue of Life & Style magazine. Holly wanted to send the message that she is comfortable with her body stating, "I've always had a butt, and I want to keep it - cellulite and all. I'm proud of my body."

While I think it's admirable that Holly embraces her imperfections, I can't help but wonder what kind of message this really sends, particularly to young girls. Clearly, it's obvious that Holly Madison is hardly what you would call fat by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, at a height of 5'7" weighing in at a mere 115 lbs., Holly falls into the underweight category by nearly a dime. Her "Peepshow" producers want to see 15 of those pounds gone. Once again, this is a case of media promoting both an unrealistic and unhealthy body ideal.

Eating disorders are influenced by a wide range of genetic, environmental, and societal factors. Media, a multi-billion dollar industry, bears a fair share of the brunt for the perpetuation of distorted body images. How are impressionable young women supposed to feel about their bodies when the bar has been set so unrealistically high?

Unfortunately, as long as there is demand for these images, they will continue to exist. What is needed is a collective wake-up call. We, as consumers, have the power to impact media directly. Through conscious consumerism we can turn the tide. Every time we make a purchase, we cast a vote.

The next time you are at the grocery store contemplating picking up the latest issue of that fashion magazine, think twice. What message does the publication promote? Is this message in alignment with your values? Do you have subscriptions to magazines that support an unrealistic beauty ideal? What is keeping you from canceling those subscriptions? Are diet books lining your shelves? What DVDs are in your collection? Think of the influence this constant bombardment of distorted messages is having on you.

Be particularly mindful if you are a parent. How do you think these images influence your children? If you don't know... ask. Their feedback may surprise you. Honestly look at where your dollars are going. How do you feel about the purchases you make? Do they reflect your truth? If not, don't you think it's about time they did?

If more of us engaged this level of awareness when making purchases we could greatly shift the current trend in a more positive direction. Change doesn't happen overnight, but it is possible. Let's start a movement, one purchase at a time. Join "Through Thick & Thin" by spreading the word in your community. Bring this message into your local schools. Write about it on your blogs. Do your part to pass it on.

Together we can create a world where diversity is appreciated. The change begins with us... in our homes, our communities, and the choices we make.

What will you choose?

Barbie... American Icon or Our Lady of Body-Image Issues?

Ever since Mattel first introduced Barbie to America on March 9th, 1959 she has been a permanent fixture inpop culture. Most women can recall memories of having Barbie as a childhood playmate. To this day, the doll continues to be as popular as ever. Most little girls have a Barbie in their toy chest. In fact, Mattel likes to boast that three Barbie dolls are sold every second. However, despite Barbie's popularity, the marketing of this doll to young girls has fallen under much scrutiny and for good reason. Barbie promotes a body-image that is a far cry from healthy. In fact, there is great debate that the doll's fantasy proportions encourage body distortion and give rise to subsequent eating disorder behavior amongst young girls.

In 1963 an apparel collection, "Barbie Baby-Sits" was launched. The outfit came with accessories, one of which was a book titled, "How to Lose Weight". The book's advice... "Don't eat". This same book accessory was featured in 1965 in the apparel collection, "Slumber Party" complete with pink bathroom scale set permanently at 110 lbs. Barbie's real-life dimensions are far from realistic. Here’s some keepin' it real Barbie facts...

• If Barbie was an actual woman her measurements would be completely unattainable. At 5'9" her bust would measure 39", her waist would be a virtually non-existent 18", and her hip measurement would come in at 33". She would wear a size 3 shoe.
• Barbie views herself as a 'full-figured' woman at a weight of 110 lbs. In reality, at 110 lbs. Barbie is 35 lbs. underweight according to her height which puts her health in a precarious state.
• Barbie would register a mere 16.24 BMI which would easily fit the criteria to classify her as anorexic. Menstruation would be nothing more than a faint memory for Barbie. Her body could simply not support natural hormonal cycles.
• Barbie's proportions are so unrealistic that as a real-life woman she'd have to walk on all fours like a dog. She wouldn't be able to stand on her own two feet.

In light of this information it makes it all the more disturbing that famous shoe designer Christian Louboutin decided to launch a 50 year anniversary edition of Barbie with a little nip-tuck. According to the designer, Barbie's lower legs were still a little too thick for his liking. He felt her ankles needed to be much slimmer and her foot more curved to show off the shoe collection he designed for the icon. His decision was met with both outrage and controversy. In his defense, Louboutin explained that it was a fashion decision based on showcasing his work. While he didn't think Barbie's original ankles were fat, he did feel that slimmer ankles would make his shoes look better. When Mattel teams up with the fashion industry you have the perfect recipe for disaster.

When are we going to demand more consciousness in advertising? When will enough be enough? I'm not a mother, but if I was, I certainly would not want my little girl playing with Barbie. She is a bad influence. I see Barbie as a symbol of the sickness that has grasped our culture… a culture that values thinness above all else, objectifies women, and discourages diversity in favor of homogenization. Let's not forget that although Mattel has launched both African American and Latin American versions of the doll stateside they continue to have distinctly Caucasian features. Barbie has one Asian friend named Kira that is hard to find in the United States because she is not heavily marketed like the other versions of the doll. When toy manufacturers target their advertising campaigns to lure in little girls ages 3-12 with messages so potentially damaging and we sit twiddling our thumbs, we have a problem. Most girls own a Barbie by the age of 3. I encourage all parents to think about the message Barbie is 'whispering' in their daughter's ear. Against the backdrop of this unrealistic image, how is your little girl supposed to feel about her own body? What reflection will she see when she looks in the mirror?

We have the ability to promote an empowering message that embraces diversity and encourages healthy body-image. Our power to effect change lies in how we spend our consumer dollars. Every time we go to the store and make a purchase we cast a vote. Suppliers meet the demand. Corporations don't hold the power. That's an illusion. The people hold the power and we have the ability to set the precedence if we stop buying into marketing ploys and begin to put our money where our mouth is. It's time we become conscious consumers and take financial responsibility to ensure that our dollars support businesses in line with our values.

When I think back I believe even as a child I knew that Barbie was a little off. There was something I didn't like about that girl. All my Barbie's suffered the same fate. They eventually made it to the hairdresser only to have their long silky locks hacked away into mohawks. Soon their faces would adorn permanent marker mustaches and other unflattering 'enhancements'. Then the inevitable day would come when Barbie's fate was sealed. Her demise was seen in a heap of body parts... a head here... a bendable leg there... the 'perfect' parts that once assembled the 'perfect' body, now laid in a 'perfect' pile upon the floor. Mom never wanted me to destroy my toys but something felt so damn rewarding about dismantling that image.

Maybe it is time we collectively dethroned Barbie from her iconic status and dismantled the one-note beauty ideal she has come to represent. Think of what a different world it would be if beauty was celebrated in all shapes, sizes and ethnicities. We can have that world if we all do our part to raise awareness and use our voices to educate and empower. Use your voice to pass it on today.