A little while ago, I made a trip to my local newsstand looking for inspiration for the blog, and stopped cold at the magazine rack. When I saw the covers I was a bit disappointed.
I saw teen magazines recommending exercise and food plans, and went on to find magazines geared toward, men, women, African Americans, Latinas, and Muslims that all promoted the underlying message that one needed to improved oneself, and that the current state of affairs is not good enough.
In some way, this should not be surprising, as man has always been looking for that "fountain of youth," and seeking something more...what that thing is, I am not certain that they know.
Because of the pictures of desserts next to headings for exercise and diet plans, I was reminded when I looked at some of these covers of the phrase "You can't have your cake and eat it too." The late George Carlin responded to this in one of his G-rated moments:
George Carlin: "When people say, 'Oh you just want to have your cake and eat it too.' What good is a cake you can't eat? What should I eat, someone else's cake instead?"
In truth, eating disorders often give people a false since that they are having things both ways, when in truth, they are not.
Why is this important? Because exposure to magazine articles about dieting and weight loss has been shown to be associated with increased participation unhealthy dieting and weight loss practices.
It becomes concerning when there is evidence that many (let alone any) populations are now being told to lose weight from the pages of magazines, and not from the health care providers. Few magazines spoke of consulting physicians, and gave exercise regimens for the "average" person (which was often advanced for many starting an exercise regimen).
I would encourage us all to take caution to what we allow ourselves to be exposed, and to make an attempt to rid our surroundings of potentially concerning material.
Comments