11.06.2007

B fat?

This cover is almost a week old, but I just keep coming back to it..."200lbs and loving it?" What??? While it's great to have body confidence, is that really sending the right message? Pleasantly Plump, Large and in Charge, Real Women? Yikes! Are we just making ourselves and others feel better about the ever-growing problem of obesity in America, or are these labels appropriate? There's a fine line between accepting yourself and accepting poor health.
I love Tyra, but wasn't feeling the "So What?" campaign she led, demanding that viewers and celeb guests say "so what?" to issues like love handles, pimples, and belly rolls. Interesting considering she returned for her new season, visibly thinner...
The temperatures have dropped, it's getting darker sooner and there are lots of temptations around (be it comfort food to stay warm or the holiday cookies that infiltrate our offices), so it's important to stay active and be mindful of our intake.
B-Life Tip: Gyms usually offer deep membership discounts during the winter. Try to catch a deal!

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

If Latifah says she's healthy, who are we to question it unless we are doctors? If you want to be thin, fine. If you don't, it's your life.

Anonymous said...

OMG! Everyone isn't meant to be a sizw 2! If u are a woman who is like 5'11 u can easily weigh 200lbs. And if u come from a family who is on the bigger side, you'll probably always be on the "thick" side. I'm 5'5 and I weigh 180. Boobs, hips and butt are 150 alone, lol!

Tori Weston said...

I was glad to see this article. It made me proud. I am a plus-size woman work out 4-5 times a week. Trust me I can out run some of those skinny women on the tradmill. Just because Latifah is 200lbs does not mean she's not fit. Latifah does talk about fitness and living a healthy lifestyle but she's not trying to kill herself to be thin. There is only so much weight she can lose and by her height she is only 20lbs away from the weight she is 'supposed' to weigh.

So, please don't hate. She is showing that you don't have to be thin as a rail to be beautiful. What you should point out is that as black people we need to educate about healthy eating as well as exercise.

Jen said...

Writegrrl, thanks for your response, but don't be mistaken, no one is hating here. You're right, Latifah does indeed talk about fitness in the body of the article, but that was not the point of the post. I have a problem with the idea that People used a sensational headline "200lbs and loving it!" to sell issues, thereby giving the message that Latifah is unconcerned with her weight (ie. health). And again, I agree that healthy living should be the takeway message which is why I said "it's important to stay active and be mindful of our intake." We cannot all be a size 2 and I'm glad we're getting to a place where society can appreciate "beauty" in a variety of packages. Jen
Ps. I know a thing or two about out-running a skinny girl on a treadmill - touche'!