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Why I Don't Read Magazines

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Actually, that's not true. As soon as the Economist is delivered, I curl up with a pot of tea and prepare for hours of interesting reading.

What I don't read are most popular magazines and today I realized why.

I was at the car service place, skimming through magazines while I waited.

I know I struggle with body image, but I also know I look reasonably good. But, looking at the women in the ads, I felt like a cross between the Goodyear blimp and the Pillsbury dough boy.

I mean, seriously. These women had thighs smaller than my calves. (And I have great legs.)

Who looks like that?

More importantly, why would anyone want to?

But, after half an hour, I found myself looking at the images and thinking I really needed to lose more weight. This, just after I decided I might be at the weight I could comfortably live at.
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  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

SONG7:10 5/13/2010 11:22AM

    It can be frustrating because even models in department store catalogs can make you feel bad - they're not usually as extreme, but I often find myself admiring clothes and then realizing that I won't look like that in them...

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TYLARDERDIN 4/27/2010 10:39PM

    Too right! Popular media's idea of a body image is RIDICULOUS!!

Trust the process. Do right, things go right.
TylarDerdin

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NURSEWHO 4/27/2010 10:14PM

    Good for you for not going there! My favs are Real Simple and (lately) fitness mags. With the fitness mags...I've gone from feeling like "I should be doing that" or "I couldn't do that" to "Maybe I'll put that in my next routine"!
Knowing the things that can be done to photos with computers...I always think..."Awwwww, that poor girl wishes she looks like that!" I can't imagine how I'd feel if I thought I looked okay and felt good about myself and someone still went through and chopped and smoothed until it didn't really look like me anymore. Nothing in real life is ever good enough for those mags.

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KRISLEEB 4/27/2010 10:08AM

    I usually look at them and think "geese, she's too skinny...she should eat more!" But in all honesty, I don't read them either. I have better things to "waste" my time on (like poking around SP). I hate the articles that tell you all the DIEt stuff that is just ridiculous.

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LICIA4608 4/27/2010 9:31AM

    I know what you mean, I do love to read magazines but I've gotten to the habit where I just skim right past the ads and pictures, I only look at the text. I don't even see the ads or people anymore. It's made a big difference.

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MRE1956 4/27/2010 9:27AM

    I stopped buying mags years ago due to cost (and as a mild attempt to "go green"), but your reasoning is certainly valid as well.....

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4A-HEALTHY-BMI 4/27/2010 9:25AM

    Don't discount also that much of that stuff is severely airbrushed, photoshopped, and modified, especially the covers.
http://www.yourcover.com
/Most-Blatant-Uses-of-Photoshop
-in-Magazines-Ads.jsp

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HALA1MADDIE2 4/27/2010 9:23AM

  As a mother of 3 girls, this is something that scares me. My oldest, who is only 5, already talks about wanting to look like "so & so" & we've had to have the discussion about body image. At 5! I wasn't expecting this conversation for several more years, at least!

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RICK1947 4/27/2010 9:18AM

    When I see an add with a super model figure, I ignore the product. Ads are moving to using normal people and those I will look at closer.

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EMILYFIELDS 4/27/2010 9:17AM

    Couldn't agree more. However, remember--those women, most of the time, are fitness models. They go on unreasonable, short-term diets to look that way. This DailySpark Blog really shed some light on it for me!

http://www.dailyspark.co
m/blog.asp?post=want_the_body_o
f_a_fitness_model_find_out_what
_it_really_takes

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