From Cooter’s Psychology text book, a discussion of causes of anorexia nervosa…
“Winners of the Miss America contest have been getting thinner over the years. Since the beginning of the pageant in 1922, the annual winner of the contest has become taller but is 12 pounds lighter in weight. In the late 1920s, her height-to-weight ratio was what the World Health Organization considers to be “normal” today. But in recent years, Miss America has become “undernourished” according to WHO’s standards. As the feminine cultural ideal grows thinner, women with average or heavier-than-average figures feel more and more pressure to slim down.”
Yeah, old news. Still relevant, though. This whole idea of what is beautiful or what is sexy, I don’t know. I don’t like seeing so many fellow American women overweight and ill. But, I don’t like all the stick-models, either. Why such extremes? (Between reality and the cultural ideal…) There is an ad in the latest issue of the Mensa magazine that does make me smile, though. I don’t necessarily want to buy a Mensa t-shirt, but the ad makes me grin. I think she's beautiful.
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