Ideal body image

[jack]

Finally, two too many people are on my friendslist compaining about other people's attempts to help weight loss made me think of this. Many people are overweight and need to do something about it, this is unarguable and not what I want to discuss.

But there's also the strange thing that the ideal image seems to be way too thin. It used to be the case that fat was seen as beautiful, because it meant you were rich and had enough to eat, whereas poor people weren't and didn't[1].

Will we experience a resurgence of this? Certainly probably the richest people tend to do office work and not have spare time, which isn't a recipe for staying in shape. On the other hand, I can think of a few reasons for the status quo:

* Maybe success correlates with self-control correlates with body image
* It's an overreaction to people being overweight. So much effort is put into losing weight people forget the goal is a healthy weight, and try to continue to lose weight afterwards.
* It's just self-perpetuating. Standards of beauty get reinforced because everyone tries to live up to them, so it takes a long time for anything else to take hold
* Maybe it's a complete myth. Maybe no-one actually does like looking at skeletally thin people at all, but fashion magazines are just print them anyway because they're really stupid or in a modern art rotting cow way .

[1] Or so I've always heard. I haven't looked for a historical cite to confirm that.

Comments

Re:

[uisgebeatha.livejournal.com]

Heh, quite right. I think there's probably a lot of unwritten conventions and generic images to adhere to when I think about it. Perhaps we should throw off the shackles of society's silly rules and go to formal events in fancy dress. Now that would really be an icebreaker ^_^

[cartesiandaemon.livejournal.com]

*My* formal event *is* http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/cusfs/veizla.html

Black tie or fancy dress. Smart fancy dress is normal, but not required. It makes sense to me, though I admit would be strange in a more formal formal situation such as... um... people who have to wear a suit to work :)

Perhaps we should throw off the shackles of society's silly rules

On atriec's lj there's been much discussion that we *do* need arbitrary rules. For instance, nudity/intimacy taboos -- it's useful to have some, whatever they are, whether they're personal or universal, so you can break them to show becoming closer to someone.

We're like those birds with elaborate plumage and dances, you have to show some effort. Some amount of effort is ridiculously too much, but would society function without any?

[uisgebeatha.livejournal.com]

*looks* Ooh, that looks...er...silly, but fun! :)

Hmm, yes there should probably be rules, but it's so hard to decide on rules and taboos when there are so many people blurring boundaries and breaking the rules and whatnot. As for showing effort, I suppose we all have to, but if we didn't make an effort, we'd be on the same level as lazy students, and that would not do! :P

looks* Ooh, that looks...er...silly, but fun! :)

[cartesiandaemon.livejournal.com]

LOL. And that doesn't have the email where I explain all the customs for first-timers. It is by far best when you know everyone, then it is a very good party. It's not *that* silly, honest, just a dinner with a few customs, eg. answering the challenge, and the new Reeve chasing the old one round the room 12' orange scarves flying.

The ceremony to raise the new sun is quite silly.

t's so hard to decide on rules and taboos when there are so many people blurring boundaries

[cartesiandaemon.livejournal.com]

Fortunately, the taboos occur naturally, so we don't have to decide :)