Blaming externalities is the SOURCE of this psychosis.

You're compounding the problem.

Eat something, for your own sakes.

MLK,
I would disagree. There have been countless people calling themselves feminist who have appeared in women’s magazines, and quite a few feminists have also written columns in women’s magazines.

What I can’t understand is why so many doctors have stacks of women’s magazines in their waiting rooms.

Don’t they care.

I remember years ago campaigns against 'body image', about how "it's what's on the inside that counts" and "it's OK to be large" aimed at young females in an attempt to reduce the incidence of eating disorders. Now we have a country in an "obesity epidemic".

Obesity is a much more widespread and damaging issue. One only has to casually observe women in public to see that anorexia is the exception and obesity is becoming the norm. The focus should be on having a healthy lifestyle. Concluding with a quote such as "...constant newspaper and magazine articles blasting the horrors of sugar and fat and the ‘epidemic’ of obesity are certainly not encouraging." shows complete contempt for health; sugary and fatty foods are a much greater danger.

I'm not trying to deny the health risks of eating-disorders. Many images in the media clearly are totally unrealistic. The modern technology of digital manipulation only furthers the absurdity. However I think that the effects of "..poor body image, depression and anxiety..." will more commonly lead to a state of apathy, of giving up on the impossible goal, and lead to overeating rather than under-eating.

Just because the media attempts to define such lofty goals, does not mean that females (or males) should not take pride in their bodies and attempt to keep them as healthy (and thus attractive) as possible. The task of pushing a healthy lifestyle as a method for achieving an attractive body is difficult in today's culture of instant gratification, crash diets and plastic surgery.

Finally, I'd have to agree with aqvarivs, that women tend to be the ones to judge, comment on, and discriminate on looks, and push for personal-image awareness more so than men. However given the article really makes no attempt to lay blame on males, the relevance of such a comment is questionable. However what I would like to point out is the inference that eating disorders and body image are solely a female issue, when the evidence clearly shows that they are not.

Crikey. What interesting responses.

Regardless of my doubts about many of Reist's causes, there's nothing I can argue with in this piece. She's right.

What's really frustrating about the whole thing, is that these stick thin models aren't the ideal for most guys. Most women who get on the catwalk for fashion parades would look far more attractive if they piled on a few kilos.
From the male perspective, it's all rather confusing as to what is really fuelling this.

Acqvarivs

Look at this quote ... take a LONG, HARD look at it.

'I don't like todays feminism. It's a disgusting, selfish, socially fragmenting, man blaming, expectation of special consideration that destroys more families than any other politic. Now, if I really didn't like women, I'd be barracking for feminism and the further destruction of little girls minds by selfish power hungry brutes such as yourself who's only issue is their own ego and sucking the lifes blood of their own sex.'

While I accept there was provocation on my part, the rage in this quote is staggering. Outer rage is a symptom of inner rage. Get a grip.

HRS

You've made some good points. Some feminists write for women's magazines, but almost always in an effort to counteract their social effects through the reach these magazines enjoy. By way of comparison, many dissident journalists write for mainstream newspapers and magazines, even though the publications contradict their political values. Often you have to fight your battles from inside the belly of the beast.

Also, while it's partly true what you say that many mothers introduce their daughters to women's magazines, just as many try hard to discourage their daughters from buying them. In my experience of motherhood and in my association with hundreds of mothers over the years, there is an enormous amount of anger and confusion among many women about the corrosive influence of women's magazines in their daughters' lives.

A simple solution is to ban catwalk models who have a Body Mass Index of under 18 like they do in Madrid Fashion Week. When designers can no longer design sculptures to be displayed by walking skeletons then fashion magazines will be juxtaposing cat walk models that a plumper than the lasses advertising the local product so the body image will fatten up.

We have two extremes here, there is anorexia nervosa and "ten ton tessie" coexisting side by side. Both have harmful long term effects on fertility and skeletal and organ health.

I think universal school lunches could go a long way to getting children nourished, aware of reasonable portion sizes and familiar with the taste of non-junk foods.