Celebrity Bodies: Should They Tell?

Did all of you see the mild brouhaha that erupted when Miley Cyrus decided to "tweet" about her jiggly thighs last week? Miley made a slightly disparaging comment about her own body and set off a firestorm of hateful comments. This on the heels of recent news that actress Kate Winslet, one of Hollywood's most outspoken advocates for healthy body image, is suing a newspaper over a disputed quote about how often she works out.

It's all got me thinking: When it comes to body image, what are our expectations of celebrities?

Do you want a "star" to tell you the truth about what it takes to stay in top physical form for on-camera work (which is most definitely a different standard than most of us apply to our daily lives)? Personally, I do. When our daughters come to us and say, "I want to look like her," I think it's only fair that they hear an honest explanation of what "looking like her" actually involves.   

Showing the reality behind the fantasy can help all women put their bodies -- and the quest for perfection -- into perspective.

What do you think?

Comments

[Trish @IamSucceeding]

Totally agree! AND that is just in what they do...not to mention what goes into the photos BEHIND the scenes...as the wife of a photographer I know what "touch ups" can do and how most of these models/actresses have photo editors on staff and do not allow anything to be released without their approval.

[Pat Barone]

It would be empowering for celebrities to admit their "devices" for looking good in photographs/on film. Jamie Lee Curtis did this a few years ago in More Magazine. She let herself be photographed realistically in her underwear and talked about her body. This kind of openness is so helpful, but what we usually get is Valerie Bertinelli in a heavily airbrushed photo trying to prove she's got a tight and toned body at 50. The subtext is that you should do it too, all the while she's just promoting a crappy product.

I worked in the film business earlier in my life and now, as a weight loss coach, often work with actresses. The abuse of their bodies is terrible - most people have no idea what they do, much of it painful, to stay slim. Nor do we realize they don't always look like that. They diet and workout strenuously for weeks/months before a nude scene or photo shoot. Most of them have regularly scheduled lipo appts. Body doubles are also very common. Most of them smoke, though they rarely say so. It's obviously not healthy but it is their choice to work in an industry where looks are more important than talent.

I think the question of what it does to young girls is very important though. I speak regularly about permanent weight loss, often at middle schools. Most of the girls are dieting by age 10 and don't know what they're doing to their metabolisms or bodies. Stringent dieting erodes the body's flexibility and resiliency later in life. Many of my clients by age 40 can't lose weight at all because of the abuse they've caused over the years.

The key, I think, is not to compare. Comparing myself to celebrities early in life and finding myself "fat" started me on a life of dieting that led me to 240 lbs. I lost over 70 lbs permanently (medical definition is weight loss sustained for over 5 years, my weight has been gone 9+ years) but the road to the knowledge and change that allowed me to do that was a tough one filled with body hatred and abuse of my body.

So, the most important thing for moms to teach, in my opinion, is the uniqueness and beauty of each daughter on earth. Comparison is not loving. Not ever.

Pat Barone
"America's Weight Loss Catalyst"
www.patbarone.com

[Alyssa]

Like Ms. Barone, I also worked in the industry and saw the abuse people, mainly women, put their bodies through.
I guess I would just like celebrities to stop lying. Either be truthful about how much work it takes, or say "No comment." But DON'T LIE and say, "Oh, I just walk my dogs and eat whatever I want" when, in reality, you are starving yourself, smoking 8 packs of cigarettes a day, and working out at home with your personal trainer 20 hours a week.
Plus, I'd REALLY like it if magazines and celebrity websites (and even the New York Times!) would STOP comparing 50 year-old celebrities to their 25 year-old selves. Do those "reporters" look the same now as they did 20 or 30 years ago? I highly doubt it!

[Melissa Kirdzik, RD, LDN]

Great subject Dara...I think way too many (girls especially) think that celebrities naturally look picture perfect, which only leads to lower self esteem of the "normal" people. They get down on themselves if they aren't stunning when they roll out of bed like the celebrities.

I think that teenage girls especially need to see that celebrities are normal people as well, and that it may take extreme measures (like very strict diets or air brushing) to make them appear as they do.

[Jami]

I don't really care about their bodies at all. I just want to know why parents still allow their kids to listen to Miley after her little kiddie porn tramp poses. As little as five years ago that would've destroyed her career. Have our morals fallen so low?