The Disappearing Woman

I was watching TV during the weekend and it only reiterated the fact that women are disappearing. Disappearing literally. Have you noticed that over the years the silhouette of women is diminishing.? There was this infomercial that was aired on Discovery channel a few years ago. A little girl draws the figure of a woman, erases it and then repeatedly redraws it so that the width of the figure goes on shrinking. This is exactly what has been happening for some years now. Look around and you will find images of women, all of whom seem to come out of a single mould. Pencil sizes! Woman where are your curves?

We have had a few incidents of models collapsing on the ramp resulting in instant death. There are women who have pre-mature babies because their bodies just cannot carry the weight of the baby inside. Can you believe instances of osteoporosis among women in their early thirties? What is the message we are giving to young girls? Never to be happy with our bodies? Increasingly girls as young as two have anorexia. Eating disorders are directly proportional to the availability of food in any economy.

There are so many women who feel guilty while eating even a single morsel of food. Women eat a particular variety of food to avoid putting on weight. Carbohydrates and fats are necessary too. Moderation and a balanced diet is the key. Women should realize that as we grow older, our bodies change and its needs change too. Realize food is nourishment and learn to have a healthy relationship with food. Realize that if you have cravings, it is ok to indulge in them once in a while. If you do not indulge it is going to come back at you at some point in life, back with a revenge. You have a problem when you get carried away with it. Realize that bland food may not always be healthy. Tasty food and food that is presented well can kill hunger before we starting eating it. The solution here is being smart and aware of the food we eat. We believe that salads and soups are the healthiest. But at the end of the day salads are generally uncooked and can contain huge amounts of chemicals. I wish organic farms are encouraged so that the prices of organic products come down.

Yesterday when I was in a supermarket, a group of women in their twenties walked in. They were all excited to find sugarless snack bars. A few of the bars were specially meant for women. One of the ladies looked at the contents and calculated the calories. She immediately announced that the claims of the manufacturer were bogus. It was nice to watch a smart woman. Women have to be aware of such things and be wary of tall claims made by any product. Women must learn to make informed choices.

Even though my post seems biased towards women who are on the heavier side, I know many women who are skinny and healthy. These women are always under pressure to gain weight. I love Dove ads because Dove embraces the idea of beauty in all shapes and colours. The cynic in me says it could be a marketing strategy, but atleast they do not promote unhealthy standards for beauty. When will each woman in the world accept her body completely?