I honestly was not sure how I was going to transition from my last two posts to a different one or set a different tone. I am still in mourning but felt ready to blog about something else. Normally, I would easily write about running. I am actually doing some running today so maybe tomorrow I can write about that but since I have not been doing much running I have not had much too say about it. So there I am sitting in bed this morning wondering what to write about when Aaron wakes up, says two words, and all of a sudden I have a blog post.
So what did Aaron say? Actually I had no idea at the time and had to get him to repeat it. But when he did, he said Israel passed a law banning skinny models in advertisements or more specifically no models with a BMI under 18.5 to be included in advertisements on advertisements in Israel. Additionally, any ads that use airbrushing, computer editing, or any other form of PhotoShop to create a slimmer image of the model must say so clearly in the ad. As soon as I heard this, I knew I had found the inspiration for my next blog post. The idea behind the law is too prevent individuals, especially young girls, from falling victim to the belief that skinnier is better. Or maybe more eloquently put by this article the law "will send a message to teenagers that being thin is acceptable, but slimness has its limits, and there is such a thing as being too thin."
As someone who has too think a TON about her BMI these days and who has struggled with the desire to remain tiny while having to accept that I need to be a bit bigger right now, this law excites me to no end. Is it going to eradicate eating disorders? No. Will it go a long way in helping young women to begin to change their perspective and outlook on what is healthy? Yes.
In struggling in my new "no running, eating more fats" body type, I have had my harder days. For the most part, I just feel uncomfortable in my own skin. I am not used to sitting around so much, to feeling so bloated, to being so much less hungry and then starving all at the same time. But besides that I have also had what I would consider an irrational fears of what others might think of me - that those who do not know that I am trying to get pregnant will think I have lost control. Instead of worrying about whether or not this drug will work or what is going on in the here and now, I am contemplating if others are thinking that I have gained weight, which is something I am not too proud of.
In the past weeks and most especially in the past week since being home, I have had to face this more head on as people compliment me on how I look after having not seen me in weeks or tell me I don't look any different as I stare at them in disbelief. Can't you see how much bigger I am I think?! But they can't and they don't. They are not looking. They think I am beautiful. Thus I realize it is up to me to accept I am beautiful. I used to be extremely scared of what my "ideal" body type was that it would gravitate towards a higher unwanted weight, but these days I am moving beyond that. Realizing that my body may have different plans for me. That a few pounds heavier might be better for me and this is not the end of the world. That those few pounds can give my body life and allow me to create it. That the images I engrave into my head of what I "should be" are not so set in stone.
Thus instead of worrying about what others think and what my body type should be I will allow my body to find its own way and be satisfied with that. I am not saying that this is an easy task, and goodness knows I have my bad days but I try and will keep trying.
I find hope in this article. Hope that others will not have to struggle as much as I have. That this will teach young women and men that being thin does not mean being happy and how important it is too be healthy mentally and physically and to honor your own body type.
What do you think of Israel's law? Do you think it will make a difference? Can you accept what your body type is?
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