The Naked Truth

We've officially entered bathing suit season and as a result I find myself being bombarded with body image messages. Generally they don't bother me, but recently marketers have taken an over-the-top, in-your-face approach that I'm finding rather disturbing.

It's bad enough when you're in the comfort of your own home, sitting on the couch with a bag of chips or a pint of ice cream, and you come across an infomercial for P90X or the Shake Weight Exercise (which, quite frankly, looks like it has better uses than arm toning). Or, you're reading the latest issue of US Weekly, admiring the beautiful people while finishing your bottle of wine and you stumble across an ad for NutriSystem or Weight Watchers. But now, the less than subtle messages are finding me everywhere I go. Here's just a sampling of what I've endured of late:

• A public service video message at the gas station that demonstrated how I can work out at the pump. Yes, I can just see myself doing squats and lunges while pumping gas. That won't attract any unwanted attention.
• The botox ads at the dentist office (as noted in my last post). When I go to the dentist I only want to feel badly about my smile, not about my wrinkles.
• The full page glossy promo for liposuction, found in the free local paper that I only read at the pizza place. This wasn't just any ad. This was full color, naked, "trim the fat on the dotted lines," before and after shots. No one needs to see that, particularly before scarfing down pizza and beer.

Each of these weight/body shape encounters has shaken my self-confidence, but nothing disturbs me as much as restaurants that include the fat and calorie content of each dish on the menu. I think it's a law in Philadelphia, and as one of the fattest cities in the country (#20 this year) I guess it makes sense, but it's a major downer. I recently hung out and worked on my laptop at a Starbucks in the city, and I really had to think long and hard about getting that cinnamon chip scone with 540 calories and 29 grams of fat. In the end, I decided that I'd probably burned lots of calories just contemplating my decision, so I treated myself to just one. But still, I didn't feel good about it.

I wish I could leave you with some words of wisdom about self-esteem, body image, liking yourself the way you are, etc, but I just don't feel up to it. I'll get back to you after I drink a Slim-Fast, wrap myself in plastic wrap, and sit in the sauna for a few hours on my Hawaii Chair. In the meantime, feel free to share the body image message that you find most disturbing!