Celebrity Obsession

A survey conducted on 2000 young women (average age 23) revealed that every pound of weight a woman loses will cost them about £807 (approximately $1660 USD). This includes expenditures such as; gym membership, exercise DVDs, supplements and extra fruits and veggies.

The survey also uncovered other shocking (but perhaps not terribly surprising) revelations of the dietary habits of generation next:

In a recent Us Weekly Magazine interview, former Bachelor star Trista Sutter talks about about her "mission" to lose her post-pregnancy weight.

“I’m definitely not pleased when I look in the mirror,” the article quotes Sutter as saying, noting that she now wears a size 4 and weighs 116 pounds. "“When I fit into my size 26 Hudson jeans, then I’ll be happy.”

Is this how most women feel after they've given birth? And it a healthy trend or sign of screwed-up priorities?

A number of prominent UK newspapers have declared that "Size 12 is too fat for young women". In US terms this is equivalent to a Size 10.

The newspapers then go on to list what else young women think.

The UK Telegraph also lists some other gems 13 per cent had taken "speed" or cocaine to increase their metabolism and almost half had taken slimming pills or bought diet drugs on the internet.

Let's get something straight here.

This is not representative of what young women think.

We truly live in the age of the airhead.

The next season of 'reality' show The Simple Life will have Paris Hilton and Nicole Ritchie as camp counselors.

"The girls[...] will be guiding the children through a week of weight loss and fitness exercises." (src)

Over the last year there has been an increasing number of websites and magazines that focus exclusively on celebrity weight and size. I've always been interested in this kind of thing since many female actresses have the “perfect” bodies – any imperfection is worth noting.

Some people say that popular media has no influence or correlation with body image issues or disorders.

I beg to differ.

The pressure to be thin is alive and well and shows no sign of abating... not when there is serious money to be made.

(Continued from Flesh Market) If popular entertainment revolves around physical appearance - then what might go on in the mind of a TV executive?

Has there ever been a time when human flesh has become the object of such fascination?

More media is produced than ever before - and we consume more media than ever before. Under the spotlight of Hollywood - and the ultra-intense eye of celebrity watchers worldwide - bodily appearance has overwhelmed almost all other human attributes.

A poll conducted by Fitness Magazine has found that over 50% of readers would rather have no job that gain 75 pounds. An even higher number (63% of women) would rather be poor and at a normal weight - than be rich and overweight.

After surveying 250 doctors (GPs), a British health insurer has discovered that two-thirds of the doctors feel that patients are reporting more food intolerances than last year. The study, involving 250 GPs, suggested many people were self-diagnosing such problems because of celebrity food fads like wheat or gluten-free diets.