Thoughts on Mishpacha 'skinny article'

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amother

Sat, Dec 21 2013, 3:47 pm

Sorry to be anon, but this was the talk at shul today and I don't want my neighbors to know my screen name.

I read the Mishpacha article last night about the nutritionist and aside from the fact that the 'article' reads like an infomercial advertisement, the nutritionist is described as 'skinny' amongst other things. How is this appropriate or tznius?
This, from a magazine that won't publish a picture of a rebbetzin in an obituary! Where is the editing? I'm am not even Yeshivish, but I thought it was odd.

tweek

Sat, Dec 21 2013, 4:11 pm

Yup. Thought it was odd too, but not for tznius reasons. Even a secular magazine nowadays would talk about it in terms of nutrition and maybe even weight loss. Using the skinny description and the writer talking about how she put on a belt to impress the nutritionist seemed sooooooo off.

Liba

Sat, Dec 21 2013, 4:15 pm

I got as far as the belt and turned the page.

amother

Sat, Dec 21 2013, 4:51 pm

Im on the way to becoming a dietician (imh)
I was reading the article with a friend from school this afternoon and we were both so mad!

SS6099

Sat, Dec 21 2013, 4:56 pm

You should've heard how mad I was over Shabbos. People's minds are so twisted.

anotherima

Sat, Dec 21 2013, 5:04 pm

I also thought it was odd but it didn't get me angry. I don't take these magazines too seriously.

doctorima

Sat, Dec 21 2013, 5:33 pm

amother wrote:

Im on the way to becoming a dietician (imh)
I was reading the article with a friend from school this afternoon and we were both so mad!

Why so mad?

watergirl

Sat, Dec 21 2013, 5:58 pm

What got me, besides the belt, was her comment about excersize not being as important, since 2 cookies can undo the excersize.

seeker

Sat, Dec 21 2013, 6:14 pm

I also found the skinny emphasis off-putting. The article as a whole was OK but that really turned me off. Both the writer's desire to impress by choosing a skinny outfit, and the nutritionist's emphasis on looking skinny as the ultimate goal of dieting. Why not accept/embrace the way you look at various weights (some will not be "skinny" even when reaching an ideal healthy weight, anyway) while dieting AND exercising for health and wellness? Way to perpetuate our collective body-image issue, Mishpacha.

PinkFridge

Sat, Dec 21 2013, 7:06 pm

I didn't just read it and don't have the article in front of me, but a few things that jumped out at me:
- I don't believe everyone who wants to lose weight needs to go to a nutritionist. After talking to my doctors and some research and thought I've come to a food plan I'm happy with and that more important, I think I can live with, for life. B'ezras Hashem.
- Her way just sounds so harsh and difficult. As in, it'll always be a battle, one must always be vigilant. And those 2 cookies undoing the exercise or whatever. I realize that this was a short article and anyone who may actually be using Shani Taub knows how warm and easygoing she actually is. But I don't see that approach as one that would work for me. (Leaving aside the $$. I do appreciate that people have gained, and I don't mean lbs., from structured plans that involve weekly payouts but that's not for me.)

ETA: in a later post I provide the exact quote re the cookies. And I do want to be fair to Mrs. Taub about the nutritionist line. She doesn't say that one can't diet without going to a nutritionist but stresses how helpful one can be and the importance of having a mentor.

Last edited by PinkFridge on Sun, Dec 22 2013, 6:43 am; edited 1 time in total

Sfmpaf

Sat, Dec 21 2013, 7:36 pm

Wow- I so agree.... I was just saying the same thing! This article was not about health or nutrition but rather dedicating our lives to being skinny!!! Made me sad that this is where the Frum magazine has stooped to...

amother

Sat, Dec 21 2013, 7:44 pm

Come on, which people are dieting to be healthier?Most people are on a diet to be skinny, and I don't think it's wrong to want to be that way! Who are we kidding?So no one here ever judges based on appearance?Come on people!!

amother

Sat, Dec 21 2013, 7:48 pm

watergirl wrote:

What got me, besides the belt, was her comment about excersize not being as important, since 2 cookies can undo the excersize.

And I disagree with that anyway.
I think even if you eat lots of fattening food, as long as you excersise A LOT, you will not gain weight (not saying it's healthy, but you won't be fat). So I advocate the exact opposite here.

seeker

Sat, Dec 21 2013, 8:05 pm

amother wrote:

That's kind of shallow.

I don't know about anyone else, but I diet to be healthier. In fact, I have no need to be skinnier, I am borderline underweight as it is. But eating the right kinds of foods gives me more energy, and avoiding the wrong foods prevents me from getting ill. And a combination of the right foods and exercise will help make sure that my skinny figure is made of mostly muscle and whatever else is supposed to be there, as opposed to unhealthy fat and just less muscle and stuff so the overall effect is skinny. Even if you fit into skinny clothes, eating the wrong fats is no good for your heart and circulatory system, nor probably any of the others.

So, while I can get away with more nuts and avocados and olive oil than your average dieter, I still put a lot of effort into a healthy diet.

amother

Sat, Dec 21 2013, 8:25 pm

seeker wrote:

amother wrote:

Maybe you, but honestly most people diet to be skinny, either because they are not satisfied or their husbands, as we can see in some threads. I think there is a lot of tabu in wanting to be skinny, because of worries about eating disorders(even though the rate of anorexia in America is only 0.3 %) and the fact that it is hard to live up to women magazines. I don't think it's wrong to want to be skinny, just like I don't believe I'm being shallow because I like to put makeup on or wear nice clothes. To me, it's all the same and I have no shame in wanting to look good. And no, I do not diet, diet food is usually yucky ! Very Happy

out-of-towner

Sat, Dec 21 2013, 8:35 pm

My only question was: Why was the interview set in a restaurant of all places???!!!

Oh, and why did the recipe they post have heavy cream in it? Heavy cream is the epitome of unhealthyness!

amother

Sat, Dec 21 2013, 9:59 pm

Fully agree. While making us visualize this SKINNY LADY...advocating her DIET...they go to a restaurant that serves ALL the wrong food and gives GAZILLION CALORIE recipes!! Exercise...NO NO!!! not needed...what hypocrisy...

Besides, that I found the entire emphasis on SKINNY unbecoming...even though everyone wants to lose some weight...stay healthy...(and be skinny!)

amother

Sat, Dec 21 2013, 10:11 pm

amother wrote:

seeker wrote:

amother wrote:

No, we don't all want to be "skinny" nor do all men want skinny women. Not to disparage "skinny" people but your assumption that the rest of us are desperate to have that body type is just incorrect. And many men prefer feminine figures and curves, they don't all prefer skinny and bony.

black sheep

Sat, Dec 21 2013, 10:34 pm

No, not everyone wants to be skinny. Fit, slim, healthy, but not skinny.

amother

Sun, Dec 22 2013, 12:00 am

When I said skinny I didn't mean skinny like a stick or weighing 90 pounds, but the older we get, the slower our metabolism is, and for some it is difficult even to keep the nice curvy type, and being overweight is not good for anyone's health according to many medical researches. Are you really telling me that most women do not want to be beautiful or skinny like models?Really?You know, that doesn't take away the moral values of anyone!Nor their mitzvot! There is a LOT of denial going on here...

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