I have always loved April. My birthday is at the end of the month, Spring is in full swing–I like to think of April as my New Year, thus making me the perfect April Fool.

So, I’d like to thank Harriet Olivia over at Too Fat For Fashion (one of our favorite blogs) for the link to the article in Sunday’s The Independent on the size acceptance movement in the UK (Gotta love the title: We’re here. We’re fat. Get used to it.). There are so many wonderful curvy girls there doing wonderful curvy things–here are a few from the article:

Chloe Marshall, a size-16 Miss England contestant (How gorgeous is she?)

Plus, The Real Girl Band: a plus-size girl group with a new single out

Just As Beautiful: web-based plus-size magazine

Songstress Adele (pictured above): winner of the first ever Critic’s Choice Award at this year’s Brit Awards

Kate Dillon: the new face of Marina Rinaldi and my all-time favorite plus-size model

And, not mentioned, Beth Ditto with Mika on The Brit Awards.

I’ll have more details on each of these as the month progresses.

Here’s to kicking April off with a bang!

Leonard Nimoy appeared on The Colbert Report Thursday night to talk about his latest art project, The Full Body Project a collection of photographs featuring plus size women. I just love Nimoy for his passionate advocacy of the beauty of female bodies at any size. And kudos to Colbert–he maintained his snarky character without being the least bit derogatory toward the woman in the photos.

If your not familiar with the exhibit and book, I did an extensive write up on the art collection in November, and a friend of The Curvy Life did a great guest blog on the project.

You can catch the replay tonight on The Colbert Report, or click here for a link to a video replay on The Colbert Report website.

I’m so glad to see the show featured on Oprah. There’s some great info on Oprah’s site. I’ve written two previous posts on the show. If you haven’t read them and are interested, here are the links:

Love Your Body Month Tip #9 (with video clip)

Feel Good Naked in 2008 (How to look good naked tips)

Two things strike me about the women featured on Oprah today:

1. The depth of the pain caused by negative body image.
2. The way we allow negative body image to limit living our lives.

Michael, a beautiful, intelligent woman, chooses to spend her free time in bed rather than actively engage in life with her husband and son. Body loathing is paralyzing and debilitating.

And Anita shows how the pain of negative messages can impact us for a lifetime.

Finally, I am always struck by how hair, makeup, and clothes can help a woman feel better about herself, even without clothes.

Here are some tips from the show on how to feel better about your body:

• Take baby steps.
• Live in the moment.
• Get rid of clothes that are too big or too small. “Keep the sizes that work for you and that fit for you, and then get rid of the other stuff,” Carson says. “Don’t mourn your old body.”
• Look at your whole body. “Don’t just focus on the bad stuff. If you have bad thighs, don’t automatically go there every day when you wake up and look at that,” he says. “Look at the good stuff, and reprogram your brain into thinking, ‘This is good. This is good. This isn’t so great. So what?’”

For more click here.

I love Kathleen Turner as a fabulous curvy icon. She has been making the rounds with her new book, Send Yourself Roses:Thoughts on My Life, Love and Leading Roles. Give yourself a Valentine’s treat by watching her interview on the Today show (click here) or go and check out her book.

I usually don’t tune in to American Idol until after the audition rounds (I find these episodes to be painful to watch),but I caught the last 10 minutes of the final audition round, just in time to witness the show down between the final 2 of each of the male and female contestants.

American Idol is meticulously produced, such that every angle and combination is played for full effect. The two male finalists were pitted against one another because they had similar vocal styles. So why were the two women, Joanne and Cardin, brought in together? I only saw brief clips of their auditions, however, they singing styles seemed quite different (anyone who has followed the show can let me know if this is true).

Again, why the pairing? Is it because these two are so physically different? They both appear to have compelling stories in their quest to be professional singers, but I think that the point of the pairing was: big girl vs. skinny girl. Personally, I think that it is fantastic that the plight of plus-size performing artists is highlighted in Joanne’s appearance on the show. And, I won’t say that it wasn’t somewhat satisfying to see the curvy girl beat the skinny girl (although, in reality, this was not a head-to-head competition, and as the only plus size woman in the competition, she beat out all the other curvy girls as well).

It sounds to me like Joanne can sing, but I think that there are interesting issues around American Idol and body size in female contestants (doesn’t seem to apply to the guys). Again, I’ve only seen snippets on teasers for Entertainment Tonight, but it seems like this year’s exploited AI rejected is a lovely, young super-sized girl with a mother nearly disabled by weight.

Female body size is definitely an issue around current and former AI contestants and winners. I’ll be curious to see how the issue plays out this season.

Of course, good luck, Joanne. Knock ‘em dead!

Love Your Body Month Tip #9:

Look at images of real women.

Not only are the majority of the images that we see in the media photoshopped beyond recognition, the women in these images represent a very rare body type. Our eye becomes accustomed to just one look–tall, skinny, smooth, and shiny. And if that is not your body type, it is easy to become convinced that your body is flawed and unappealing.

So, where do we find images of “real” women? A great place to start is the Lifetime Television show “How to Look Good Naked” (Fridays 9 & 9:30pm, Saturdays 11 & 11:30 pm, or watch full episodes online). Women of all shapes and sizes strip down to bra and panties, and look awesome while doing it. Never before on television have I seen such a wide variety of female body types placed side-by-side and treated in such a positive manner. (Of course, they feature a commercial at the beginning of this clip with a tall, skinny, smooth, and please note, shiny woman.)

Plus Model Magazine (online) and Figure Magazine (print) feature women anywhere from size 10-18 (Yes, Virginia, size 10 is plus-size in the fantastical world of modeling). For some curvier models, check out the girls on B&Lu.com. There are other sources as well; check our links for many more.

It is a slow process, but we can re-train our eye to accept a broader, more inclusive definition of a beautiful body.

Check back tomorrow for Tip #10.

I posted Tip #8 early so that I could make some quick comments on today’s Oprah. I haven’t seen the episode yet, but I have heard from several people who were really upset by the episode. I usually love Peter Walsh, so I’m interested to see the episode. I usually don’t comment on something until I’ve seen it, but some thoughts do come to mind.

First, just as there is more to body composition than overeating/undereating, there is more to chronic clutter than lack of organizational discipline. Chronic disorder and hoarding are serious conditions that require the support of psychologists as well as organizers specifically trained to help. (See the NSGCD to see the seriousness of clutter disorders). Further, chronic health problems that create limited energy levels can make weight management and clutter management more challenging.

A friend of The Curvy Life recommended the article “For Shame, Oprah, for Shame” on the blog The-F-Word.org: Food, Fat, and Feminism. I think they make a very compelling argument.

I have to remark: since 9/11 the government’s solution to all of our economic woes has been consumption–keep spending, in fact, we’ll give you money if you promise to spend it. Not only are we a consumer society, we are unpatriotic if we don’t consume as vigorously as possible.

Yet, according to the all powerful “They” (as in “They say … is good/bad/right/wrong), what are societal woes numbers one and two? Fat and Clutter. What have become our favorite spectator sports? Watching very fat people suffer (The Biggest Loser, almost every other show on Discovery Health Channel) and watching people with very cluttered homes suffer (Clean Sweep, Clean House, two Oprah’s on clutter disorders).

Where are we supposed to keep all the stuff we’re urged to consume?

If you haven’t seen Joy Nash’s YouTube video, “Fat Rant,” it is well worth the 7 minutes it takes to watch. With over a million views since March 2007, “Fat Rant” has generated a lot of public discussion regarding fat women and self-esteem. The YouTube page for the video (as of 1/16/2008) has over 12,000 comments, Joy has been interviewed in the press numerous times, and she now has a “Fat Rant” blog (www.fatrant.com). I love Joy’s clever yet straightforward approach to issues surrounding fat life in a thin-obsessesed world; however, I am always surprised at the venom of those who feel it necessary to attack anyone who stands up and says, “I’m fat and I’m OK.” Why is positive body image and self-esteem in fat women so threatening?

See the video at YouTube or on Joy Nash’s blog, Fat Rant.

Carnie Wilson appeared on the December 11, 2007 edition of The Today Show to promote her new Christmas album. But as usual, she spoke very openly about her up-down-experiences with weight and health since her very public gastric bypass surgery.

Since the birth of her daughter in 2005, Carnie has struggled to return to her post-surgery weight, even participating in Celebrity Fit Club Season 4. She gave two interviews on the show, on with Al Roker, and a follow-up chat with Hoda Kotbe and Natalie Morales. I feel that her personal philosophy is compelling:

“Women are already feeling the pressure with the scale, with the size of the pants,” she said. “I feel like, let’s forget the number. Let’s just get into a health zone that’s comfortable and good for you and not worry about the exact number. That’s what makes us crazy.”

‘Forget the number and focus on health’ is a key tenant of the Curvy Life mission. Carnie Wilson’s journey has led her to the same conclusion.

To view a video clip or to read a summary of Carnie’s interview, see The Today Show website.

To see both interviews, watch the video below:

Jennifer Love Hewitt is making news today by declaring “Size 2 is not fat” in response to photos (described as “unflattering”) making the rounds of the tabloids and the Internet. Paparrazzi photographed Hewitt in a bikini on her Hawaiian vacation, and sites such as TMZ.com are featuring a shot of her from behind.

Hewitt posted a scathing response on her blog, saying in part:

“I’ve sat by in silence for a long time now about the way women’s bodies are constantly scrutinized. To set the record straight, I’m not upset for me, but for all of the girls out there that are struggling with their body image.

A size 2 is not fat! Nor will it ever be. And being a size 0 doesn’t make you beautiful.

What I should be doing is celebrating some of the best days of my life and my engagement to the man of my dreams, instead of having to deal with photographers taking invasive pictures from bad angles. I know what I look like, and so do my friends and family. And like all women out there should, I love my body.

To all girls with butts, boobs, hips and a waist, put on a bikini — put it on and stay strong.”

It’s a sad day when someone feels compelled to assert that “Size 2 is not fat.”

Personally, I do not care what Jennifer Love Hewitt looks like from behind, and I am not a particular fan of tabloids (Internet or otherwise) but knowing that she is tiny, I decided to take a look at the “unflattering” photo. This is probably not the best picture she’s ever taken, but to me, this picture looks like a photo of a girl in a bikini. I guess my question is: What is she supposed to look like from behind? Her butt in a bikini looks like a butt in a bikini.

Then why the uproar? Why the attack on this young woman? The problem for Love-Hewitt comes from the fact that this is an unretouched photo, distorted by being taken at a distance with a telephoto lens. No one is going to look great under those circumstances. (If you’ve seen the notorious Tyra Banks beach photos, you know the style). Thanks to efforts such as the Dove “Campaign for Real Beauty” (see: the Dove film “Evolution”) we as media consumers are learning how much manipulation goes into creating the images that we see in ads and on the screen. I’m sure if Love-Hewitt’s photo had been run through standard magazine procedures, it would look stunning (whatever that’s supposed to look like).

However, even though we may mentally grasp the notion that media images are manipulated, this does not change the fact that our eyes become accustomed to these “created” images, so when we see a “normal” photograph, it seems lacking or even shocking. And when we compare our reflection in the mirror to the images that appear in print media, it is easy to feel deficient and lacking.

So, with digital cameras and programs such as “Photoshop,” average people now commonly retouch their own photos. And in the next logical step, Hewlett Packard advertises a list of cameras with “slimming features,” complete with before-and-after examples:

“They say cameras add ten pounds, but HP digital cameras can help reverse that effect. The slimming feature, available on select HP digital camera models, is a subtle effect that can instantly trim off pounds from the subjects in your photos.”

Other cameras have features to minimize facial lines or add a tan. CNET.com, in the article “Digital cameras focus on revised reality” describes this trend as follows:

“With new tools, average people can create their own ‘pictures that lie’ at the moment of capture, without any trace of the real image that was seen with the naked eye.”

“Pictures that lie” are the norm in print media–they may become the norm in every photo album in America; however, we need to remember that those types of photos may have ‘no trace of real images,’ and thus resist the urge to compare our “real” faces and “real” bodies (and our “real” photos, for that matter) to un-reality. We must train our eyes to recognize the difference.

I just saw Oprah’s latest weight loss show, “The Woman Who Lost 530 Pounds,” (11/28/2007) and I was particularly struck by two statements made by Bob Greene, Oprah’s diet/fitness expert.

Twice, Bob Greene said, “Women have to be perfect” to lose weight. The first time, he made the statement in relation to weight loss without an intense exercise program:

“If a woman is inactive, she has to be perfect with her eating. And who is perfect with their eating?”

The second time he used the expression, Greene was explaining why men seem to lose weight faster and easier than women (this quote is on Oprah.com):

“Bob explains that men tend to lose weight faster than women because of the hormonal advantage in the way testosterone acts on fat. ‘Women almost have to be perfect. A woman has to be active at least five to six days a week,’ he says. ‘Men can get away with three or four times a week and have even better results.’”

In no way was Greene trying to make viewers feel bad; he was trying to highlight how difficult it is to lose weight. However, I found the use of the word “perfect” to be jarring. Often, women torture themselves in an attempt to reach some notion of “perfect,” believing “I’ll be happy when I have… the perfect family, the perfect job, the perfect body, etc.

Later in the program, Greene himself commented on the danger of “I’ll be happy when…” thinking:

“If you start to [think], ‘Oh, I’ll be happy when I’m this weight,’ that’s when problems start because one of two outcomes: You never reach that weight and you’re not happy, or you reach that weight and realize it had nothing to do with your happiness.”

While I’m glad that he saw fit to mention that weight loss is not a cure for unhappiness (happiness must come from inside), I think that the message of the show was most certainly, “Lose weight, gain happy.” And to do so, as a woman,you must be “perfect,” never letting up on diet and exercise. Therefore, if you aren’t able to achieve your “perfect” weight, then it’s probably because you weren’t “perfect” enough to begin with. That’s a crushing pressure to bear.

The death of Donda West, mother of hip-hop artist Kanye West, has generated a lot of media discussion about the risks and dangers of plastic surgery. There have always been risks associated with plastic surgery, yet you wouldn’t know that from the way plastic surgery is depicted on television. There seems to be an endless variety reality TV shows such featuring plastic surgery: Dr. 90210, Plastic Surgery New York Style, Ultimate Plastic Surgery Before & After, Plastic Surgery Beverly Hills, and Big Medicine. Not being a great fan of the genre, I can’t say for certain, but I would assume that these shows don’t feature a lot of stories where patients die after procedures.

These shows have a powerful effect: a study conducted by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons revealed that “first-time patients seeking cosmetic plastic surgery are directly influenced to have surgery by the plastic surgery reality television shows they watch.” (Click here for details.)

And so it seems, from the number of shows featuring plastic surgery, that everyone is doing it. However, Washington Post writer Robin Givhan has observed an interesting undercurrent in the media coverage of Mrs. West’s death: “the underlying message became that indulging in plastic surgery is inherently selfish and narcissistic,” that people seeking cosmetic surgery are “courting tragedy” and looking for “easy answers.”

Below is an excerpt from her article, “Plastic Surgery’s Allure Cuts Both Ways.” I think that she makes a compelling argument about the messages we receive.

“There’s no way to know what was going through West’s mind. But her death makes one marvel at the way in which popular culture pushes, pushes, pushes people toward an ideal. And then tut-tuts when they take the bait.

No matter that the most conscientious surgeons emphasize that cosmetic surgery cannot transform a patient’s life, the promise remains. With a snip and a tug, faces can be made younger and more attractive. The patients believe they will not only look better but also feel better, which will lead to greater confidence, which will strengthen their cultural currency.

Audiences like nothing more than a beauty makeover. The ugly duckling turns into a swan. Cinderella got a fairy godmother of a stylist and won the heart of the prince. It was beauty that charmed the beast — not the young woman with the scintillating personality.

But beauty makes folks envious. They want to be assured that others work hard to maintain their appearance (even if they’re looking for the easiest ways to maintain their own). Consider the notion of aging gracefully. What does that mean, really? Folks are demanding that the enduring beauty of matrons and dowagers be earned. They want them to maintain a six-day-a-week workout schedule that includes walking on a treadmill to nowhere and a life that is devoid of meat, dairy, alcohol, sunshine, sugar and anything else remotely pleasurable. Is that natural? Is that grace?

There are virtually no women who have the genetic good fortune to arrive at age 60 looking like a Catherine Deneuve, Sophia Loren or Diahann Carroll without a surgeon’s expertise. Most people in the public sphere do something, Botox to boot camp, to fend off the effects of time. They are encouraged and expected to take action. If they don’t, they will be judged harshly. But they must take care not to let the effort show — don’t reveal any hairline scars or improbable perkiness. Otherwise, our judgment will be even harsher.”

Simpsons fans know that Homer often faces issues related to weight and body image, but this week’s episode (11/18/2007), “Husbands and Knives,” finds both Marge and Homer feeling bad about their bodies.

Marge feels insecure in comparison to a cardboard cutout of Wonder Woman (the equivalent of a comic supermodel), and worries that she has lost her “perfect 26/26/26 figure.”  When she tries to join the local gym “LA Body Works,” she finds herself wishing for a gym “for us regular ladies.”  She opens “Shapes,” with the rules, “No men, no cell phones, no mirrors, no shame.”  The women of Springfield line up down the block to join, and “Shapes” becomes a national success.

As Marge becomes a power broker, Homer becomes insecure about his appearance. Out of fear that Marge will trade him in for a trophy husband, Homer gets gastric bypass surgery.  He loses weight, but ends up with mounds of loose flesh.  He returns to the doctor, complaining that , because of the surgery, now he is embarrassed to show his body to his wife.  Homer’s solution: “Now I want you to give me every plastic surgery you have so I can look good.”  The freakish result is appealing to no one–the townsfolk brand him a “monster” and chase him with pitchforks.

Of course, the episode ends with Homer returning to his old look, and Marge loving him just the way he is.  Homer finds acceptance, but it seems as if Marge is still hitting the gym.

Even the Simpsons face the challenges of living the curvy life!

An interesting aside: the parallel storyline of the episode involved the comic book industry, and appropriately enough, the portrayal of the female body in comics continues to be a source of debate and controversy. (To read more about this, see the Wikipedia article, “Portrayal of Women in Comics.”)