Your family is clustered around the dinner table, each person chatting about their day while plowing through a home-cooked meal. Suddenly, your mom pipes up: “Has anyone seen that new movie with [insert female celebrity]? She’s certainly put on a few pounds.” Your siblings chuckle, and the conversation continues. No one notices as you stop…
Should male artists profit off women’s bodies?
My partner is a huge history nerd. He loves war paraphernalia, airplane parts, funny-looking hats…you name it, he’s made a bid on eBay for it. His quirky hobby has led to some thought-provoking discussions on the morality of warfare and whether any appreciation of it can be without ethical quagmire. Recently, he began replicating nose…
Fixing K-12 health education
So, I think we can all admit that, as children, we learned more about puberty from Urban Dictionary than we ever did from the gym coach—ahem, I mean the health teacher. Not to mention nutrition; I vaguely remember some mention of the now-obsolete food pyramid coupled with questionable recommendations to drink skim milk and eat…
In sickness and in health?
From birth, we are taught to value our bodies at their healthiest and to strive for that version of ourselves at all times. There is nothing intrinsically wrong with that message—health is a priority for many people, and improving our health can undoubtedly improve the quality of our lives. The problem with this mode of…
More body inclusive media in 2019
For better or for worse, the media has always been an integral force in shaping my perception of my body and the bodies of others. It has become a joke in feminist circles that, once one becomes aware of social justice issues, it is difficult to enjoy any form of media without heavily critiquing it.…
A better new year’s resolution: this year, stop dieting
Every year, January hits us hard with the “New Year, New Me” messaging. A tradition as time-honored as rampant consumerism and seasonal depression, the beginning of the year reminds us of all the goals we have failed to achieve the previous twelve months, and instills within us a fervor to get it right this time.…
Superfoods are a myth
Superfoods are nothing but a deceitful yet wildly successful marketing strategy, and you have been suckered in, hook, line and sinker. In case you have been living under a rock, so called superfoods promise to clear your acne, rejuvenate your love life and cure your depression. OK, I hyperbolize slightly. But they do make bold…
Calorie labels are a cruel joke
It begins like the setup to an old joke: A person with an eating disorder walks into a restaurant. Or, instead, an average person with a shoddy knowledge of nutrition. Or a card-carrying member of diet culture, out to count macros or tally points or rid the world of white bread. Their eyes scan the…
When loving yourself is too damn hard
Self-love has become a ubiquitous platitude that promises a carefree life of ease, if you can only learn to love yourself as you are. The problem with that, of course, is that there are many obstacles in place which prevent us from accomplishing that goal. These systemic barriers include factors such as size, race, age…
No lax-ing matter
Put down that “skinny tea” and take a seat. I am about to reveal to you the greatest detoxifying agents you will ever use. In fact, you have been using these for a while without acknowledging their benefits: your kidneys, liver, lungs and skin. Yes, your own organs can effectively remove toxins from your entire…