Diet Wars

Frontline: Diet Wars I was 18, 102 ponds, fighting bulimia, recently married and pregnant. By the time I was 6 months pregnant, I had developed toxemia and packed on 27 lbs. Ending weight gain was 70 pounds, double the normal. From that moment on, I have struggled with my weight. After the first 4 children, I managed to take all the extra weight off by working out 5 days a week and during 3 of those with a trainer at the Albany Police Academy. However, shortly after, I became pregnant with my twins. Fifteen months after their birth was the birth of my seventh and last child. Having no time in between, I packed on the weight and was a staggering 200 pounds. Extremely obese for my 5'6 , very small framed body. Now I battle the weight again. Two years ago, I broke my knee and tore my ACL was put on steroids and once again gained weight. It seemed like a never ending roller coaster ride for me. I am now down to 170 lbs, size 13 from a 22 and working just a hard. But when does it end? How small do I have to be? Today's society teaches us sickly skinny is all the rave. I've fallen to the diet traps in my time. I've even starved myself to start the weight coming off. The Frontline video stated that over 40 million people are obese in this country. That includes me and not an easy thing to admit to ones self. I would have to apply conflict theory here. Not only do we as individuals have conflicting approaches to weight and what is "acceptable" in society. But society as a whole has this "image" of what makes a woman beautiful. Wrinkles on a man add character, for a woman it's that she's just getting old. Men can hold onto a few extra pounds and it's love handles, but for a woman it's she's fat. Conflicting interests indeed. Are the Victoria's Secrets commercials right? Are all women to be 5'9 and 100 pounds, gaunt with ribs showing? Or is it time we take a stand, accept we need to lose weight for health not societal views and be happy with " The Me I Be"?