How did the ideal body image for women go from sexy, voluptuous figures to stick-thin, boyish looking creatures? The last time any women idealized a full figure was during the Renaissance. Compare Leonardo’s famous Mona Lisa to a picture of any girl in Hollywood today and you’ll see a drastic difference of a woman’s glorified body image. From revering Marilyn Monroe’s body to Angelina Jolie’s one thing is certain a woman’s ideal body image is constantly subject to change and usually based on someone else’s point of view.
In 14th and 15th century paintings you’ll see the ideal body image for women that was desired and respected- round stomach, modest breasts, and thick thighs- is on a completely different end of the spectrum from what is valued today. In the 1800s plump, full-figured, pear-shaped women were what every woman desired to look like and every man desired to have. Corsets became fashionable at this time because they accentuated a women’s shape. In the 1950s Marilyn Monroe, who was a size 16, sent the drive for this body style into full force. However, half a century later statistics show that 1/3 of women who are a size 12 think they’re overweight.
All of this very scary but realistic information leaves every woman wondering how to achieve the perfect body. Many women today believe that starving themselves or exercising to the point of exhaustion is the way to accomplish this but there’s a much simpler way to do it. Although, exercising on a daily basis is beneficial for losing weight or achieving a ‘perfect’ figure the real reason any individual should strive to be in the gym should be for their health. Contrary to popular belief 90% of weight loss is correlated with eating habits, not dieting, rather than work-out regime.
Dieting isn’t the way to shed body fat; it’s changing your eating habits all together. The best way to go about this change is to learn ‘how’ to eat properly, learning what food(s) and what amount of each food is good for you, and what you need to avoid in order to keep the body fat off. Many experts agree that the best meat for women to eat is chicken or fish- and it is important to keep in mind safe preparation, since it is not just about losing weight but staying healthy. Researching these changes is the easy part. It is actually employing these changes into your daily lifestyle that can be difficult.
Although, running into the nearest fast food chain saves time and feeds your hunger you have to gain and utilize discipline if you really want to achieve and project a health body image. The best way to reduce body fat is to keep yourself from ever letting the unwanted calories into your body. You’ll be amazed at how much less you have to exercise once these changes have been made and enforced. If you have a well balanced diet and work-out plan you’ll be able to achieve whatever body style you desire. Your diet will provide the appropriate amount of nutrition while exercising will burn excess calories keeping you at a healthy weight and a body image you are happy with.
