Are weekly celebrity magazines worth the weight?
For years I subscribed to weekly celebrity and entertainment magazines. I enjoyed looking at the pictures of celebrities, what people were wearing, and keeping up with irrelevant gossip. When I worked in the intensive care unit at the hospital, they were my mental escape at the end of the day. The pages were vibrant and fun.
I would keep them stacked on my nightstand (and get oddly stressed for NO reason when they piled up - yikes, four issues to read!). But then my very young daughter started to read them. At first, it seemed so innocent; she would look and say, "what a pretty dress”. But then, as I paid more attention, looked at it through her eyes, and really listened to what she would tell me when she paged through the pictures, I realized that this magazine was not representing what I wanted to share with my daughter (or my sons if they ever took an interest in them).
The people in the magazine certainly did not promote body diversity. In fact, it seemed every other issue was about dieting and who looked the best. While she could not read at the time, I realized I was not showing her an example of what everyday men and women looked like. Not to mention most of the people in the magazine likely have resources available to them that many people do not have (trainers, stylists, make-up artists, etc.). Also, I do not know if these individuals hold the same health values that we do as a family.
I canceled my subscription. Yes, my pop culture knowledge took a hit (like I did not know who Olivia Rodrigo was until she met with President Biden). And so did my mom cool factor (if I ever did have it). However, since we aim to use body-positive parenting, I know it was the right thing to do. While the people in those magazines are outwardly beautiful, I want my children to further expand their definition of beauty. First and foremost, I want them to see that beauty is reflected from the inside. And if we are talking about external beauty, I want them to see a wide range of ages, bodies, and styles as beautiful. Also, I don't want them to look at pictures that compare who looks better because when we compare (ourselves or other people), it ultimately leads to someone feeling less valuable.
Help Promote a Healthy Body Image
In our house, to help promote a healthy body image and show that we do not associate worth or value with size, shape or appearance, these are some of the things we try and focus on:
We do our best not to dwell on our physical appearance as much as possible. We do not have a scale in the house and do not use weight as a benchmark of success or failure.
We try to be very intentional about how we do or do not speak about our bodies. We talk (A LOT!) about how bodies are meant to grow and change and try to use non-judgmental language.
We try to bring in books and television shows that show diverse people and bodies. However, when it is not possible, we engage in dialogue. Sometimes this is very simple - just about what we notice (or do not notice) about what we see.
We talk about how we appreciate our body and what it does for us.
We constantly talk about what our body is trying to tell us - sometimes that is related to hunger or fullness, and sometimes that is related to pain, fear, or anxiety. But ultimately, we try to lean heavily into body autonomy.
We are not perfect. My children are still very young and there is always more to learn. But for now, my weekly magazine subscriptions remain on hold.
If you want more guidance on this topic, contact me to learn how we can work together to meet your family's goals.