Comments on: A Short History of The “Ideal” Female Body

By: Ryan

Ryan — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 00:08:46 +0000

People like to put out that the Monroe was a size 14 or something. That is not at all correct. She wasn’t even an 8 like this story claims.

Her dress maker says she was between 35-22-35 and 37-23-36. Going from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/US_standard_clothing_size and removing the bust size (because those dress sizes assume an average bust) Moore would be a size 2 or 4 at most.

Her BMI was 19.3 which puts her at the low end of normal. She was 5′ 5.5″ and 118 pounds. That’s a slim women by any messure.

By: beauty

beauty — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 10:25:09 +0000

I’m 18 but i completely understand. I have an hourglass figure, like Marilyn Monroe. Hourglass DOES NOT mean “fat” or “ugly”. It’s actually beautiful. There is a big difference between “fat” and hourglass-shaped. Fat is just what it says, FAT. Hourglass is the best shape to have according to ALOT of people. Even girls that are super skinny or thin and straight wish they had that body type. Losing or gaining weight usually distributes through the body evenly, so there’s a plus side. Everyone has their preferences, some guys like stick skinny girls. They aren’t “jerks” because of it, that’s just what they like and you can’t blame someone for having an opinion or liking what they like. Some guys like hourglass shaped, some like really super chunky girls, some like big booties with small boobs, some like big boobs with small booties, some like big boobs and bog booties, some like small boobs with small booties. EVERYONE has a different perference. Just like pizza, everyone has their own favourite topping. some like pepperoni and cheese, some like meat-lovers, some like just cheese, some like pinapple pizza, some like taco pizza, fish pizza, spicy pizza, sausage pizza. Just like pizza, there are MANY different types of body types. Not all guys like just stick skinny girls. You may feel like that because guys always like your friend. But maybe that’s because you don’t seem confident. In a study, 94% of guys would date a girl that didn’t fit in with their preference if she had good confidence. Confidence makes a huge difference in how people see you. HUGE difference. I didn’t really believe it when i had low self-esteem but when i gained confidence, everything else just felt better, happier, and guys noticed it too. Guys liked me way better because I liked myself and just radiated confidence and positiveness. Instead of being “crushed” by a crush, I’m actually doing the heartbreaking, lol. it’s not fun but it’s better than being the one with the broken heart. When i was 16 i HATED my body and just felt ugly. I wasn’t fat, but because i wasn’t a stick-skinny girl like my friends I just thought no guy would like me. But that is SO not true and i wish i had known that back then. If you present yourself in a way that says “Yeah, I got curves….SO WHAT?” or “Yeah i’m gorgeous, i already know” (lol) then others will accept you. But how can you expect others to accept you when you don’t accept yourself? understand what i mean? There are guys that like you, and if you don’t know it or they don’t show it, it could be because they sense you aren’t comfortable with yourself, they see that you aren’t confident, or they just think that you are so beautiful they are nervous and feel inferior to you! Whatever reason it is, here is a quick fix: Make a move. I don’t mean running to a guy and jumping in his arms and shoving your tongue down his throat like in the movies. But showing interest in him, or ask to hang out with him sometime, eat lunch with him, get his number and text him. Just walk around like “Dang, I look so good, i look SO hottt. ANy guy would be lucky to have me.” because that is so true. Guys liking you has absolutely NO relation to your body. Like i said, many guys like your body type. You just have to have confidence and believe in yourself. Now when you read this message you can say, “this crazy chick DOES NOT know what she is talking about, i don’t believe a word of this.” Or you could take all of this advice and believe it. I used to be extremely shy and have no self esteem, but it wook time and i worked up the nerve to get out my comfort zone and talk to people i hardly talk to, complimenting people is a very great conversation starter. If you have a speech class, TAKE IT. I HAD to take it the begining of the school year actually the first semester this year and I dreaded it at first. But i loved it, and that also helped me become more social and more confident. Anyway, best wishes and I hope you learned something from this.

By: Aims

Aims — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 00:28:29 +0000

I dont think anyone could be 5′6″ and 95lbs without clearly having a disorder. I’m 5′5″ and 112lbs and I’m really thin naturally. People think I have an eating disorder at that weight. :S If I was 95lbs I think I’d be dead….

By: lauren

lauren — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 19:24:17 +0000

marylin was a beautiful example of a woman. not stick thin but not fat. every time I see a super thin model I think of her size and how absolutely gorgeous she was. even if she wasn’t a size zero.

By: GloveBoxHeart

GloveBoxHeart — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 18:31:17 +0000

Beauties like Paulina Poriskova (Cosmo cover) and Giselle Bundchen (Harper’s cover) are healthy, for their height and frame. These are not women with collarbones you could use in the deli for slicing salami. THOSE women are scary, and it would take a pronouncement from the Mayo Clinic to convince me that they’re healthy. I don’t believe that obesity is beautiful, don’t get me wrong, but the POW look is just as scary to me.

Marilyn Monroe had a fabulous body, and as another small woman with an hourglass figure that shape is actually something I have some hope of achieving.

There is a beautiful size for all shapes, and I’m betting that “healthy” is really the key. Somehow we need to instill in the young people today the idea that there is not a one-size-fits-all for beauty (or sex appeal, for that matter).

By: Jenna

Jenna — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 05:34:36 +0000

I love you! this person is completely right. Last year I read about micro diets( which mean small, but balanced food intake) and the studies I read suggested that this is in fact the healthiest way to live because everytime you eat the break down of that food causes free radicals to release into your body, and damage your cells, much like the sun does to you skin. If one gets adequate nutrition which requires far less calories than most Americans would like to believe, then they would be healthier and live longer.

By: ......

...... — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 08:00:45 +0000

Thanks for posting this guys.

I’ve had bulimia and anorexia for years now. Half of my life. I didn’t even realize I had an eating disorder until my hair started falling out and my period stopped for months. I got online, looked up my symptoms, and, “Oh. That makes sense,” continued to live off of 200 c/day.

I’ve been fighting the damn thing ever since the day that I got all dressed up feeling good about how pretty I looked and some boy, who I never met, hit on my friend and then stared at me like I’m a scab intruding on his life. I don’t know exactly why I’ve had to live like this, but the media definitely does not and never has helped me (or the majority of Americans) accept myself whether I’m fat or skinny.

Frankly, I have tried to cut media from my life. I dropped the internet connection, got rid of the TV, stopped watching movies, refused to buy magazines, and yet, I still get to fight this thing everyday.

And finally, while both of you provide interesting viewpoints, eating disorders did not just recently come to fruition in the last 50 years. In fact, they’ve been around for hundreds of years. In the 1700’s there is a record of a woman who, despite repeated attempts to stop, would eat 60 apples in one sitting. Then move on to 40+ oranges in one sitting. Then move on to something else and devour it, afterwards she would induce vomiting.

Like most people with eating disorders, I’ve read plenty of books, articles, watched plenty of youtube vids, documentaries.. wrote endless journals, kept tight stock of my feelings when I eat, how much I eat, went to countless therapy sessions and met with countless therapists.. For years I’ve been frantically searching for why I’m living with this and why I can’t get away from it. And in my findings, corporate america does have an effect on our idealogy of beauty. Whether it’s a sole contributor or not, I don’t know, but I’d rather them dish out multiple ideal images: all shapes, all sizes, because honestly, everyone, EVERYONE, deserves to be the face of beauty.

By: john

john — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 23:57:47 +0000

This article is sad. Female anorexia is a serious problem but to compare models today with victims of the holocaust is discussing. I would hope that the person posting this would get a grip with reality and realize most women/models eat more healthy than 99% of America. Seriously, what would you prefer to see a healthy women or a 200 pound cow?

By: realitia

realitia — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 17:13:24 +0000

I just want to say you’re not ruining the discussion – you’re contributing to it. I appreciate your honesty and openness. We are all struggling to accept ourselves, whatever our appearance or abilities. We live in a culture where we are encouraged to be constantly dissatisfied with ourselves; advertising is constantly sending us messages that we need something outside ourselves (clothing, boyfriend, jewellery, etc.) to be “good enough”. Don’t believe the hype!

By: randaleundliebe

randaleundliebe — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 23:55:35 +0000

and I’m very sorry, but this brazilian Model looks quit healthy to me.