Dieting Can Be Fun! A Healthy Attitude Goes a Long Way
“Hollywood Healthy” isn’t always healthy!
Understanding the evolution of ‘Hollywood healthy’ is key to recognizing some of the challenges women face in modern society with respect to body identity. In the ‘20’s and ‘30’s, Mae West was the sexy siren who stole mens hearts with her shocking one-liners and never ending curves. The voluptuous Marilyn Monroe and seductive Jane Mansfield owned both the screen of the ‘40’s and 50’s and the hearts of many a young soldier with their 36-24-36 measurement and seemingly perfect legs.
And then came Twiggy, and an entirely new ‘standard’ for women emerged. Natural curves were replaced with straight and thin. Larger busts and hips were out, replaced with the straight styles of the ‘60’s. And teenage girls and young women began looking at their bodies in a different way. It became their defining identity. Thinner was better, thinner was in. Dieting became a way of life as the quest to be thin became more and more important. Dieting replaced nutrition, calories replaced vitamins and minerals and a diet was morphed from enjoying a healthy eating lifestyle to a daunting task upon which all women must embark.
But, is thinner always healthier?
When evaluating your personal eating habits and nutritional needs, always include health factors, family history, lifestyle choices and personal goals. Understanding who you are as a person and what your goals are with respect to health and fitness is key to your own individual success. Overall health and fitness is a personal journey toward individual total wellness and not a goal or desire to look like a popular celebrity, or famous rock star.
Dieting can be fun
Let’s face it, diet supplements and plans have become big business and the choices can be overwhelming. Recognizing your individual personal overall wellness goal, attitude and outlook are key to avoiding the pitfalls of one-size-fits-all fad diets, ready-made meal plans and short-term supplements.
Maintaining a healthy attitude recognizes the desire to live healthy, mind and body, one step at a time. Once upon a time, dieting was a healthy way to live, not an arduous task of what not to eat and what to avoid. Today, dieting can be fun again, with an active understanding of your individual lifestyle goal, body type and positive mind and body connection.
This post is part of the series: Yes, Dieting Can Be Fun!
Dieting - a booming industry. From food & pills, to exercise fads, it seems everyone knows the secret to looking ‘Hollywood healthy.’ Are all these fads healthy? This series educates & empowers women with many of the realities of ‘Hollywood healthy’ as well as ways to bring the joy of food back home