Body shaping undergarments make me look like what?

On my normal morning cruise around the web, I found something that stopped me in my tracks. I came a across body shaping undergarments site, (a la Spanx) Yummy Tummie. Who wouldn't want everything quickly tightened, tucked and smoothed into place, right?

While I've never personally tried out either product, I have doubts over the pictures that accompany the products on both websites. I just can't grasp the idea that a body slimming product could make the average American woman (size 14) look like this:

left: Spanx site picture

right: size 14 woman









I'd love to think that if I purchased these products, I too could be long lean and appear a size 2; but I'm not. Seeing a thin woman modeling tummy sucking garments doesn't sell me. I've heard great stories from products like these; so why can't we see them in action on a curvy, average sized woman? I'm a little discouraged to see products that aim for a nonsurgical, healthy approach to enhance what you already have, use such unrealistic displays.

What do you think? When you're shopping for clothes, would you rather see a thin model or a figure closer to your size? What do you think about advertising body concious shaping undergarments with thin women?

MSNBC Interactive

I came across this while fumbling for material on the ever so faithful MSNBC health page. It's a very cool interactive page where you can learn about how women's bodies change over time.

Check out what changes your bones, skin, heart, hair, mind and other areas. Doesn't hurt to do a little damage control now so you don't end up like this later!

Back rolls?

Get your back rolls removed! What??

There's a NEW surgery out there that will lift and tuck those pesky "back breasts" out of your way. Now I've heard it all.

My first ASA post was a readers opinion article on plastic surgery. Over a year since that, I'm curious to see, what do you think now? A new surgery for back rolls makes me wonder about where plastic surgery is headed. Do you have wider fingers that need a nip and a tuck?

I'm curious- what do you think about back rolls? While I've noticed them before, it's never changed my judgment on someone. You can find fit bodies at the beach with a little extra luggage back there. Is your back an area of concern for you? If you could make up a plastic surgery procedure, what would you go under the knife for?

Sidenote: Check out ABCNews covering JLo's back rolls!

Try this on for size-

I caught word of Holobi (still trying to figure out how to say that one) from an ASA reader. Sign in and enter your measurements and the site will help you figure out which body type you fall into. Afterwards, you can go as far as to shop for clothes through the Holobi site that cater to your perfect shape.

I tested it out with my roommate this morning. First mistake? Not having a measuring tape handy. We ended up measuring each other with a trash bag roll and measuring out with a ruler afterward. A little tedious, especially for the morning, but it worked none the less. I ended up being a ruby; a little odd considering I had always thought of myself more full figured (thanks mom!)

Overall I thought the site was pretty cool, although not as helpful as I thought. It told me I need shorter tops and even shorter pants. Duh. It was kind of cool to look at the clothing they had chosen for my body type. I wish it wasn't so expensive, but it gave me an idea of what to look for when I'm out shopping next.

Give it a try and comment with your own critique!

Breast cancer hits Hollywood

Just to stir up the pot o' controversy a little, I believe this is all the proof needed to back up my thoughts on Friday's post.

Quit self breast exams?

Ladies, lay off the ladies!


Tapping into the base of my women's health (from an overweight gray haired woman) in middle school, I can't believe I'm hearing this! The old standby statement was check on your own for first signs of any problems.

A recent MSNBC health article is saying otherwise. Specialists in the article claim self exams cause more worry than necessary.

What’s more, Thomas says BSEs (beneficial effect of screening) can be problematic because the lumps and bumps women do report often turn out to be benign.

“The price you pay for doing more thorough breast exams is you’re going to find more benign lesions and that will result in unnecessary surgical procedures,” he says.

We've all got a hidden hypochondriac in us, though. What do you think? Reading the article makes sense, but would you take the risk of passing over something unsure? One breast cancer survivor quoted in the article said she had found every cancerous lump through self exams, while another woman quoted found numerous benign tumors which led to several unnecessary surgeries.

What the article didn't cover is how to know the difference between lumpy fatty tissue and cancerous trouble. Until that guide comes out, you can bet ladies will continue running to the doctor whenever something suspicious pops up. Wouldn't you rather be safe than sorry?

Going pale?

You can catch America's favorite bootylicious babe celebrated in glamourous magazines. Beyonce Knowles has got a voice to die for, a rockin' body and a studly hubby to boot; so what's there to alter?

According to some, nothing a little brightening on a computer can't fix. A L'Oréal hair highlighting advertisement in Elle Magazine is being scrutinized for its less than accurate portrayal of the diva B.

The photos, which I've yet to see in the magazine, but only on online coverage of the story, speak for themselves. The change in lighting is obvious from the ad on the left to a regular photo of Miss B on the right.

Beyonce is a celebrated figure and embraced for her stunning looks. What L'Oréal felt they had to gain by brightening your skin color is beyond me.

Our views of beauty continue to be distorted as the media resorts to fake computer alterations. The hair highlighting product Beyonce signed the L'Oréal ad deal with is obviously being pushed and then some. The hair highlighting product is obvious in Beyonce's straight, long, unnatural looking hair.

My guess is that to push the change in hair color among consumers while keeping Beyonce's sex appeal, her skin was altered. Beauty products are pushed to the public as ways to physically transform yourself and mask flaws.

Beauty ads continue to push the envelope by altering past the product and selling consumers sometimes not so blatant portrayals of "new beauty".

What do you think? Why did L'Oréal deem altering Beyonce's skin a necessary step for their advertisement? What should be the result of this measure?

Whose career comes first?

A must read CNN article- whose career is more important in your relationship, yours or your partners?

The article researched the trends of placing more importance on the male’s career, even if the female’s career was bringing in more money.

I think traditions play a nasty roll in this sticky topic. Men might be more unwilling to place the importance on a woman’s career because they may feel it jeopardizes their roll as the main provider. Sadly to many it may seem threatening in a relationship to place trust and value on the woman’s career.

The traditional approach of sending dad off to work while mom tends to the house is no longer the norm. Women are a powerful threat in the working force. Maneuvering around motherhood and childcare has changed in modern day society as well, making for full daycares and more acceptance for the stay at home dad.

I can only hope as I plan to start a career within the next few years and eventually (but not within the next few years!) a family that my husband understands my career and enjoyment I get from writing.

What goes in your family? How about your parents? Things are changing- has your value on career changed too?

Hot topics: medical wonder, modern feminist & celeb bodies

Wheeeew nelly! I found some hot topics for discussion today! With these links, there's a little something to get everyone's engines revved up. Let's give the comment section a good workout today, folks.

Medical wonder? The British Daily Mail posted this little gem that I could not pass up sharing- I'm thrilled my baby survived abortion! Short but quiet interesting story. Your two cents?

Best Fem 2008? Blogger Jezebel recently picked her choice for best modern day feminist. I'll give you some clues; she's an activist, has been a staple on television for almost 20 years and rocks the short blond hair better than Ellen DeGeneres. Here's her choice. Not quite mine, but what do you think? Whose your pick?

Nit picking celeb bods? This one's an oldie but a goodie. Tyra Banks may have put on a little weight since her supermodeling (ahem airbrushing) days. Last January, she used her television show to address some harsh words and an unflattering photo that popped up in tabloids. Are the bodies of celebrities our business? Check out my previous post on the subject & reader comments and for some more celebrity body shots, check here.

Who cleans?

The New York Times posted an interesting article in light of the legilization of gay marriage in California. Looking at the way homosexual couples vs. heterosexual couples split up tasks like chores around the home, the article brings forth some light to how we interact in relationships. What do you think?

Got a good ASA hot topic? Let me know in comments or by email- asizableapple@gmail.com

Bodies in politics

Have you seen Condoleezza Rice lately? Girl is tough, and I don't mean with international policies. Take a look at this NBC article keeping up with her workouts with a former Marine trainer. You anti-runners will be happy to know rock hard 'Leeza favors speed-walking on an incline over running.

"I'll work out with an elliptical and treadmill -- I have both at my home. I put in a little gym at my apartment," she said. "I'll go every morning for 40 to 45 minutes on that."

Rice prefers low-impact exercises.

"I'm ... a little bit over 50," Rice said with a smile. "I spent a lot of years as a figure skater, banging my legs and knees against the ice, and so I've decided that I'm going to speedwalk and walk hills instead of running."

Her trainer also favors walking over running."I believe that walking is a very important tool that is underutilized for people," Tomlo said. "I'm a big believer in walking -- for the heart and the way it shapes the body and the lack of impact."

Check out home girls arms!! PHOTO: Fitness Magazine

And next time you think you've found a reasonable excuse to miss your workout, check it with hers-

Rice gets up at 4:30 a.m. every day, and no matter where she is in the world, she gets in a workout. On this day, she just got home from a 15-hour flight from the Middle East the night before.

"When I'm on the road, I absolutely schedule time to get in my exercise first," she said.

Wanna be ripped like Ms. Rice? Check out Fitness Magazine's tips to Condoleezza's workout. How 'bout the other ladies in politics? Mrs. Clinton's bod? Talk amongst yourselves.

Celebrity weight loss programs

I came across a really interesting article on The Daily Mail, a popular British Newspaper.

The article surrounded the means of British television personality Fern Britton's major weight loss.

The star had gone under the knife for gastric band surgery two years ago and since then had attributed her weight loss to "healthy eating and sheer hard work". Britton came clean on the air about her surgery after her agent (who didn't know about her surgery) called her to notify her the press was about to run a story on her supposed surgery.

After publicly accepting rumors about the band surgery were true, Britton said she didn't lie, but "there are some things a girl likes to keep to herself". While Britton was practicing that healthy eating and sheer hard work she also appeared in several advertisements for an English health food cracker. Is anyone reminded of the US equivalent to this story, with the across the pond version of Britton- Star Jones?

PHOTO left: Britton now
right: Britton in 2006

Ok, I get it, you don't want to come forward and face the assumptions that you're lazy or can't do it on your own so you secretly go under the knife. Hey, it is Britton's body anyway, and therefore shouldn't be anyone else's business, right? Well I fully agree with that, but some of her moves just don't fly with me. She's a public figure, and looked up to by many in England. When you show up about 40 pounds thinner and make claims that you achieved this au natural, you're giving false hope to women struggling with weight issues.

We unfortunately have fallen into a horrible habit of comparing our own body to celebrities. Lies about unnatural methods of weight loss can be detrimental to millions who think so highly of these now slim stars. It seems to me that Britton doesn't hold her status as a role model very seriously. Surgery is nothing to be ashamed of, but a personal choice. I understand she wanted to keep an aspect of her life out of the public eye, but why engage in those advertisements further pushing your new figure and 'natural weight loss' out into the mouths of the public?

As a 50 year old woman, I would hope she would have a higher sense of self confidence and if not come forward with her choice, at least keep her statements and advertising choices realistic. What do you think? What are your feelings on stars getting surgery- should we have the right to know, or are their claims about eating well and working hard alright to spread across magazines and television?

Healthy at any age

A Sizable Apple readers are of all different ages, and I recently found a great article to celebrate my range of readers. “Good health at any age”, an article from Weight Watchers.com had a great summary of what to keep up with for women and men at each stage in their life. Here are some highlights from the article (full text can be found here).

All the time:

1. Fuel your body with a wide range of foods, focusing on fruits and veggies.
2. Buy whole grains over processed, and steer clear of foods with added sugars.
3. Pick fish and lean meats over high-fat alternatives
4. Clock in your 30 minutes or more of moderate activity 4-5 times a week.

In your 30’s:

Weight tends to creep up as women start to settle down. Look for alternatives for more exercise, take the stairs, walk whenever you can, ect. Up your folate intake if you’re looking to conceive. Keep up with your calcium to protect your bones!

In your 40’s:

Metabolism starts to slow, so cut back your calorie intake or increase your fitness routines. The weight watchers article suggests starting weight training to increase endurance as well, twice a week. Women in their 40’s should also be getting annual mammograms, clinical breast exams and doing a self breast exam monthly.

In your 50’s:

Risks for heart disease, diabetes and many cancers can be fought off with a solid health and fitness routine. Talk to your doctor about scheduling screenings for colon and breast cancers and osteoporosis. Keep up with your blood pressure and cholesterol levels as well. Menopause can cause women to gain about 5-7 pounds.

For more information on age related check-ups, contact your doctor.

Check my earlier entry here on how to win a free bike!
Contest open from now until June 5.

HPV Testing- more than your regular pap smear

One of my readers sent me some great information on getting tested for HPV, as well as some more background behind the virus. If you’re not on board with the vaccination and are sexually active, consider getting tested.

This site (http://www.thehpvtest.com/) has more information. Regular Pap smears are only 50 to 85 percent effective in identifying women with precancerous or cancerous cells, said Dr. Marie Savard.

Included in the information sent from this reader was a story from a cervical cancer survivor, Micheline Fornarotto. Below are some particularly outstanding parts from her story.

When my doctor asked me if I would consent to have an HPV test as part of my routine exam, I thought, “Sure, why not. I have nothing to worry about.” I’ve been with my husband for 11 years and never had any signs or symptoms of any STD. I assumed the test would come back normal.

My results came back and oddly enough my Pap test was normal but my HPV test was positive. I was totally devastated. How did I end up with HPV? My doctor helped ease my anxiety and reassured me that about 80 percent of women get HPV, but it often goes undetected for a long time. He told me there was nothing to be ashamed of: HPV is as common as a cold.

Six months later, when I returned to his office for the follow-up Pap and HPV test, my results showed I was still positive for HPV and I now had abnormal cells.

After another Pap smear and a colonoscopy came back clear, my doctor next scheduled me for a more invasive second procedure, a deep biopsy of my cervix (also known as a cone biopsy). This is when we finally found out what was really going on - I had a type of cervical cancer called adenocarcinoma.

Both my doctor and I were shocked at the diagnosis. I was even more so when I found out that the cancer was so invasive that I needed a hysterectomy. The cancer was beyond the margins of the biopsy and possibly beyond the cervix. The only lucky part of this diagnosis was that my oncologists agreed that we caught this early enough that I didn’t need any further treatments like chemo or radiation therapy, and surgery alone would be the cure.

Not all doctors will bring up HPV testing at your regular visits. Make sure to check with your doctor and get proper tests if needed. Thank you Tracy for the very informative email, and as always if any readers come across relevant information to A Sizable Apple, or questions, please feel free to email me at asizableapple@gmail.com

Media Portrayal of Women- Body Shape vs. Personality

Millions of Americans spend their weeknights around the television catching their favorite programs. Since the 1950’s when the TV craze began, we’ve grown connected to our watching our favorite actors and keeping up with the storylines of sitcoms. The widespread love of television and mass media created a struggle to appreciate personal identity outside of produced public figures.

Jennifer Aniston’s do-no-wrong character on the mid-90’s explosion, “Friends” is a vital example. The 1990’s Aniston hair craze proves the strength of public emulation of stars. Television became a place to subconsciously trend shop, picking and choosing favorite aspects from clothing, to personality traits.

The portrayal of women on screen has been a long time issue argued in many forms from feminism to media and psychology classes. Our favorite on screen personalities usually fit the 36-24-36 “perfect woman” mold. Female roles, villains or heroines alike, are rarely cast to over weight actresses in attempts for drama as viewers consider which beautiful woman to side with.

Even in television shows like “Scrubs”, the only large woman character is Nurse Laverne Roberts (played by Aloma Wright). Wright’s character is loved for her harsh attitude and despite finding pictures of Wright smiling; you would never catch her character with a grin.

Continuing the trend, in the sitcom “The King of Queens”, and even in the cartoon “Family Guy” and “The Simpson’s”, it’s made to believe that all three wives, slender in body type and kind, loving and always understanding in nature, would stand by their large husbands despite a show that thrives on their mistakes and antics.

Leah Remini’s character, Carrie Heffernan, although shown in a more powerful business position than her overweight husband Kevin James’ character Doug Heffernan, relies often on her looks as the punch line of jokes and despite arguments, accepts all of Doug’s mistakes and accidental destruction.

James’ character, alike the husband figures in “Family Guy” and “The Simpson’s” relies on his weight for humor, and no matter his faults or incompetence, always returns to the loveable teddy bear figure at the end of each show. This misconception shows the public acceptance of larger men.

Among a sea of actresses in the ‘perfect’ body type, a few have broken through. Roseanne Barr had great success with her show “Roseanne”, although she might not have had such luck if she tried portraying her character as high class.

Even America Ferrara’s character in “Ugly Betty” has been noticeably compromised on the cover of Glamour Magazine. Her slimmer arms, face and less curvaceous body have raised concern over the photo alterations of stars that have made their way to fame in larger figures.

While the average American woman wears a size 14, the average actress is a size 8 and shrinking. Television continues to portray the average woman far from what she actually is, while real women feel the wrath of these fake standards.

Instant Gratification- our addiction to the promise for fast results

In our fast pace world, the wait for weight loss is a hard concept to grasp. Despite what late night infomercials may want you to believe, maintaining a healthy lifestyle and healthy figure is not something that can be bought, or accomplished within a week.

The truth is that our bodies don’t respond to the impatient lifestyles. Jumping on to quick body altering methods can be more harmful to the balance of our systems than good.

Despite understanding that natural weight loss is hard work, I’m constantly surprised by the reoccurring advertisements for weight loss supplements. Even magazines with the best fitness and exercise reputation still print bold promises of ‘easy ways to fab abs’ and ‘200 tips to looking great instantly’.

I find it disheartening that of all places to advertise these false promises, exercise magazines are jumping on the bandwagon as well. Where do health publications stand with loyalty to readers, verses sales? Instead of trying to lure in subscriptions with flashy instant gratification promises, maybe these publications can show more dedication to readers.

One in four teens carries STD

A recent study by the Center of Disease Control found that nearly 1 out of 4 teens carries an STD, the Human Papillomavirus being the most prevalent. Nearly 1,000 teenage girls were tested in the 2003-2004 government study. Of the girls tested, 18% were affected by HPV, which can cause cervical cancer.

The article, found on ABCnews.com, made my report on the Gardasil debate earlier this week even more relevant. The controversy, surrounding the vaccination protecting girls as young as 11 from a sexually transmitted disease, made a splash in the health community as the “one less” commercials flooded television.

While parents and some doctors continue to raise concerns about the vaccination being given to young females, news like that in the article mentioned above proves a need for the shot. As controversy continues, stats prove more females are being affected by HPV.

The vaccination, while recommended for females 11-12 and 14-24, can protect against cervical cancer until age 45.

The Gardasil Debate: One less, or many more?

The commercials on television portray a group of strong and confident young women, standing up together free from cervical cancer. However the commercials for Gardasil, a vaccination for young girls against the human papillomavirus (HPV), has become the center of much medicinal and ethical debate.

Unlike measles or chickenpox, HPV is not transmitted by casual contact. Conception of the disease comes in the form of sexual activity. The vaccination, which protects against 4 types of HPV, protects against 70 percent of cervical cancers and high grade lesions as well as 90 percent of genital warts (source).

Children as young as 11 years old are recommended for the vaccination, which leaves many parents up in arms over the series of administered shots. While parents and government officials debating against the vaccination fight for the abstinence of young women, collected data continues to show a drop in age for sexual activity; one specific article finding that 25 percent of males and females are sexually active by the time they enter ninth grade.

Do we protect our children from illness as best as we can with the medicine provided, or do we hold into account ethical principals and personal choices that can save them from contracting cervical cancer all together?

With proper early on sexual education, young women can learn to prevent cervical cancer by abstinence. While some argue that the vaccination allows young women the freedom of sexual exploration with protection, Gardasil only protects against a fraction of the other issues sexual activity brings up. Abstinence or vaccination, shouldn’t we provide all our young women with the same protection against cervical cancer no matter their personal decisions? Should we make sure our young girls are “one less”, or depend on their morals and choices as a determining factor?

Video: Self breast exam

Breast cancer continues to grow as a leading cause of death for women. Besides yearly mammograms, it's easy to check yourself at home for signs of breast cancer. This videojug on self breast examinations was too important not to share with my readers. I highly suggest emailing this video or the link to this post to all of your girlfriends, daughters, sisters, aunts, mothers and grandmothers. With self-exams so simple, every female should be informed on how to search for cancer properly.

VideoJug: How To Become Breast Self Aware Videojug may requite you to log in to view this video, and if you don't have an account, here's the step by step instructions, straight from the video jug site.

How To Become Breast Self Aware
Become Breast Self Aware. Early detection is the best defence against breast cancer. We show how to conduct a breast self-examination to protect yourself.

You Will Need

• 1 mirror

---

Step 1:

Examine yourself in the mirror

Begin by looking at your breasts in the mirror with your arms by your side or on your hips and check that they are their usual shape, size and condition. Look for inversion of the nipple, irregular discharge or a rash.

---

Step 2:

Raise your arms

Now, raise your arms and look again for any changes, particularly any signs of puckering, dimpling or redness.

---

Step 3:

Feel your breasts

Raise one arm in the air or place it behind your head. Use the pads of your three middle fingers of the other hand keeping the fingers flat and together. Using a firm, smooth touch, feel your entire breast including the nipple and armpit (be particularly aware of swellings in this area). The aim is to cover the whole breast from top to bottom, side to side including the underarm area.

---

Step 4:

Use the circular method

Using a circular motion, start from the nipple and move out around the breast being aware of lumps or other irregularities

---

Step 5:

Contact your doctor

The vast majority of lumps are not cancerous. It could simply be a cyst, or just natural lumpiness.
If you have any doubts get it checked out by your doctor as soon as possible.

Keeping Motivated

Women's Health Magazine had a great sideshow on steps to stay motivated. Here are some of my favorite from that article, which can be found in its entirety here.

1. Make a promise-
Signing up to run for a good cause is a great step to staying motivated. Besides having the donations of family and friends riding on your performance, it will allow you to set goals for a great cause, enjoy working for that cause with others, and give you something to train for.

2. Get your pets moving-
If you're thinking about investing in a pet, or have a slightly physically neglected one, take him out! No better excuse to get out and moving than for the want of your fuzzy friend!

3. Yellow polka-dot bikini-
Get your favorite skinny outfit out and hang it in a well visible location. Keeping your skinny jeans out is just the visible cue you need to get to the gym again.

4. Buy into a workout plan-
Splurging a bit to get into that yoga or spinning class may not be exactly how you want to spend you're pay check, but investing a little into your workout routine has been proven to keep you showing up. For my college readers on a real budget, try splurging in smaller amounts, a medicine ball kept by the TV to remind you while you're watching you could be multi-tasking!

5. Face your body-
The more you accept yourself, the most likely you are to keep your figure up. Take small steps daily to enjoy your skin, be it lounging around for the night naked, getting a massage, or feeling the accepting hands of a significant other or friend cuddling. Begin to appreciate yourself more and you'll find you're more invested in keeping things up.

Mentral Pain Relief

Nothing is worse than being forced to take a break in your day for menstrual pain. Sometimes the pain can be so tremendous that it stops your day all together.

While cruising around videojug the other day, I found two interesting videos regarding menstrual relief.

The first one, massaging away menstrual pain. This video is very helpful for running through a quick self massage on your own.

The second video I found was a great link to yoga positions to relieve pain.


Both are helpful tool, and would make a great alternative to lounging on the couch with a big bowl of ice cream!

---

If you are having female troubles, learn all of your woman nutrition information online. If you want to find out about pregnancy symptoms or you want to find a pregnancy calculator, the internet is your best resource!