Are We Too Obsessed with Beauty?

I support the idea that obesity is a problem that should not be ignored, due to its negative health effects. It has become a public health issue, attracting a great deal of attention in both the popular media as well as the medical journals.

However, an obsession with thinness, which may signal a pathologically abnormal body image, is not healthy. Eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia can arise from this distortion.

What is your motivation for weight loss? Are you driven to diet in order to look better in a bathing suit or impress old acquaintances at your next high school reunion? If so, you are more likely to return to unhealthy eating habits as soon as you reach your short term goal.

Although I support weight loss and dieting to improve health, I agree that there is far too much emphasis on the superficialities of appearance. This seems to be fueled by the popular media, which continues to focus on the antics of young, thin, and "beautiful" celebrities. But self-absorption is not beautiful.

I would suggest that the goals of good health, fitness, and well-being are far more suitable ambitions for the long run. You may never look like Angelina Jolie or Brad Pitt, but does it really matter?

Accepting yourself, even loving yourself, is the first key to a rich and rewarding life. You are then free to give of yourself to others and to the world at large. You can reflect on the beauty of life, of spiritual thoughts. You can focus on your family, your friends, your career, and service to your community.