Media's mixed messages;

No wonder there may be so many confused teenage girls out there, when it comes to the perception of body shapes and sizes. With the media being a huge force behind what is acceptable and what isn't, mixed messages and acts of hypocrisy are easily apparent.

Take for example, the scrutinisation of celebrities and those in the public eye. We watch, observe, write about, applaud, jeer at, different celebrities. One of the most commonly talked about factors is that of their weight. As if being in the public eye wouldn't be hard enough, but these people have to put up with magazine articles, stating they are too fat, too thin, have obvious cellulite etc etc.

And then these so called magazines with publish an article on one page pointing out the weight gain of a certain celebrity. Or posting pictures of someone such as Jennifer Love Hewitt for example holidaying on a beach and GOD FORBID she has cellulite showing in the photos. On the next page after this article, they'll have articles such as 'love your body shape' telling you to accept your so called flaws. How can we as readers, take such an article seriously where on the previous page they were ridiculing someone in the public eye for having cellulite? Hypocrisy? I think so.

Then there will be celebrities on the too thin side, and it will be pointed out to us how much celebrities that are curvy, are such better role models. Fair enough, but why then make it headline news when a celebrity gains weight? First we are saying they are too thin, then too fat? Whatever happens it never seems to be good enough, but then we are being told to accept our bodies for what they look like, embrace our curves etc etc. How can we do that, when such mixed messages are being thrown in our faces all the time?

Jessica Simpson is an example of a celebrity who went from a healthy looking woman to getting drastically thin. Suddenly she was headline news for having everything from anorexia, to bulimia, to fainting because she wasn't eating properly etc etc. A year or so later, a photo is published of her looking curvier again, a noticeable weight gain and she is ridiculed for looking this way, and called all sorts of names under the sun.

What is good enough then? The pressure to have an absolute perfect body shape? Because all us normal humans so have the time and resources available to hire a personal trainer, a personal chef, spend half our time working out because it is part of our job description to look perfect.

I just find it ironic that we are told, begged, to love our body shapes all sizes and weights, and then have to put up with such mixed messages and blatant hypocrisy. Confusing ? Yes I think so.