Movie Stars and Your Body- 2 Sides to Consider

1) The Thin Side:

We are influenced by movies, magazines and music -no - we are seduced by movies magazines and music. And we want to be in that world.But - that world doesn't exist, except on the screen and on the glossy magazine page and in the music studio.

Those people, the movie stars, the magazine models, the Diva singers, don't live in the real world. They don't live in your or my world. That means they don't have to function as you or I function. In fact they find it hard to be 'normal'

Remember a movie star makes his or her money by being stared at by millions of people on giant screens all round the world. Their every skin flaw and blemish shows. They have 'make-up and hair' that takes hours before they can 'appear'. They have trainers and doctors and advisors that exist only to make sure they have no 'flaw" on that screen. And they live in a world where everybody they know or ever meet, is also in that world.

Life in the public eye, where your money is made only when million are staring at you, has a tremendous cost; -to your ego; how you think you should look; and of course - to the concept of a balanced life.

Yes of course they are paid (the top few) handsomely to have their skin stretched flat skin and take the Botox, and starvation diets.

However we are not. That is not our world. We do not need the work outs and diets that make our body's shrink until our heads are the biggest thing on our body. We can be normal.

We are lucky, to be able to have normal lives.

Of course the seduction (in the movies and the magazines) is not an accident it is planned and we are encouraged by everything around us to have that 'look'.

Enjoy the movies and the magazine's - but stay you. Be normal. Be happy with you. And your body - remember that show "How to Look Good Naked"? (The U.K. version) It was a show about teaching women their bodies were fine just as they were, and they could look good, sexy, and attractive, bulges included. It taught a great lesson.

Your body type is probably not the same as Michelle Pfeiffer, slight and small, so don't try and be like her. If you are Caucasian and you have Asian friends you are two different body types don't try to emulate each other

2) The Side of Fat:

Obesity is rampant in N America, especially the USA, where steroid fed beef and chickens dominate our plates.

Being overweight is not a crime, nor does it make you a bad person - but it's not healthy. If I may suggest a remedy - eat less.

Fat people are not happier, overweight means more weight for your body to carry, more activity for an already stressed heart (your fat and cholesterol already giving it enough work).

Obesity gross overeating is not something to emulate, or make your children emulate

Overweight and obesity are the fifth leading risk for global deaths. At least 2.8 million adults die each year as a result of being overweight or obese. In addition, 44% of the diabetes burden, 23% of the ischaemic heart disease burden and between 7% and 41% of certain cancer burdens are attributable to overweight and obesity.

1.5 billion adults, 20 and older, were overweight.

Of these 1.5 billion overweight adults, over 200 million men and nearly 300 million women were obese.

Overall, more than one in ten of the world's adult population was obese.

In 2010, around 43 million children under five were overweight. Once considered a high-income country problem, overweight and obesity are now on the rise in low- and middle-income countries, particularly in urban settings. Close to 35 million overweight children are living in developing countries and 8 million in developed countries.

Overweight and obesity are linked to more deaths worldwide than underweight. For example, 65% of the world's population live in countries where overweight and obesity kill more people than underweight (this includes all high-income and most middle-income countries).

(ref: World Health Organization)

So What is Normal?

A little extra weight is fine, it's you. Nothing wrong with chubby. Be your own body. But too much weight or not enough weight can be deadly.

A simple way is to look at your BMI - Body Mass Index. There are lots of websites where you can calculate your own BMI - using your height and weight as a calculation. Make sure the calculation also includes your frame size - or at least your ethnicity

For your BMI calculations - 18.5 - 24 is normal

Less than 18.5 you are becoming underweight

a BMI greater than or equal to 25 is overweight

a BMI greater than or equal to 30 is obesity.

Now, of course it's just an average, it gives you an idea of where you are on the scale. It's just fine to be a little overweight, better in fact than being too skinny, gives your body more resources

Movie stars and models and glam singers cannot afford balance in their lives - they are paid to be out of the ordinary. Out of balance. Not themselves.

We are lucky can have balance. We can look human. If you are a person who puts on weight when you just think about food, acknowledge it and work on it - a healthy life is worth it.

If you are thin, put some weight on, work on it - it's good to be normal, healthy and have the energy and joy that comes from a fully working body - a body that is not fighting anemia or obesity or Botox.

Be normal and balanced. We can afford to be, we live in the real world.

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