The Pressure to Lose Weight

In a recent People Magazine article, Hilary Duff discusses the enormous pressure in Hollywood to lose weight. She expressed that, "I did get skinny...I've felt that pressure like everyone else in my position. When a newspaper comes out that says 'Duff Puff – she must have gained 15 pounds' or something like that, how would any normal person react?"

In Hollywood, actresses are in a constant state of being criticized as too fat ("Duff Puff") or too thin ("Eating Disorder"). Is there any woman in Hollywood that actually is an acceptable weight? It seems not. No wonder eating disorders are so rampant there--and in the rest of the United States!

What does all of this mean for you--and everyone else not in Hollywood? A lot. The pressures of Hollywood are simply exaggerations of the everyday pressures put on all women to be thinner, heavier, or so other "er". One good solution? Look to medical science for what is healthy and ideal.

I suggest calculating your ideal Body Mass Index ("BMI") number to find your true, statistical ideal weight range and make that your target weight range to strive for. Your ideal BMI calculation should be between 22-24.9. When in doubt, trusting in science is a decent way to go. Strive to be medically healthy.

As for the self-proclaimed weight police out there telling everyone they're too ___, I say, who made them the experts? What are their credentials? For the most part, they have none. They're usually not medical doctors, so they should stop acting like it. Even if they happen to be MDs, why would it still be OK to give unsolicited opinions and judgement? Think about it. If weight opinions are unsolicited and critical, they're usually not wanted.

Until next time,

Dr. Randy