Fitness is great, but what's sad to me is that Bertinelli couldn't have done the photo shoot at a fit 132 lbs.  Plus, even with Bertinelli at 123 lbs, they probably airbrushed the heck out of that photo.  Even naturally (or not-so-naturally) thin models get airbrushed.  We're not even used to looking at human bodies anymore.  The nit-picking of the "jiggly bits" comment is depressing.  Human skin moves, Valerie.  It's ok!

First thoughts on this are "good for her".  She was out of shape/overweight and she got into shape the right way. She's a short person and 123 is a very healthy weight for her size.  She did this over 2 years, so I think she deserves some credit.

Following thoughts shot straight to my own body issues and reading lines about looking in the mirror and going straight to the "jiggly bits" is relatable.  She didn't lose the weight overnight, she did it publicly through attainable means.  170 something lbs is not healthy.  While it can be argued that this article reinforces the negative body issues thrust upon women, it can also be argued that women need to be physically healthy and she can be seen as a role model.  I mean, if you think about it, mention Kirstie Alley, on the other end of the spectrum, weighed 200lbs and was a very bad image for women as an unhealthy lifestyle.  She lost twice the weight Valerie did, in half the time, then put it back on just as fast. 

While women don't need negative body issue catalysts, they do need healthy role models; America has the highest rate of obesity, not to mention diabetes.  I look at this, not about image, but about health.


Although I definately agree with the comment regarding a "fit 132 lbs".  If it wasn't for Valerie admiting she had to anorex-it-up for the photo shoot, she could have maintained credibility as a role model for women.

I have to say that I agree with Lauren. Yes the article is reinforcing negative steroeotypes about women and their size BUT people in the United States are fat! It sounds harsh but its true, check out the documentary Super Size Me. We as a nation need to slim down! Granted not everyone can be 120lbs, I sure for one am not, nor should they be but I applaude this story because for the most part (until she reached 132lbs) Valerie lost this weight the right way through diet and exercise over time. What we should be "in arms" about is why there are not more healthly weight loss stories in magazines like People, why do magazines and the fashion industry continue to over photo shop images of women and why we do not see more images of "larger" healthy women.

right on. thank you :)

Lauren and DNMP Politico, though those are valid points, I have serious concerns about the rhetoric of this article.

Based on her BMI, it sounds like Bertinelli was indeed overweight. But why is her exact weight in pounds newsworthy to begin with? It also sounds like she lost weight at a reasonable and steady rate in the beginning. But why was such a personal health issue turned into a public spectacle? Given that she was a paid spokeswoman for Jenny Craig, I think it was primarily for egotistical and financial gain. And there is no question that her final push before this photoshoot was extreme.

The story does not discuss the health and lifestyle concerns associated with a high BMI. Rather it focuses purely on aesthetics. Beyond that, I don't like how People has couched this issue. It's as if they are saying being old isn't as bad as being heavy.

I am just saying that at least 1/3 of the people who ahd posted here had the initial reaction that this woman got healthy the right way, over an appropriate amount of time  and also see that this article is a fantatic gateway for women in America to get healthy without purging or starving themselves. 

It  seems as though this article is saying "just because you're over 45 and have children, it's not to late to get healthy". 

I think you should look inwards when regarding what you take away from the article. Because, really, at what point is a woman getting in shape/becomming healthy going to stop being about eating disorders?  She in no way demonstrates the characteristics of an eating disorder (i'm a psychologist so trust me on this).  Many, multiple women feel bad about themselves and overweight and now have a woman too look towards; over 40, patience and healthy ways of trimming down.  what woman, proud of her accomplishments in health are we going to draw the line from being anorexic to being health concious? Because, really, anything else is projecting. 

Although I have not read the original People article, based on the summary here, we know nothing about Valerie Bertinelli's health.  Health is reflected by blood sugar, blood pressure, cholesterol, and triglyceride counts -- not weight.  Fifty percent of overweight and obese people have health markers within a normal range, while 25% of thin people do not.  Correlation is not causation, and obesity does not cause health problems, even though it certainly can and does coexist with them.

Valerie may be more healthy at 123 pounds than she was at 172.  Then again, she may not.  We simply don't know.  As long as people use weight as a proxy for health, we think people with eating disorders and obsessive exercise habits are "healthy," and people with perfectly acceptable health markers who are carrying more pounds as "unhealthy." 

Who benefits from that? Not the thin people who think they have nothing to worry about, and not the heavier people who fear lectures from their doctors and don't get the preventative care they need.

But hey, let's give Jenny Craig and the diet industry the boost they need and make more people feel badly about themselves.

Lauren, you should really find and read the print version before you assume this article presents healthy model for weight loss. I forgot to add that as a note, but you can only get the full version of this story in the actual magazine.

Yes, many women do feel bad about their size, and an article like this perpetuates weight loss for purely aesthetic reasons, not health. The printed version goes into specific numerical statistics, details about how she refused to wear a bikini for 20 years, the constant fear of gaining back a few pounds and much more. Even if Bertinelli's methods were OK, her mentality borders on disordered.

As a psychologist, I certainly hope you realize how damaging such beliefs can be. A weight loss obsession doesn't have to be a full-blown eating disorder to cause serious mental distress and a significantly reduced quality of life.

There is a major difference between proclaiming weight loss for health and wellness reasons and proclaiming weight loss for aesthetic reasons. This article is clearly the latter, like most articles about weight loss in magazines. Thank you for making this distinction, Julie, and pointing out the seriousness of the "bikini body disorder." Being overweight is unhealthy, but having a weight loss obsession that revolves around attaining the publicly accepted standard of beauty (the bikini body) is unhealthy too.

Well considered, strong conclusion.  Excellent.

Julie, I went to the link of the article and it was very short; but I wouldn't be surprised if content was edited out.  You're absolutely right, obsession with gaining weight and body image is NOT healthy and should not be promoted in popular magazines.  But I just feel that with so manu negative role models out there, we can't pick on a woman who feels self concious since she was overweight.  People magazine is abhorent and is known for cover stories like those claiming Jennifer Love Hewit is fat b/c she was photographed in a bikini that wasn't airbrushed.  Go after the publication, not the woman.

I think that most of us can agree that we'd all be better off not reading magazines like _People_, whose bottom lines are based on selling products and a fantasy celebrity lifestyles to their readers.  If we feel pressured to conform to some nit-picky superficial aesthetic that isn't even achievable without touch-up artists, I can only imagine the pressure that most Hollywood actresses must feel.  When one of them gives in to these pressures by going on an extreme diet regime for a photoshoot, they get tons of publicity that perpetuates those pressures even more.  I think we can agree that if Bertinelli had done a health-oriented interview and photoshoot with a less superficial magazine, women could look up to her as a role model.

These are also the magazines that pay photographers for stalking celebrities so that we can simultaneously give them more attention and scrutiny than they deserve.  This kind of entertainment exacerbates judgmentalness and superficiality and contributes little to nothing to society as a whole.  I wish that fewer people would waste their money and minds supporting these publications.

OK, try to ignore the fact that it's organized in a totally annoying Photobucket album, but I wanted to get this up ASAP. I've scanned in the entire article so people can get a real feel for how People portrayed this:

http://s484.photobucket.com/albums/rr208/JulieNeumann/People%20Magazine%20-%20Valerie%20Bertinelli/

Because yes, I agree, it is the way it was presented that is so harmful. My intent was not to pick on Valerie Bertinelli the person, but to criticize her portrayal and the implications of the story.

I think the problem with this article isn't Bertinelli's weight loss or even her final weight, but the goal of having a specific appearance to others (bikini body) instead of a healthy body.  It's a good thing for people, both men and women, who are overweight to lose weight to be healthier, live longer, and be more active.  I think the issue here is motivation- we should be focused on attaining and maintaining a healthy weight, not making our bodies look a certain way for a piece of clothing. 

I would like to appeal to all the obese people I see every day.

You are killing yourselves you should seek profession help. Yesterday I saw a lady struggling to walk she was at least twice the size her body could carry. She was maybe 35 years old if that. But she did make it to the handicap electric chairs in Walmart after parking in a handicap space. How could anyone eat themselves into this shape?

I think it is sad when people are judged by their addictions.  Everyone has their issues, for some people it's food, others it's smoking, caffeine, alcohol, drugs, sex, gambling, or any other compulsive behavior you can possibly think of.  I suppose many of those people are "killing themselves and should seek professional help."  Food addiction carries the additional shame of one's addiction being visible to others, whether it's in the form of obesity or perhaps anorexia.

Fred, don't think for a minute that people with food issues don't want to change, and don't think that they don't put more shame on themselves than you ever could.  Imagine the humiliation that woman at Walmart must have been feeling.  Put yourself in this other person's shoes for a moment, and don't just assume that they have not tried to lose weight, because if you asked, you'd probably find that the majority of them have been on every diet plan known to man.

Consciously or subconsciously, the focus on female weight issues are sexist.

A well known man with a 50+ weight loss wouldn't draw any interest.

Imagine a man with one hand in his hair, the other hand on his hip, and his legs spread ridiculously WIDE apart. The photograph would not be viewed as a weight loss celebration, it would look like a promotion for Playgirl magazine. The double standards between males and females should alarm anyone with beliefs in equality for the genders, otherwise the perception of equality needs to be put in check. In truth, it doesn't exist for some people.

Discrimination is being eradicated in many areas. The term "fat" is extremely hurtful and definitely derogatory. Proper terminology is rarely used; words such as overweight, obese or heavy, to name a few. "Fat" is an accepted "n" or "b" word. The use of the word "fat" should not be permitted. The word is meant to create a hurtful response. This does not help the overweight individual. It can have an adverse affect. Use of this word also reflects a person's acceptance of discrimination and words that hurt.

For the sake of truth, imagine a man on the cover of that issue/article and it might surprise you to find out where your level of compassion and equality really exists.

Quite frankly, the Bertinelli photograph is sexist and borders on the obscene through suggestion.

Obesity is physical. Is narcissism the real 'issue' here? I would much rather deal with the heavy-set compassionate man or woman rather than the egotistical "I'm thin" mentality. Self-esteem and respect for self and others is lost in this obsessive society.

Thank you, Julie and Lydon. Dawn, excellent comment!

Thank you for this post. I've suffered from anorexia on and off since I was a teenager, and I cannot begin to tell you what it did to my life. I see stuff like this in the news and it brings out all sorts of emotions in me, but I am happy to say that the first thought was aligned with this post---for me that is healthy. The bikini body is such an illusion; I've weighed well below the acceptable body weight in severe bouts of anorexia and I still looked like crap in a swimsuit; it isn't weight and it isn't even exercise per se; it's choosing to scupt your body to correspond to ONE image that a lot of bodies cannot do as we are all made differently, no matter what the scale or the muscle vs fat ratio is. Valerie is free like the rest of us to choose her life path, but it becomes a problem when we are coerced by the media to think this is the only way a woman must look. I tell you; a lot of "thin" women have fainting spells, they are severely dehydrated, their fertility is compromised, they are anemic and they have low blood pressure and terrible blood circulation. The obsession for the bikini body is bondage for women, and it isn't healthy for men as it screws up their own natural intuition as to what true beauty is.

Thank you again for this fine post.

I didn't read everything here because I don't have time.
I just wanted to say that every time I see 'perfect' people on ads like this, it not only reminds me that I'd never be able to afford a commercial diet or a gym membership.  I'm 62 with breast cancer.  I actually quit smoking after 50 years, but I'm about 60 pounds overweight.  I was a (neurotic) size 3 all my life and now I wouldn't even admit what I try to squeeze into.
On the other side of the fence is Kirsty Ally...  now THAT IS more realistic.  After dieting you almost always gain it all back plus more. 

Other than the cancer, I'm really healthy, even with my huge belly.  So it's not ALWAYS for health reasons.  It all just leaves me feeling so ugly and undeserving of any pleasures in life.  It's just too bad for us fatties.

"Imagine a man with one hand in his hair, the other hand on his hip, and his legs spread ridiculously WIDE apart."

Calvin Klein, Holister, Abercrombie and Fitch...you get the point.  The average male doesn't fit in to the demographics this article is trying to reach.  If People Magazine had articles about big, healthy women, with pictures that are unaesthetically pleasing, customers are lost.  If you walked in to Abercrombie and Fitch and didn't find pictures of men and women in their twenties half naked, the well established teen customer base is lost.  

We can debate the psychological well being of this article and what it projects to society, whether that be correct or incorrect. But let's face it, People Magazine is a business, and a very successful business at that.

People Magazine isn't a health magazine, and the people who read it are more willing to act on an article that concentrates on a well defined "bikini body" than an article that concentrates on calories and carbs. It's unforunate, but it's the truth. 

If being aesthetically pleasing is the driving force behind achieving a healthy lifestyle then so be it. 

While it is unfortunate that there are so many materially absorbed individuals in todays society, I believe that it is just as unfortunate that people sit around feeling sorry for themselves about it are just as bad.

Be happy with yourself.  Stop worrying about what other people think about you.  If you want to pick on the media for portraying harmful material, look more at their excessive use of fear.

As far as what is "ideal" in terms of people and their bodies...sorry but you will never win this battle against human nature.  Younger, healthier people are more attractive than older, unhealthier people. 

Rather than look at this as a slight against them, old, fat women should be inspired by this success!  If it matters so much to them, they hell up off their pitty pot (and the sofa) and go do something about their health.  If, on the other hand, it doesnt matter to them, than there really is no point in mentioning any of this - or even noticing it for that matter.

Boohoo. :p

Thank you Julie for posting this, and scanning the actual article so people could read it in it's full, uh, glory.  Clearly Valerie Bartinelli has struggled with weight issues her whole life - issues NOT related to health, i.e. "crash diets on the set of One Life to Live."  At 5'4, weighing 132 (quite a bit of which was probably muscle weight, not fat, due to her 9 month workout regimen) is healthy.  But it is clear from the article, that there were all kinds of psychological motivators that drove her to drop to 123.  The only mention of the health benefits of losing weight are in the side-bar, and only when talking about her boyfriend who decided to lose weight when he became winded on walks.
Women and men both need to maintain healthy weights, but the motivators should be HEALTH, not a bikini body.  I'm 5'6, weigh 135 pounds (ahem, not all muscle weight), and if I were on the cover of People, it would be in a "Bods that should not be in bikinis" expose.  But my BMI is great.  My waist size (33) is right in the middle of the absolutely healthy range. 
It is unlikely People magazine will change its ways to focus on the real issues of weight, but I should give some props to other women's magazines that seem to focus more on health, not looks (i.e. Oprah, who seems to struggle with weight - not sure of the psychology of her story, but she doesn't seem to say things like, "I can't stand to look at my jiggly bits," while motioning to her thighs....ouch...).  Anyway, at least she brings in Dr. Oz who suggests we give up the desire to bury cellulite with expensive creams, and focus on losing the dangerous belly weight that cramps our organs and causes long-term health problems.
It's doubtful that story would sell as much as Valerie in a bikini, or Madonna not getting her child from Malawi, but health (and healthful beauty) is the story Americans need to hear.  

Julie - thanks for your piece - the thing that really disturbs me is the messages being given to girls - tweens & teens - by this article and so many other media.  The most harmful thing is the message is that it's normal for a woman to hate her own body.  Girls clearly get the message that part of becoming a woman is learning how to judge and dislike their own bodies - and they are getting those messages at younger and younger ages.  We hear that all the time from girls at newmoon.com - it's a recipe for emotional and psychological pain and harm, as you say. 

Check out a powerful film on our crazy behaviors and beliefs around "beauty" at http://www.americathebeautifuldoc.com/ - made by Darryl Roberts.

The cover says it all: "I can't believe I did it!".While her other comments about her own body image are common, people will lose the unwanted weight and keep it off because they have taught themselves that they deserve it. When someone can say: "I love that I love myself!" or "I love it when I put my focus on something and I obtain it!", then I will know that they will continue to do good things for themselves and for the people they love. 

Julie - thanks for your piece - the thing that really disturbs me is the messages being given to girls - tweens & teens - by this article and so many other media.  The most harmful thing is the message is that it's normal for a woman to hate her own body.  Girls clearly get the message that part of becoming a woman is learning how to judge and dislike their own bodies - and they are getting those messages at younger and younger ages.  We hear that all the time from girls at newmoon.com - it's a recipe for emotional and psychological pain and harm, as you say. 

Check out a powerful film on our crazy behaviors and beliefs around "beauty" at http://www.americathebeautifuldoc.com/ - made by Darryl Roberts.

I scanned the pros and cons of these blogs and all I came up with is: that as individuals and a nation we need to be more healthy. It's kind of like the mind set that "poverty breeds poverty" being over weight can be "hereditary" as well. If all you've ever eaten was fried or out of a styrofoam box your probably going to continue that lifestyle. Changing peoples behavior in the long run is just not realistic. There will be those who overcome it, but most won't. So, lets try to be not judgemental of anyone. No one knows what anyone else has been through or is going through. Unless you've been there, your just putting on shoes that don't fit.

I am no expert but from my research most physicians/doctors agree that rapid extreme weight loss is dangerous and not a proven method for sustained weight loss for most. With that being said it took Valerie two years to lose the weight. Valerie had a dietitian and personal trainer to assist her achieve her goal. A bikini body for vanity is one thing but lowering cholesterol and heart pressure is another. No she was not obese but that extra weight does overload internal organs and can shorten your life. Valerie is in show business and the public demands their celebrities to look there best. This obsession is not the fault of People Magazine or Valerie, it is society's obsession with perfection in the ones that we look up to. My wife has giggly and I love it, because I love her, but if she could do what Valerie did  she would. Most of us don't have the time and energy for this routine. Now after seeing Valerie, both me and my wife say "Hey I can do that too" So I say Good for you Valeria and thanks for the inspiration and reason now to try.

I think Valerie looks great.  Being 40 pounds overweight at any age in life whether you're male or female is very unhealthy for your heart, your lungs, your skin and digestive tract.  It affects everything in your body.  I am trying to lose 25 pounds for my health and how I look and feel.  Being overweight makes me feel sluggish, uncomfortable in clothes and off balance. 
Kudos to Valerie for her weight loss.  She looks healthier, and I am certain she has more energy.  She is a mentor to me to go for the best health I can while I am here.  I think a lot of people are just plain jealous a she is beautiful!

You know whats weird about all this to me now that I am 43 and trying to look my best. I obsessed when I weighed 130 and it was never good enough when I was in my 20's no matter how small or how many pds i lost.  With that being said I have more realistic goals for myself. Its more about inch loss for me and being healthy than what the scale says or the size of the tag on my pants. I think a realistic weight loss for each individual is what is most important. I think Valerie looks great but again in American the word moderation seems to be lost. Its always how extreme can we go. I agree that Valerie could of looked just as good at 132 pds. also. I mean did that what almost 10 pds make her smaller or just 123 pds?  Is it about what the scale says or what size pants we where or how do we even feel at a certain weight? These are questions that should be asked. I remember always dieting and trying to get as small as I could and never feeling all that great as far as self esteem went. I am heavier now but very healthy and fit. Think about people.

I thought it was inspiring!  (and I read the entire article.)
She looks fantastic - good for her!!! 
This is what freedom is all about.  She did the work, she deserves the credit.
She's not anorexic and 1700 calories a day is nothing of the kind.  She did drop to 1300 just before the shoot - still not anorexic levels.
So what if she did it for aesthetic reasons.  What is wrong with that, for whatever reason she did it.  She is at a much healthier weight, she feels better about herself...
She wanted change - she worked for it and got what she wanted.
Why the harping?  This IS change.org isn't it?
I don't get it.

I think Valerie looks great too. Its not harping its when things are taken too far is what this is about. 1700 calories can be low depending on how much you are exercising. It can be fine depending on the level of activity. I don't think she looks anorexic at all. She does look great. She did it. NO arguement there. But just look at all the harping that one actress got for gaining 10 pds. That is ludicrous.  You do look heavier in pictures and camera also. its about the bikini disorder.  And I had it in my 20's. A lot of women suffer from it and that is not good. I don't know if Valerie personally has that disorder its more about the female population. I think thats what this is all about. What is normal for the average person? Not an actress who can afford a dietician and personal trainers. Also us average people don't get airbrushed before we head to the pool or beach.

all you women should just get over the fact that you've inhaled too many super size me's and do what Valerie did....

go on an extreme diet

While I understand the writers perspective in light of her own experiences...I'm sorry guys...

I am INSPIRED.

There has been a lot of study about the range within which body fat and conditioning supports our ability to be active, engaged and contributing to your own and others’ lives. There seems to be little doubt that when we fall outside that range, either up or down, there are trade-offs that may reduce the quality of our lives. This is information that can help us make choices.
  What saddens and frustrates me about the tenor of much of the discussion here is the unspoken assumption that how much you weigh, how you have gained and/or lost weight and how much exercise you get is a moral, right/wrong, good/bad, blame/deserve issue.        I highly value people choosing unprocessed, high nutrient, sustainably grown, fresh food, eating as much or as little as their activity level and age require, and moving their bodies at least as much as necessary to strengthen circulation, muscles and get their physical systems moving. The more we can make those choices, the more vital our entire community.        Quality of life goes down when we carry so much or so little body fat and are so out of shape that it is difficult to go hiking with friends, dance, garden, focus on tasks, participate in sports, and experience eating as a simple activity for nutrition and community.        I also do not judge people on the choices they make around these issues. We swim in a sea of only marginally healthful and outright unhealthful food choices. And I am not talking here about the occasional celebratory meal where we enjoy on rare occasions what we would normally not eat.   I happen to be fortunate to live where there are farmers’ markets and food stores that (for a higher price) make healthy eating a bit easier. And even then, I must read labels, check fat content and heaven help me if I am out and about at mealtime and only have time for a quick bite. The choices plummet to nearly zero. When I am really lucky, I can get a (non-organic, fumigated, waxed and possibly genetically modified) apple and some string cheese from bovine growth hormone, antibiotic laced milk. When it is this challenging, far be it from me to criticize either myself or others on the basis of some “jiggly bits” or on how many pounds up or down. They make a difference, but not to our value as human beings.        So I celebrate everyone who has developed workable strategies that support healthful eating and activity. I choose not to assign moral worth to people based on their size. I celebrate anyone whose life has been improved by diet and life-style changes.    

Thank you Janette. Not all women who gain weight eat McDonalds. that was just rude. The other issue I have with all this that has not been mentioned is Valerie is close to menopausel yrs or even could be in perimenopause. Let me tell you, you can gain weight during this time even if working out and watching your diet.  Its a tough time for a lot of women. While some women can cruze by during this time others may not be so lucky. That concerns me also that such extremness is done during that phase of life. Not that I know if Valerie is in that stage but at 48 she is close to it. But see we are not aloud to discuss that part of the picture now are we? 

I found many of the comments posted here to be very depressing.  As someone who had a trim figure until I had to take a medication that has weight gain as a side effect, I was horrified to learn first-hand how the overweight are treated in our society.  We do not have the same visceral reaction to people who do not wear helmets when they ride bikes or seat belts when they are in a car but we are so judgemental in the name of health if someone has too many//too full fat cells to please us.  I can't think of anything more invasive than judging someone for the contents of something that are actually under their own skin.  I want to know what Valerie has done with her life artistically/intellectually/socially/emotionally, and what her future plans might be.  I see human beings as more than pieces of meat.  And because of this, I feel like a complete alien in this culture.  

One very important fact that a lot of people tend to overlook when these types of articles are published is that a thin person can be just as unhealthy as an obese person. Being heavy does not always equal unhealthy.

The most important thing that people need to do with themselves regarding weight is to consult with medical professional - a doctor or nutritionist, for example - not anonymous idiots on the internet.

I think it is great Valerie wanted to lose the weight, and she did it.  This article makes a good point about the drop from 132 to 123 for the photo-shoot, as others have noted.  But, on the whole it is negative article, designed to enable and discourage.  The proof is the phase near the end:

"It supports the cliché that ... there is always room for improvement."

This is denying that there is always room for improvement.  Of course there is!  Do not allow this article to enable you to remain overweight, and unhealthy, if you are!  Find your own way to eat right, and keep active, but DO IT!

Consider that as recently as 25 years ago, and for ALL OF HUMAN HISTORY before that, children and adolescents (and adults for that matter) regularly encountered incidental nudity.  In elementary school, children frequently swam naked (gender separated in my fathers school).  Starting in junior high (a time during which it is extremely beneficial to see many nude people to inform your own ideas about the human body) they showered together after gym class.  If they participated in sports, they also showered together.  If they went to a public pool or gym, they would certainly encounter nude people in the lockerroom and showers.  By the time they reached 18, most people had seen dozens and dozens of regular people nude.

Today?  Most people reach 18 never having seen more than a handful of people nude.  No nude swimming, no showering after gym, no showering after sports practice.  Incidental nudity has been completely removed from the world of children and adolescents.

The parental approach of "better safe than sorry" is destroying the young.  In general, media images have far, far, far less impact than people commonly give them credit for.  But in the case of body image, since they have absolutely no frame of reference to compare to, the way the brain works makes it so that they adopt the images in the media as a standard.  If they had significant experience seeing normal people naked, the images in the media would be perceived as as fantastical as any flying superhero and would have little effect on them.  But today, parents and society abuse children severely by neglecting their development.  Parents and society act like children mature simply as a matter of course, just a matter of getting older and having good nutrition.  This could not be further from the truth.  Absence of experience prevents brain development.  Intense personal experiences are what the brain evolved to develop from.  This is why children and adolescents are driven to risky behavior - they require it to grow into a functional adult.  This is why children and adolescents want to see people naked - they require it to even have a chance of developing a rational body image.

Because they have been so severely sheltered and overparented, people reach out to the only resource available to them, the media.  And what do they find in the media?  Not people.  The things shown in the media are not people who exist.  They are edited and manipulated and the images do not represent a realistic person.  How could anyone expect people to grow up with a reasonable body image when bodies are one of the things parents and society exert tremendous effort to prevent them from experiencing?

So I see that I have no reason to worry.... I'm only thirty, but I'm already very fat and I don't care. I simply don't wear bikinis, mini skirts, etc. Now I'm glad to discover that obsessive slimming is a disorder. I don't even try to lose weight, so I have no disorder of that kind. :-)

The photo sends a strong and deplorable message re: what motivates women to do what they do: White European cultural standards of beauty, and white patriarchal expectations of what women should be.  I see no problem with women wanting to be fit and healthy.  But, to appear in a bikini on the cover of a magazine? Lots of negative cultural and societal factors engineering that one.

Solve three problems in one - cycle!  Keep fit, skip the traffic jams and do your bit for the environment!  It is so obvious I don't know why more people don't cycle.

I agree about the dialogue around purification and weight (particularly for women.) I also agree about the strangeness of defining "sexy" in a 50 year-old woman in terms of her "bikini body." However, as many others have posted, it is NOT "normal" to be overweight just becasue one is middle-aged. And I say that as a middle-aged person who is overweight myself!

Why counter one set of unhealthy societal memes (sexism) with another (acceptance that the entire population is sliding into obesity, beginning with the children)? Also interesting is that the bikini body she displays is not the muscular body of the athlete - a state that gets left out in this whole fat/thin discussion. (It even gets left out by the medical profession in the continued use of BMI, which does not differentiate between the heavy, muscled athlete and the fat person.)

This conversation reminds me of the ad that appears here in San Francisco wherein a stressed-out stockbroker gets medical marijuana prescription. Great. Pothead AND stress case; two vices in one.

You know Michael see this is the problem. I lost 25 pds. I look pretty good. so what if the scale does not say 123 pds. Your only going to have a partner based on what the scale says? that is damn sad. She can be a total bitch but who cares. My breast certainly don't lie next to me either cause I am not 123 pds. I doubt that Valeries did at 170 either.  I agree we should not be overweight that is not my arguement. As a women in perimenopause i can tell you its harder to stay resonably thin. Again this factor is not considered. And using a 1700 calorie diet could do more harm as the hormones affect insulin and water retention big time.  The arguement is not that we should stay overweight or that kids should be overweight. But people should not go to the extreme to look good either. Thats it. Again moderation. People hate that word it seems. I think Valerie did an excellent job in moderation to get down to 132. But for this bikini body i think it was taken to extreme. I know i did it in my 20's. Was I ever happy after doing these extreme things to myself NO!  When is it ever good enough.?  I don't think if your under stress you should be given pot to cope that is just dumb. How did this get into the conversation? 

So we finally recognize that being fat is a problem, and being thinner is better.
I love the comments, "it must be airbrushed", "it has got to be unhealthy to lose that much weight", etc.
Fact is, that diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and a number of other health problems are all related to being overweight.  And when you do exercise, some people ridicule you for being some sort of a "fanatic".
Yes, 40, and 50, and even 60 year women can be very sexy (I know, I happen to be married to one of them).  And then perhaps then we would need less Viagra.  But then, the drug companies would never want that to happen!!!

Please!  We are so obsessed with youth culture and being thin we are sick.  American women need to be more like German women - "the larger the woman, the smaller the bikini." 
Certainly if morbid obesity is damaging a woman's health she might lose weight under medical supervision, but not by self-starvation, anorexia or bulimia. 

I personally can't believe this is even an 'issue' where Women's Rights are concerned. Right now, in Pakistan, the Zinna Laws are throwing Rape victims into prison for being 'adulteresses'. That's an issue, a dire one at that.

Meanwhile, Valerie Bertinelli is in great shape, and that's a 'disorder' of some sort. According to most of the comments, the true disorder--the life-threatening one--is obesity. (And anyone could beat it simply by eating proteins separately from carbohydrates.)

Women may receive endless cultural conditioning about dieting and weight loss, but that does not oblige them to buy into it. You don't hear men crying foul over the amount of "six pack abs" messages broadcast at them. 

I really appreciate all the comments, thank you to everyone who is participating in this conversation.

But I do think one thing is being overlooked. My first reaction to this piece was not about Valerie Bertinelli's individual need to lose, or not lose, weight. It was about the way that weight loss itself was portrayed - as a necessary step towards beauty - and how the thin ideal was glorified. This myth is perpetrated to millions of women through a glossy, photoshopped, pervasive fairytale. It stares back at us from our coffee tables, in waiting rooms and at the grocery store as constant reminder of what we should consider important. It is not about health, it is all about aesthetics.

Should we - as women, as feminists, as a society - put up with such an insidious cultural message?

Yes I agree totally Julie its not about Valerie. Its about the message here. WE have to loose it to be beautiful? Or way a certain number to be beautiful? Sorry Ken but men are not targeted as much as women about how much they weigh or don't weight. I can't even rember an article about a male actor who lost a bunch of weight or gained weight. And yes they do but I never see it headlined hardly ever!  Its not on People magazine thats for sure. Maybe how some male actor got in better shape for a specific movie role. But thats it. Now in the last few weeks I have seen at least 4 actresses on major magazines and weight issues. Whether it be they are overweight by 10 pds or look too thin. Do the math its all there.  It is a cultural message geared towards women mostly. 

The way to attain and stay at a healthy weight is to exert more energy/calories than one takes in.

That equates to 'working out' and a reason why people fail to develop an exercise regime they stick with, is not due to lack of will, but lack of love for the activity.

 "Working out" will not work out; until it becomes a time to play.

I wtote an e-book that addresses this topic-and much more!

 So, That was 54… is about how i am in the best shape of my life in the midst of all that goes with mid life!

PS-the photo on my website was taken in 2008 and was only airbrushed to even out my wrinkles and sparkle up my eyes.

I am just under 5'4" and maintain between 117-123 by eating ONLY when i am hungry and I LOVE choclate! But i have learned i must control THE AMOUNTS!!!

Living life to the full takes hard work and means playing hard and thinking deep!

xoxe

PS-I first saw the magazine at the grocery check out and I wondered, why is loosing weight considered such news, when people are starving?

PSS-have been to Israel-Palestine 6 times since June 2005.

I founded the website WeAreWideAwake.org three weeks after my first trip and have written two books on the topic of Israel Palestine.

BTW-just thinking about people who are being bombed and sanctioned in my name-because I am a USA Taxpayer-works great as an appetite suppresant and the side effects are you are moved to action-to do something and try and help alleviate anothers suffering.

I agree with you Eileen.  I use to run everyday because I grew to love it.  Lot's happened and now I am back to  walking and I love it.  My response to Debbie as she states that we don't see men on the cover of magazines talking about their weight gain and yes that's true, but how many men do you know are on a diet?  I can only think of one person, the rest of the people I know that are on a diet are women!  I've been married twice and both of my husbands were fit and still are fit and stayed that way throughout their lives.  I have always fluctuated up and down as much as 25 lbs now, and again back to work for me.  I can't blame my eating on anyone else but me.  Food can be an addiction and when I overeat I seem to be trying to fill up something that's missing.  When I am healthy, I don't live to eat, I eat to live and feel so much better about my life and my body.  Yes, my husband loves me a lot, but I love myself a lot more when I am fit and healthy.  I get sick less when I am fit and feel more alive!  For me that's something to definitely strive for, to be the best me I can  in this life.

As a 56 year old woman who stays in shape by working out and being vegetarian, I can tell you that an average person CAN have a bikini body at 56. Americans are getting fatter and fatter and using any excuse to stay that way, even though all good medical advice tells us being even moderately overweight shortens our lifespans, reduces quality of life, and taxes our health care system. My body looks every bit as good as Valerie's, and I'm proud to wear a bikini, too. And I don't have "self-image issues."

Deborah:  Kudos for staying in shape. I am also a vegetarian who loves almost all kinds of foods!  Now I am walking and cutting back on what I eat as I feel so much better when I am fit.

Everything is better when you are fit.

When we are in balance; body, spirit and mind we are the healthiest, happiest and will look our best.

I am also convinced-by life experiences- that our 50's can be our fittest and best decade.

Once upon a time i was an athletic skinny kid who just prior to puberty got chubby and then began a cycle of yo-yo dieting through my early 20's.

I once considered Popeye's onion rings a vegetable and screwdrivers were my preferred drink. I worked, went to school and partied at night, but never got any exercise.

Not until I got sick and tired of feeling sick and tired and looking like a blimp, did I change my ways and I have never slipped back into bad habits, for feeling strong and being healthy is life at its best.

Today, I sip on POM cut with diet tonic and lots of ice-but the vodka is only occasionally and i eat moderate amounts of fresh foods that are low fat and nutrient dense and do Pilate's, Rollerblade, walk, swim and write my heart out on the world wide web and in books.

Life is short and we are meant to enjoy it, and Americans preoccupation with food, looks and the superficials is what needs to be examined and changed.

The media could be a vehicle of enlightenment if they would report on regular people who are working for the betterment of humanity and quit all the focusing on those who are famous just because they look good.


Far more value to humanity is the satisfied life spent seeking the betterment for others rather than just building a frame that will turn to dust, from which it came.


e
http://www.wearewideawake.org/

I am a bit shocked at the number of people who have excessive fat storage in their bodies. Almost ever study shows this to be highly detrimental to health and longevity, as bad as tobacco abuse in shortening lives. We make laws against drug use, but we allow food manufacturers to put out anything for a buck! 

My apologies to everyone for being a bit off topic, but Michael has spurned me on.  Just for the sake of establishing credibility with you, Michael, my 46-year old breasts are still firmly planted on my chest, but then, I never had children, and I apparently have good genes.  One was within my control, the other not so much. 

I'm amused that you dropped a few pounds so women will find you attractive, yet you post a picture of yourself with a cancer stick hanging out of your mouth!  If you hadn't told us you're 52, I would have guessed more around 65.  No doubt the weight loss couldn't address the damage done through smoking, but then, aesthetics don't have as much of an impact on how men see themselves, does it? 

And therein lays the crux of the issue, in my opinion.  Men, of all ages and level of attractiveness, seem to think that having a penis between their legs qualifies them as infinitely desirable to all women, while women must conform to a strict standard of beauty regardless of age.  Maybe it's the fact you can hold your sex in your hand and feel powerful while doing it that all women must surely suffer the envy of not being able to do so themselves; hence, your built-in desirability. 

Just a wild guess, of course, based on the frequent observation that some of the most loathsome men, both physically and mentally, have an over-bloated sense of themselves, as if their heads swell in direct relation and proportion to their erections.

Thanks for such a well-written, intelligent article.  As someone who is recovered from anorexia and compulsive exercise, and now works in the field of eating disorders, I speak from first-hand experience that this "Bikini Body Disorder" is so deeply ingrained in women in our culture that even health and fitness experts defend it.  The more we can educate women of all ages to recognize that health and wellness are not based in fitting into a size 6 two-piece, the more we can help end the devastating effects of a culture obsessed with thinness.
Peach FriedmanAuthor, "Diary of an Exercise Addict"

Our major concern for women doesn't really seem to be their health, but rather their all having uniform bodies free of rolls, bulges, or fluff of any kind.  How thin is thin enough for Valerie Bertinelli?  Who can live with that level of training and diet outside a very controlled environment?  And should we want to?  Doesn't it seem that a healthy body should derive from healthy practices that can be maintained over a lifetime?  Would all these resulting healthy bodies look the same?  

To be honest though I have seen a lot of male actors gain weight and be less that looking in shape but no one comments about hardly ever. Do you ever here so and so male actor put on 10 pds. Yeah my husband is reasonably fit also. Men have more muscle tone, but he does gain in his stomach if he does watch himself. Especially now that he is 45.  It does concern me. My stomach is flatter than his and  I am sure I weigh more.  This is not an excuse to be fat. No one here has said that. I don't get why that keeps coming up. We are taking about the media attention geared at women mostly for being whatever pds too much or too little. Why is it this way?  Kudos to you Cynthia. My point also. I do weigh more that when younger but certainly do not have sagging breast. I use a system called CRT Skin Brushing. My husband has even commented that I have perky pecs lol!  I have never seen 2-3 major magazines have a male actor on the cover and the shock that he has gained weight and need to work out blah blah. I yes i have seen the male actors gain weight a lot and be out of shape too. But its no headline news thats for sure. There is a bias here and its not healthy at all.

As a 51 year old guy, Hat's off to Valerie. She looks great.

To the critics, get a life. It reminds me of the pesky "recovering alcoholic" who nags me when I have a glass of wine or the person who had an uncle die of cancer when I smoke my one or two cigars a year.

Just because the the author has issues that commingle with weight issues; does not automatically make her an authority on anyone else's desire to lose weight. recovering anorexics and bulimics have other issues not always associated with a 48 year old woman wanting to lose weight and get back into shape. Just because they have issues does not give them a right to project them on the rest of the world.

Leave us alone.

and to the "obviously air-brushed" crowd, can you show proof of your allegation? Until then,

Leave us alone.

what's wrong with making the most of your body? for her height, she was overweight. she is now a healthy weight and is giving herself the best shot at living a longer life.

Nothing is wrong with it. Its the cultural bias over weight specifically at women that we have to weigh this or that or be this or that size to be good enough. And it gets out of hand. I don't condone unhealthy lifestyles either. Its when a good thing is taken too far. I think the topic has gone way off so its time to get out of here also. No one seems to get the point.

Way off track is an underestimate. 

My post regarding Michael S Kropnak was removed as a personal “attack,” whilst I accept this, I need to ask why Michael’s misogynistic post attacking all women is still there for us go gaze on? Please, in the name of consistency complain about this man’s posts as a personal affront to women and have it removed.


If my comments regarding this man needed to be censored, then please be consistent, my "attack" on him was in defense of and for the women who post on this forum, and received thanks from some here for doing so. So I personally find Micheal S Kropinak post offensive. Please consider complaining about this man's post.

Awesome!

I think Valerie Bertinelli is a beautiful woman, and also was beautiful before she lost the weight.

I'm happy for her that she lost some weight as it will probably help her to live a healthier life.  I also think there are plenty of healthy women who don't fit the bikini-body profile stereotype, and I think other people seem to have a field day judging them. 

I look forward to the day that we can stop judging women for physical attributes, and a 48-year-old woman who loses weight won't feel compelled to be objectified in skimpy clothing on the cover of a national magazine in order to prove her self-worth.

It is interesting that the majority of "get-off-your-butt-you-lazy-fat person"-type comments in this post are made by men, although there have been a few shining exceptions to this.  I'm not sure why some people get off by talking to other people this way, but they sound like angry immature people.

The fact is, that people put on weight for many reasons, be it poor diet, lack of exercise, hormone imbalance, food chemicals and additives, medications, heredity, etc., etc.  It doesn't matter why.  And it's pretty imperious and rude to think that just because you are a thin person, that you hold the magic key that will work for every other person to lose weight.  How quickly we judge.

The underlying issue was pointed out very well by Michael, the rude, nasty person who wrote earlier about women's body weight and sagging breasts.  He, like most of our society, bases his opinion on each woman by the size and shape of her body, and is apparently too shallow to look beyond that to the person beneath.

It doesn't personally matter to me what Valerie Bertinelli looks like.  What matters to me is that her body size and shape are shoved into our faces as what we're "supposed" to look like. If you want the truth about how the media is destroying young women and girls, go to the Dove Campaign for Real Beauty on the Dove soap website.  Women are constantly bombarded with the message that they need to look a certain way, smell a certain way, be a certain way, in order to be acceptable.  This is not gender equality, it's misogyny.

Bottom line is, once you're dead, nobody will care how you looked.  They will remember how you treated other people.  True health and beauty is in self-acceptance, regardless of body size or shape.

Romy, you have summed it up! Congratulations!

Thank you Marcia, I'm just tired of people being mean to one another, it's unnecessary.

Have you guys heard of Health At Every Size?

If not, I encourage you to check out this new article from the APA's Monitor on Psychology. I wish I read it before I wrote this post, it would have helped me clarify the issues involved in People's portrayal of Valerie Bertinelli. Here's an excerpt:

"The aim is to empower women to claim their natural body size and enjoy the full spectrum of life through counseling that employs research about what fosters good health and what doesn't. For starters, 'Health at Every Size' takes the focus off weight, since research shows that diets often fail and that yo-yo dieting can lead to additional weight gain and health problems, Burgard says. It also acknowledges that weight is an unhealthy preoccupation for many women across the weight spectrum.

'A huge tenet of [the model] is weight neutrality,' Burgard says. 'We're not against people losing weight. We're against the focus being on the pursuit of weight loss.'"

Read more here: http://www.apa.org/monitor/2009/04/weight.html.

If you want to talk about health and sickness, the sickest example of the mentality promoted by this article, that of all the women I know, all shapes and sizes, none would tell you they are happy with their body, the miraculous vessels that carry each of us about. A ridiculous amount of emotional energy and brain power is wasted by women obsessing about their weight. What's the carbon foot print of that??

Considering the mass obesity problem in America, maybe we need to have more body issues.  It may not be particularly healthy to drop a bunch of weight quickly, but it is also not healthy to be overweight and obese.  This country has a bigger problem with obesity than anorexia.  Even the image ideal in society doesn't say you have to be perfect, it mainly says you should be fit, which most doctors will agree with.

This is a nice subject for people to talk about and everyone can agree and everyone can give themselves a little pat on the back for agreeing, but until you start being attracted to fat people than you are just patting yourself on the back for speaking a lie.

The article and many of the comments here make it clear that women's bodies are considered to be public property, to be judged and found wanting by everyone that looks. No wonder women develop eating disorders and hate themselves.

Thank you so much for posting this article. I am constantly appalled by the covers (as well as the articles...) of People Magazine. You have said everything I've ever wanted to say about a multitude of their articles/covers. THANK YOU!

Speaking of sexism, why are the shadow photos of people who don't have their own pix with their profiles only men's profile shadows? Who decided that was fair? Why not random? Why not inanimate objects, or animals, or plants?

I think that can just as easily be a woman with short hair.  Stop grabbing on to any excuse you can use to complain about.  Also, it's not an object, animal, or plant because it is a human avatar meant to be a representation of the poster and objects, animals, and plants are not posting in this thread.  For my two cents, my girlfriend is beautiful, but I would think that whether or not she worked out and put make-up on.  To be honest, I can't stand it when she takes so long just to look good when we go out.  A good guy that cares about his spouse/partner etc. doesn't worry about things like that.  What women fail to realize is that men can tell when women are being fake about their image or they are trying too hard to look like someone they are not and it's a turn off.  It is mostly women that judge other women with the occasional male who is just looking for a quick lay, not the kind of guy you probably want anyways.

If she doesnt want to look like a cow then maybe you guys should follow her example.  If you want to look good don't give it up just so some fat ass who doesn't want to work out and stop eating can feel good about themselves.

In regards to all of the comments about meat in the United States', I feel as a scientist I should clarify some things.  I am a poultry scientist and currently applying to veterinary school and I can honestly say that poultry has never been fed or injected with hormones or steroids.  It is illegal and not cost efficient at all.  Think about the thousands of birds that are produced by each individual farm; each of these birds would have to be individually injected with hormones or steroids daily.  Hormones and steroids cannot be fed to livestock because they are proteins which are degraded in stomach acid.  The same thing applies to beef cattle and pigs.  And if you were curious, organic and free-range grown livestock have more salmonella contamination.  Just because you think it's healthier, it's not.

that's a great-looking body for a 48-year old! hope that she will be an inspiration to all of us especially when it comes to taking care of our body. just because we grow old doesn't mean that we take for granted our health. it is actually imperative for us to take care of ourselves as we enter the geezerhood!

Again I have read the comment and bailed out on this topic earlier as it got way sidetracked. Its about what is healthy not Valerie and how womens bodies are such public display. You never see men actors shooting pictures on how they lost 30 pds etc or whatever. Its sexist bottom line!  OH the closest I have seen was the guy that played Wolverine for the X-men but it was all about how he got his abs down. Still that article was completely different than when a woman actress/model whatever looses weight. I see alot of bias comments from some of the men on here too about how great Valerie looks. No one said she didn't look good or that loosing the weight was bad. We are talking about the message of extremeness that is being perpetuated here. I guess if your not a woman your not going to relate to how we are constantly scrutinized about what size we where or what the scale says. As if that is all we are about?