"Strong is the new skinny"

BusyRaeNOTBusty
BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Pretty good article I'd like to share with you:

http://fitandfeminist.wordpress.com/2013/05/21/what-happens-when-the-pursuits-of-skinny-and-strong-collide/

Some excerpts:

The expectation behind “strong is the new skinny” is that women who take it to heart will allow the pursuit of strength to supplant the pursuit of skinniness when it comes to their physical goals. But what is actually happening for a lot of women is that they are not abandoning “skinny” in favor of “strong.” Instead, strength has become yet another physical ideal to be piled on top of all of the other physical ideals they are already trying their damnedest to attain.

........

We don’t need a new “skinny.” We don’t need a new beauty standard, nor do we need yet another physical ideal hanging over our every thought and move like a little black cloud of doom. What we need to do is change the paradigm so that we value our bodies for all of the amazing things they let us do. We need to expand our standards of beauty to recognize that beauty shows up in all kinds of bodies. And we need to get over this idea that the most important purpose we serve on is to be beautiful for other people. We have a right to have healthy bodies, to take up space, to have appetites, to cultivate our strengths in whatever form that may take. Our time on this planet is precious and we will never, ever get it back, so let’s stop squandering it in pursuit of meaningless ideals we will most likely never attain anyway. We deserve so much better than that.

Replies

  • Pedalpush
    Pedalpush Posts: 246 Member
    I can certainly get behind this, but I'm hoping the article doesn't discourage from trying... Bookmark to read later.
  • Jestinia
    Jestinia Posts: 1,153 Member
    Pretty good article I'd like to share with you:

    http://fitandfeminist.wordpress.com/2013/05/21/what-happens-when-the-pursuits-of-skinny-and-strong-collide/

    Some excerpts:

    The expectation behind “strong is the new skinny” is that women who take it to heart will allow the pursuit of strength to supplant the pursuit of skinniness when it comes to their physical goals. But what is actually happening for a lot of women is that they are not abandoning “skinny” in favor of “strong.” Instead, strength has become yet another physical ideal to be piled on top of all of the other physical ideals they are already trying their damnedest to attain.

    ........

    We don’t need a new “skinny.” We don’t need a new beauty standard, nor do we need yet another physical ideal hanging over our every thought and move like a little black cloud of doom. What we need to do is change the paradigm so that we value our bodies for all of the amazing things they let us do. We need to expand our standards of beauty to recognize that beauty shows up in all kinds of bodies. And we need to get over this idea that the most important purpose we serve on is to be beautiful for other people. We have a right to have healthy bodies, to take up space, to have appetites, to cultivate our strengths in whatever form that may take. Our time on this planet is precious and we will never, ever get it back, so let’s stop squandering it in pursuit of meaningless ideals we will most likely never attain anyway. We deserve so much better than that.

    Good message. The problem is, when you start focusing on having the best life you can in this world, you start noticing the systemic and social barriers to doing so. Like exploitative, power hungry control freaks running the world and using the vast majority of us as a source of profit for their own ends.

    It's much harder to change those things than to lose weight or work out a few times a week.

    But we need to start focusing on the important stuff anyway. Sometimes you have to do the hard stuff to get the good stuff.
  • Musikelektronik
    Musikelektronik Posts: 739 Member
    I'm not a huge fan of catch phrases. Let's just all do this: be the best YOU you can be. Okay? Great. :laugh:
  • Musikelektronik
    Musikelektronik Posts: 739 Member
    Good message. The problem is, when you start focusing on having the best life you can in this world, you start noticing the systemic and social barriers to doing so. Like exploitative, power hungry control freaks running the world and using the vast majority of us as a source of profit for their own ends.

    Were you reading Karl Marx this morning or something? Sheesh!
  • Jestinia
    Jestinia Posts: 1,153 Member
    Good message. The problem is, when you start focusing on having the best life you can in this world, you start noticing the systemic and social barriers to doing so. Like exploitative, power hungry control freaks running the world and using the vast majority of us as a source of profit for their own ends.

    Were you reading Karl Marx this morning or something? Sheesh!

    Adam Smith actually laid it all out very nicely and well before Marx.
  • tempehforever
    tempehforever Posts: 183 Member
    I love this article.

    We don't need a "new" anything. How about we all just look the way we want to look, instead of there being one specific way we are "supposed" to look? The growing expectation that women appear "toned" and buff is just as problematic as the expectation that women appear skinny. Its like the horrible new trendy phrase "skinny fat." Suddenly being skinny isn't enough! We have to be skinny AND have a six pack! It never ends.

    I'm not talking about wanting to get STRONG or improve muscle mass for heath or performance reasons. I'm talking about being "toned" as a specific aesthetic standard.

    Mostly I hate pretty much any catchphrase that can be condensed into a Pinterest meme.
  • chopper_pilot
    chopper_pilot Posts: 191 Member
    I think that 'strong' is a great new beauty standard.

    I'll sign that.
  • alisonlynn1976
    alisonlynn1976 Posts: 929 Member
    I kind of like "strong is the new skinny" as a personal motivational phrase, but yes, of course it's problematic to tell women that only one particular body type is okay, and of course the models in "strong is the new skinny" posters are strong *and* skinny, which adds to the skinny ideal rather than replacing it with something else.
  • tempehforever
    tempehforever Posts: 183 Member
    I think that 'strong' is a great new beauty standard.

    I'll sign that.

    I agree! The problem is that this phrase is usually accompanied by images like these...

    http://www.pinterest.com/pin/13792342582497927/
    http://www.pinterest.com/pin/375487687651879542/
    http://www.pinterest.com/pin/53761789275410319/

    ...which, I'd argue, are WAY more about appearance than strength or heath. I mean, I doubt they'd put a female Olympic weight lifter in one of these images--not matter how strong she is. :)

    Basically, its just another way for women to feel bad about themselves if they don't live up to a very specific standard.
  • DjinnMarie
    DjinnMarie Posts: 1,297 Member
    I guess Im an oddball. I would.much orefer that magazines promote being strong than skinny. Strong doesnt depend on a scale. When I think of strong, i picture squats and deadlifts. When i think of skinny, I picture bikini models.

    I have no qualms telling my daughter to be strong.you can be strong at any weight.
  • ElliottTN
    ElliottTN Posts: 1,614 Member
    I think that 'strong' is a great new beauty standard.

    I'll sign that.

    I agree! The problem is that this phrase is usually accompanied by images like these...

    http://www.pinterest.com/pin/13792342582497927/
    http://www.pinterest.com/pin/375487687651879542/
    http://www.pinterest.com/pin/53761789275410319/

    ...which, I'd argue, are WAY more about appearance than strength or heath. I mean, I doubt they'd put a female Olympic weight lifter in one of these images--not matter how strong she is. :)

    Basically, its just another way for women to feel bad about themselves if they don't live up to a very specific standard.

    But all those girls in your pintrest links are way hotter than the feminist blogger who wrote this.
  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
    I think that 'strong' is a great new beauty standard.

    I'll sign that.

    I agree! The problem is that this phrase is usually accompanied by images like these...

    http://www.pinterest.com/pin/13792342582497927/
    http://www.pinterest.com/pin/375487687651879542/
    http://www.pinterest.com/pin/53761789275410319/

    ...which, I'd argue, are WAY more about appearance than strength or heath. I mean, I doubt they'd put a female Olympic weight lifter in one of these images--not matter how strong she is. :)

    Basically, its just another way for women to feel bad about themselves if they don't live up to a very specific standard.

    But all those girls in your pintrest links are way hotter than the feminist blogger who wrote this.

    Right, because that's the most important thing.
  • ElliottTN
    ElliottTN Posts: 1,614 Member
    I think that 'strong' is a great new beauty standard.

    I'll sign that.

    I agree! The problem is that this phrase is usually accompanied by images like these...

    http://www.pinterest.com/pin/13792342582497927/
    http://www.pinterest.com/pin/375487687651879542/
    http://www.pinterest.com/pin/53761789275410319/

    ...which, I'd argue, are WAY more about appearance than strength or heath. I mean, I doubt they'd put a female Olympic weight lifter in one of these images--not matter how strong she is. :)

    Basically, its just another way for women to feel bad about themselves if they don't live up to a very specific standard.

    But all those girls in your pintrest links are way hotter than the feminist blogger who wrote this.

    Right, because that's the most important thing.

    High fives all around for strong ring the new sexy!
  • ahemming1
    ahemming1 Posts: 93 Member
    Those Pinterest Pics were beautiful. Is there a reason why we can’t be beautiful and strong?! I don't think any less of myself because another woman is beautiful! Also, they were not skinny - the definition of skinny is 'lacking sufficient flesh' or 'very thin.'

    Oh, I could go on. I went on to her FB site to see if maybe this was just one of her articles that I didn't agree with, and found many more that just attacked other people, articles, etc. She sounds bitter. I prefer to build people up, not look for faults. That includes the those that look better than me! Yes, I can say someone looks better than me. Bravo for their discipline!

    Nope, I won’t be reading that blog again anytime soon.
  • chopper_pilot
    chopper_pilot Posts: 191 Member
    I think that 'strong' is a great new beauty standard.

    I'll sign that.

    I agree! The problem is that this phrase is usually accompanied by images like these...

    http://www.pinterest.com/pin/13792342582497927/
    http://www.pinterest.com/pin/375487687651879542/
    http://www.pinterest.com/pin/53761789275410319/

    ...which, I'd argue, are WAY more about appearance than strength or heath. I mean, I doubt they'd put a female Olympic weight lifter in one of these images--not matter how strong she is. :)

    Basically, its just another way for women to feel bad about themselves if they don't live up to a very specific standard.

    this person quoted me, but for the record, I strongly strongly, vehemently disagree. especially cause I do look like that.
  • chopper_pilot
    chopper_pilot Posts: 191 Member
    I guess Im an oddball. I would.much orefer that magazines promote being strong than skinny. Strong doesnt depend on a scale. When I think of strong, i picture squats and deadlifts. When i think of skinny, I picture bikini models.

    I have no qualms telling my daughter to be strong.you can be strong at any weight.

    Nope, Im with you.
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
    I'm not a huge fan of catch phrases. Let's just all do this: be the best YOU you can be. Okay? Great. :laugh:


    I don't know . . . sounds like a catch phrase to me. :huh:

    :flowerforyou:
  • moya_rargh
    moya_rargh Posts: 1,473 Member
    Strong is the new skinny? Kristin Rhodes says hi!
  • cafeaulait7
    cafeaulait7 Posts: 2,459 Member
    Well, I like strong being the new skinny so that models eating a Twix and coffee all day show that on their bodies and now we notice the difference. That part is good. Very good.

    Skinny does not mean healthy.

    OTOH, I've been strong and not cut and folks see a small bulge and call it out of shape (meaning fitness). If strong is really what matters now, we would embrace at least everyone within their healthy BMI range that is strong, even if they have a bit of muffin top, etc. If we were really into health as an aesthetic, models wouldn't have to dehydrate themselves before the photoshoot, and these fitness models most certainly do!

    So yeah, it's skinny and strong now. And dehydrated ;) I don't mind folks who want to get really cut at all, but I don't think it's necessary for everyone who wants to be seen as attractive. Male or female, btw!
  • mrsamanda86
    mrsamanda86 Posts: 869 Member
    I think strong or just "healthy" is much better than the need to be skinny. My main goal when I decided to lose weight was just to lose a certain amount of weight because I thought that would make me happy. Now, I'm more worried about just becoming stronger, and lowering my bf% to where I feel best. Not quite as worried about hitting a certain number on the scale. It works for me, because I'm VERY short and not of a small frame, so in order for me to look skinny I'd basically have to go anorexic, I'm not down with that. I love food.
  • staveshabr
    staveshabr Posts: 74 Member
    i think the point OP was trying to make is that as women in society we are already judged far to much on the way we look as is and thats why so many young girls have eating disorders and so on and so forth because of an image society is telling you to live up to. as for those who do have that body you look great and congrats on your dedication and years and time put into keeping that body and for those of us who loss 70-100 pounds and still dont have the "strong is the new skinny" body dont beat yourself up over it its like telling all being normal isnt gud enough any longer you need to have a bmi of 10% to be beautiful now lol
  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
    I wish "skinny" was removed from our minds as adjectives to admire in a woman. And you can keep "strong", too, unless you mean as in strength of character. Why do we need to strive to meet some physical, societal ideal? Why can't we be healthy for ourselves and take appearance for what it is... meaningless about one's value.
  • RoadsterGirlie
    RoadsterGirlie Posts: 1,195 Member
    There's nothing with being strong, and there's nothing wrong with being skinny.

    One more article out of many codling the unmotivated they can't achieve their goals.

    And btw, not all skinny women survive on coffee and twix. That's another myth that needs to die.
  • cafeaulait7
    cafeaulait7 Posts: 2,459 Member
    There's nothing with being strong, and there's nothing wrong with being skinny.

    One more article out of many codling the unmotivated they can't achieve their goals.

    And btw, not all skinny women survive on coffee and twix. That's another myth that needs to die.

    I never said all skinny women do. Some do (many models), on purpose, and it can show when they do that is all. They do tend to look sick instead of fit and skinny.
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    To my ears the article managed to come across as both skinny-hate and strong-hate.

    Basically, all-round "self-improvement-hate".

    Chacun au son gout.
  • cevalid
    cevalid Posts: 59
    I'd prefer 'smart is the new skinny.'

    Edited cause I just read the article: Note that the author is 'a triathlete, swimmer and distance runner who lifts weights'- so I doubt she wants to encourage laziness and provide excuses for not working out.
  • beautifulwarrior18
    beautifulwarrior18 Posts: 914 Member
    I personally love the phrase strong is the new skinny. I mean obviously, what woman wouldn't want to be strong and skinny, but studies have shown time and time again that people who are active but overweight are healthier than those who are skinny and inactive. It's a great reminder to myself that it's just important to be active. If I do it right, the weight will come off itself.

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