Zero-ing on Size

How does our perception of the industry standard of the perfect body type lead to emotional insecurity and poor body image?

Recently scanning through the pages of the American magazine, ‘life and style’ the article of ‘Dieting To The Extreme’ caught my eye. Here popular celebrities such as Kate Middleton and Angelina Jolie, were shown looking highly emaciated as if pressurized to conform to standards that dictate beauty and fitness to remain popular and iconic. Is it not ironic that those in the enviable position of wealth and privilege, who can afford to eat in the worlds best five star Michelin acclaimed restaurants look as if they could do with a hearty meal. While those not so lucky in third world countries are lucky to sleep not hungry? One has a choice while the other does not. But this is not about the moral issues but on a knowledge point of view of what drives these women to the brink of starvation. And how their images praised and lauded has a domino effect on our perception of beauty and, how we react without reason emotionally to these conceived values.

I remember that my first image perception of the ideal woman was Barbie. And while I dressed her and combed her hair, I never stopped to question why she has an unreal, unobtainable body measurement that bordered on the ridiculous. I never realized that a fully grown post pubescent woman cannot have a 40” bust and a 18” waist!  It was the norm and acceptable and every little girl worth her salt wanted to grow up to be Barbie. In fact from as long as we can remember women wanted bodies out of the ordinary. Therefore, in the movie ‘Gone With The Wind’, we saw poor Scarlett O’Hara trying to tighten her corset to have a 16” waist so she could nab a husband at the ball. But is this not about conditioning and societies dictates that make us believe rather than actual facts and knowledge?

Today, in the fashion magazines we are bombarded with images which are airbrushed and photo shopped to perfection. And in fashion shows across the globe we applause at the stick thin figures with their pan caked faces and rouged cheeks in awe and admiration or at the six feet skinny mannequins on display in stores. ( However, we are shocked at the sight of starving bony Africans in their recent famine. What sort of warped standards are we setting?)  So egged and encouraged by these fashion images we try on the clothes only to realize that we fall far from expectations. We have failed while those we admire have not. So in an attempt to conform to ideals we starve and exercise to obtain approval.  We justify our actions on the belief that those in the know are right. We wrongly interpret media attention and focus on bodies as our core values and part of our culture and custom and tradition.  And we convince ourselves that there can be no other alternative or explanation that we must be thin.

The truth is we do not have actual factual knowledge. Weight is just a fad, a passing trend. Were not all those women in Raphael paintings bordering on the obese, and were they not considered beautiful in their time. Beauty is truly in the eye of the beholder, it is not a knowledge but simply a perception of the time. If we look at medical facts, anyone with a BMI of 20 is considered fit and healthy, and yet we choose to be below a BMI of 20 as we feel prettier.  We do not know pretty we feel pretty. We feel by our sensory perception when we should be knowing with our neural perception. We are given an yard stick of beauty by weight and we critically measure ourselves and others by this. But this is a falsely created number, unlike body temperature that is set at 98.4 and is knowledge based 30 23 30, size zero waif like proportions are not.

 Is it not time that we ignored these fallacies which are frivolous and promote poor esteem and body image and serious disease such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia. Supermodel Kate Moss to many epitomizes beauty, famously, said, “nothing tastes as good as skinny feels”. May be someone she never tucked into a cheeseburger or cheesecake to know how that tastes. And while we can debate on this issue forever, it certainly gives us food for thought!

Back to Our Roots

How does the influence of a foreign culture hurt the sensibilities and traditions of a country?

Whenever, Valentines Day, comes around in India there are always news reports of local political groups kicking up a fuss that this new norm goes against traditional values, culture and religious beliefs. There is a belief among a section of the population that this trend of aping the West corrupts especially young minds and it is perceived that this will lead to a breakdown of centuries old traditions. Western infiltration and influence is thought to be evil and should be stopped at all cost to preserve family values and morality. Of course the ‘culprit’ tends to be the United States that has a powerful affect not just in India but globally. We can see it everywhere to Mcdonalds springing up all over China, to children in the UK now having a school prom. Language is also a key factor as all over the world we are literally invaded by American slang. The police are now cops and the currency is now termed as bucks. Whether it be Hollywood movies, MTV culture, clothes, music or food the influence of US culture is hard to ignore.

In the example of India, and China which have over 2 billion people between them representing over a third of the population, the perception that traditional culture is in danger may well not be justified. Yes, there is influence but the extent of that influence may be limited and not critical. These countries have a very solid foundation of influence that cannot be dissolved in an instant. Religion, clothes family values and food have in fact the counter effect of infiltrating Western culture. Curry has become the most popular food in the UK and Chinese in the US. Western people love the clothes, weddings, jewelry, Bollywood etc of these foreign countries and often cultural divides are merging. Values, tradition and culture of the oldest countries in the world cannot be easily changed by a country only a few hundred years old and there is no real evidence to suggest so. Minor influences are often marketed by foreign countries to make viable sales but both can live in harmony. A recent example is the new Oreo cookies ad which is iconic in the US and is always eaten with a glass of milk or the tradition of cereal for breakfast. Now while we can give an explanation that suggests many will be influenced, nothing suggests that traditional food such as spicy samosa for a snack or paranthas for breakfast can fully replace this. What is perceived as different or an invasion is simply a fear without hard core truth. Often emotions can over ride reason and logic and change can be difficult to accept among those of the older generation. But a large population of India is in fact under the age of twenty five and they are growing up willing to accept changes. Life for them represents a choice of picking and choosing the best and ignoring the worst, and this is certainly progress. While there are aspects of Western culture that may offend or be distasteful to Indian value system surely these will be ignored by many in favor of the traditional. However, the youth also recognize that there are certain aspects of Indian culture that may be distasteful to them, they question the system and demand these unsavory aspects be eliminated. In India these may include, child labor, child marriage, forced marriage or dowry, female abortions, caste discrimination or sati the tradition of burning a widow with her dead husband. In these case, surely it is true to say India can learn a lot from the West and be fearful of it based on popular misconception.

A child’s knowledge of his or her tradition, religion and culture begins early on in the family from parents, grandparents school etc. These core values and beliefs remain ingrained so any outside influence is superficial at best. So while politicos trying to throw their weight around will have protests, there will be little they can do. After all come Valentines day, people will shop for cards and buy roses and the like as a new tradition, but nothing can replace the traditions of weddings, and local customs. And it is this interpretation of knowledge and belief which should allow the spirit of foreign influence to prevail.

Don't Worry, Be Happy :)

To what extent does scientific reasoning and evidence influence ones behavior and lifestyle?

Subject: Laughter Linked to Reduce Risk of Cardiovascular Disease

New scientific evidence makes the claim that people suffering from cardiovascular disease are less prone to life threatening heart attacks if they laugh a lot in their lives. The reverse holds true for those who spend a lot of their day angry. The studies were based on 10 years of research and sample sizes of about 200 or so people with confirmed cardiovascular disease. But are these sample sizes large enough as statistical proof?  Does the same hold true for people who do not have the disease and act as a preventative measure and if all this is true exactly how much of our day are we expected to spend laughing?

For any individual, life’s’ stresses and tensions means that we encounter situations that do not make us happy. This could range from the trivial like being caught in a traffic jam or our football team not making it to the playoffs to the serious such as divorce, financial problems or the death of a loved one. Every person has mood swings and has their ups and downs making it a good or bad day. Much of life is not in our self control so while the studies give great advice, I wonder realistically how much we can adhere to the notion that we need to laugh through life? We understand, accept and believe the knowledge we acquire and we trust to be true that scientific studies must hold credibility, especially if these studies are published, but how do we react?

It would be ridiculous to assume any one will laugh their way through a funeral, just to safe guard their heart. Yes, self restraint and understanding can teach us that when we are caught in a traffic jam, instead of fuming and cursing, we can turn on the radio and hear calming music or better still find the time given as a gift to hear funny stories or jokes. But again how much we can exercise this self healing depends on our genetic disposition to stress induced anger.

Surely, there are question marks to the studies which based on this subject matter are subjective to say the least. Laughter can never be fake it has to be real. So the people in the study how did they really measure their laughter and anger management levels while conscious all the while that they were experimental guinea pigs. While being happy, is certainly a great mantra for all to live their life by how can we not prove that there are so many other factors involved in heart disease. For example what if a person loves to watch comedy movies and spends and therefore spends 2 hours a day forgetting all his woes while he laughs heartily through his daily dose of movie escapism. Great, you may say. But what if I now tell you that he consumes heavy dose of full fat cholesterol and triglyceride laden Haagen Daaz ice- cream during his movie sessions. Will the dilation of arteries caused by laughter as per the studies counteract the constriction of arteries caused by the ice-cream. Is this poor man being mislead by the knowledge he has acquired and has developed a false perception of the truth. Does his belief rely on his own interpretation and experience or certainty that the evidence shows justification to his behavioral changes?

Yes, we are all influenced by what we read, but often we cannot adjust our lifestyles greatly we can simply tweak them. After all studies can be taken with a pinch of salt as often new studies will tell another story. One day eggs are bad for you, the next they are good for you. So is laughter really the best medicine and can an apple a day keep the doctor away? Food for thought…

Sinha, Kounteya . "Thumbs up to don't worry-be-happy theory - The Times of India." The Times of India. N.p., 30 Aug. 2011. Web. 30 Aug. 2011. <http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Thumbs-up-to-dont-worry-be-happy-theory/articleshow/9790526.cms>.

Hurricane Irene or Hurricane Hype?

How does media coverage based on scientific predictions influence our knowledge and perception of an upcoming event?

Subject: The media coverage preceding Hurricane Irene

When I turned on the CNN news channel early Friday evening I was shocked to see the coverage of the gloom associated with the impending hurricane Irene. I wondered why such nice normal names were given to personify a non human freak of nature. The reports were out, Irene was to be the largest and most destructive hurricane in over 50 years. A time frame that I and many other people would not have been born to remember. The scientific reports were out, data analysis had been conducted and the meteorologists had been working overtime with the statistics that could frighten the pants of even hardened soothsayers, the results were not for the faint hearted. Winds of over 100 miles were hour were to reach New York Sunday morning, with extensive flooding of the Hudson River into down town Manhattan. The windows of skyscrapers would be shattered, power would be down and there would be damage amounting to billions of dollars. A state of emergency was declared and hundred of thousands of people would be evacuated from their homes, businesses, schools and hospitals. All this in the time that the US is still reeling under the effects of the recession. My heart went into my mouth. This was not just another news report about the usual war in a distant land, this affected my life, physically and emotionally. I lived my formative years in down town, Battery Park which was next to the river and scheduled to be badly affected. My grandparents resided there and were at risk of bodily harm and my next trip to New York would be affected. As reporters continued the shocking coverage, as the shops started boarding up and the streets of New York became a ghost town, my mind filled with images fueled by the pictures on the news. I remember seeing movies on hurricanes and my imagination went into overdrive as I imagined the worst, a scene straight out of a Summer Blockbuster movie. I imagined the park I strolled in being turned into a river, the trees and landscape destroyed, benches and trees overturned, the koi fish in the pond floating out to sea and the lobby of my apartment building flooded knee deep. And as if unable to keep away from a car wreck, I continued to watch mesmerized both in awe and fear at the power of Nature.

Hudson River Laps Over in Battery Park City, New York City

Or was it more the power of the media. Sunday morning came and the hurricane which on hitting the city immediately became downgraded to a storm passed without a whimper. People walked their dogs along the beach a few hours after the storm passed despite the prediction that the aftermath of flooding could go on for days. Yes, I understand that we have to err on the side of precaution. But honestly the non stop coverage seemed to be more hype than fact. Did the media relish the thought of this breaking news story and milk it for all it was worth. Did not the ratings go sky high and did they along with hardware and grocery stores not benefit from this. Science can after all predict the weather to a certain amount of accuracy along with its outcome. But we believe science and the news and react with an emotional response. We make the event real in our mind and in doing so with media encouragement we blow the event out of proportion. We think we have a pre-determined knowledge of the future based on science and media coverage and be have blind faith and belief. Along with herd mentality, we follow what others are doing such as boarding up as fear breeds fear and we reason they must have the knowledge and must be right. We follow rather than reason.

I was relieved that on the whole all ended well in my home town, but I almost wanted to shout out to the media channel; hey I was promised a hurricane and I want my money back!

Samenow, Jason. "Hurricane Irene hype: over the top media coverage or justified? - Capital Weather Gang - The Washington Post." The Washington Post: National, World & D.C. Area News and Headlines - The Washington Post. N.p., 29 Aug. 2011. Web. 29 Aug. 2011. <http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/capital-weather-gang/post/hurricane-irene-hype-over-the-top-media-coverage-or-justified/2011/08/29/gIQA77denJ_blog.html>.

Anna Hazare is India

How does the romanticizing of truth and values of a protest against an unethical government influence the youths’ perception and reaction?

Subject: Anna Hazare’s 3 Fold Protest against Indian Government

We all have grown up with the romantic images of Gandhi with his peaceful protests and hunger strikes against injustice and oppression, whether it be, through historical studies, movies or the media at large. Though we were not old enough to witness how he inspired a nation first hand these images stay in our minds and hearts. Today, with the onslaught of the Indian media coverage of the elderly activist dressed in wholesome white, protesting against the corruption in the Indian government we are reminded of these images, and feel we have a second chance to witness the Gandhi phenomenon first hand.

The Youth of India Protests for Anna's Campaign at India Gate, New Delhi

Newton Law’s state that for every action there is a reaction. So in that spirit when we see someone our grandfathers age fasting in peaceful protest we react. But as the youth of today, set up all night candle light vigils, and inundate facebook and twitter to garner support and wear the outdated and not fashion trendy hat as a symbolic gesture of our support, I wonder how much is based on factual knowledge and deductive reasoning, or how much is an emotive response.? The youth tend to love a herd mentality. They will gladly support the latest fashion trend to be cool and be part of the hot and happening crowd. So facebook gladly lends itself by its nature to likes and signing of petitions by way of the domino effect. Everyone jumps on to the bandwagon of support to show unity and groupism. In fact the youth will support any cause whether it be save the tiger, or decrease the legal age of drinking without any real claim or association, to prove they are citizens with a social conscience. Often though, they appear to enjoy rebelling against authority, as they are suppressed by parents, laws, teachers and alike and therefore indulge in the freedom that these protests allow them. In pursuit of removing their shackles they become rebels without a cause.

While the issues that Hazare holds and his values and belief system are very real, I wonder at the depth of knowledge of his young supporters who spend more time watching MTV than politics. Perhaps the youth without experience, or concrete evidence are showing an emotional response to the facts presented to them. This may be based on their trivial experiences such as having to bribe a policeman who caught them speeding. Are they protesting indirectly that they were forced to bribe themselves out of a stick situation, not realizing that revenge is unjustified as they were breaking the law? I am sure a college poll would show that not many protestors have a real grasp or handle of the political issues at hand and at best have amassed a general gist through the media whether it be print or electronic. This romanticizing by the media is further exasperated when popular cine stars suddenly come out of wood work in support little belying the fact their movie is up for release and they could do with the free publicity.

Another aspect is cultural response and ethical values. In India the youth are taught to respect their elders and Hazare, represents everyone’s Uncle or grandfather who should be revered and whose word is god.

In actual fact the youth need to research and study the facts acquire knowledge and see the pros and cons and then offer support based on real knowledge, explanation and interpretation. Any protest against real injustice and oppression is justified and a single voice needs to set an example. But there are lessons to be learnt and one of these important lessons is: love may be blind but support should never be.

Joseph , Bijoy . "The Hindu : Opinion / Open Page : Anna Hazare: the role model for the youth." The Hindu . N.p., 28 Aug. 2011. Web. 28 Aug. 2011. <http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/open-page/article2403860.ece>.

Comments

I commented on the following peers blogs;

1) http://mdurston.hsblogs.aes.ac.in/2011/05/05/justice-with-michael-sandel/

2) http://abulch.hsblogs.aes.ac.in/2011/05/04/cannibalism/

3) http://theliteraturemachine.com/anushka/2011/05/08/the-mother-has-a-right-to-decide-what-shall-happen-in-and-to-her-body/

4) http://theliteraturemachine.com/komali/2011/05/08/putting-a-price-tag-on-life/

Justice with Michael Sandel!

The Harvard lecturer Michael Sandel gave thoughtful and amusing anecdotes to discuss the moral issue of ethics. The bottom line of his examples were, is it ethically acceptable to sacrifice a life voluntarily through the action of pre-mediated murder (which is unlawful and universally accepted as immoral), if it meant saving more than 1 life? Is that one act of wrong now become a right? Have we turned the tables on morality if the end justifies the means? In fact there is no right or wrong answer to this question, any more than “which came first, the chicken or the egg.” It is not a mathematical equation that can be solved or a scientific theory that can be proven. It is about a personal emotional response to a dilemma, and we are all wired to react differently to matters pertaining to the heart or even head. It is a moral choice, and people stand differently on ethics. For example should we feel sorry for a serial killer as he faces the death sentence or not?  If we take religion/ theology into hand then it is safe to assume that all religions universally do not condone murder. In fact religiously we cannot even take our own life, as God has given us life and only he has the power to take away our life. Murder and suicide or even euthanasia is a sin. Some religions do not even allow abortions even under the circumstance of rape cases or if the foetus will be born with severe disabilities. But if life and death is in the hands of God, why do we perform surgery? Some may argue a surgeon may perform surgery but the outcome is in God’s hand and not the doctors. Murder is murder and there is no middle ground. And yet legally we have separated murders into first and second degrees and manslaughter, and given provisions for temporary insanity that excuses a person for their actions. When do we take the moral high ground, and who has the right to judge us? If two twins were conjoined and both shared a heart and both would die but one would live through separation, is that separation acceptable, and how would you decide which twin lives? If a mother giving birth has complications and only 1 can be saved where is the answer and who has the right to choose. The baby has no voice, but his life is on the line? The baby has not had a chance of life the mother has already lived a full life for 30 Years and yet the mother’s death will have greater mourning as no one knows the unborn, unnamed child? A difficult choice indeed, where we are caught between a rock and a hard place. I personally feel whenever we can we should leave the decision to God or fate. For example in the given lifeboat story, how did the sailors know that they would not have been saved by a passing ship the same day they killed the boy. They did not, so they decided their own fate, instead of leaving the choice to fate. In a burning building there are 3 people, a man, a woman and a child and there is time only to save 1? The scenarios are endless and the possibilities are infinite. Sometimes to coin a phrase we have to be cruel to be kind.  Certainly this debate can go on and on. When the decision is made the lecture explained we look at consequentalism (locates morality in the consequences of the act) versus categorical (locates morality in certain duties and rights). However the reality is a little simpler. Any decision you make that you are not haunted with is the right one, as you have to spend a lifetime with that choice, and face the man in the mirror before you face your detractors. A president may send his troops to war knowing there will be fatal causalities but he makes this decision for the good of national security as he sees the bigger picture. If you can make a decision to take a life, and sleep soundly at night, and you have peace of mind, then my friend you made the right decision.