May 2015
Life l Health l Happiness l Love
LOVE Your Gorgeous Body!
The
BIG FAT LIE!
Photo by David Entz
DIE-TING: WHY YOU ARE NOT LOSING WEIGHT
BeBold. BeBeautiful!
r u o Y e l Sty Way to e c n e d i f Con
Life l Health l Happiness l Love
Contents
Publisher KPG Mac Pty Ltd
Executive Editor Kellee Waters
Art Director Jay Balan
Contributing Writers Marj Bulahan Myra Lising Jennilyn Salvador
Graphic Designer Ana Lyn Rivera Ronald Mendiola
Contact Us
PO Box 164 GRANGE QLD 4051 Ph: 07 3356 9748 Fax: 07 3356 9748 Email: kellee@kelleewaters.com Facebook Page: facebook.com/iSelfmagazine/
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How To Wear Style That Never Goes Out Of Trend
Body image is a major concern among Australians, affecting physical and mental health. Experts share how looking at yourself in a better light helps you become healthier – and look amazing!
Building Confidence. Building Style.
Meet 3 women who get their dream makeovers! Know more about fashionable clothes, pick up styling tips, and realise that their stories may very well be yours!
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About Us iSelf is the first magazine focusing on empowering people to be healthy and happy at any size and shape. It will inspire and inform people who have been previously ignored by other magazines, to find and celebrate their uniqueness in a society of constant pressure and conformity. The focus will be on all aspects of how to be happy within yourself, be healthy and live a full and enriching life. We will never have any quick fixes, lose weight quickly, strive for the perfect body stories that make you feel bad about yourself. iSelf will be bringing to the forefront some issues that are secretive for many such as binge eating, body hatred, guilt and shame of eating and more. We will only be talking to real people just like you, professionals who are working in the space and the researchers to bring you the latest and most valuable information for being healthy and happy at any size and shape.
Special Thanks To All Community Partners, Contributors, Interviewees and Readers
Articles published in this and any issue of iSelf Magazine are copyrighted © 2015 and are published by KPG Mac Pty Ltd. Viewpoints and opinions expressed in iSelf Magazine do not necessarily represent those of the editor, staff or publisher. Reproduction of any material without written permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited. The acceptance of advertising does not necessarily imply endorsement of services or products.
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Embracing Every BODY – The REAL TALK on #DISnoBODY
Being judged and shamed by others result in dangerous consequences. The Butterfly Foundation CEO, Christine Morgan and two celebrity supporters – Andrew O’Keefe and Tracey Spicer – talk about how body image affects everybody that may be you or your loved one!
25 Die-ting: Why You Are Not Losing Weight
Your health is not based on the numbers on the scale! Know what it’s like to be really healthy – from the inside out.
The BIG FAT LIE: Debunking The Myth Of Your Weight Fat is not always unhealthy and thin is not always healthy. Here’s a rundown of facts, figures, and quotes to help you bring back your love for good food.
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Exquisite Beauty: Raw & Natural – The Transformation The real and flawed is uniquely beautiful. Let’s get to the heart of natural beauty and how artists work in transforming a natural canvas into exquisite art!
May has been a month filled with unique and phenomenal experiences for iSelf. Beyond expectations, we were showered with pleasant and well, a little unpleasant surprise that spiced up our celebration of uniqueness. We experienced, human nature imparting unique, real and valuable lessons. The Butterfly Foundation’s Kellee Waters Don’t DIS My Appearance campaign inspired us to action our mission via a restyle makeover for 3 uniquely curvy, beautiful and awesome women. We wanted to make some people feel special and then inspire others to realise that you can feel confident at any size and shape, with who you are, TODAY! We succeeded in our mission, and all of the women felt and looked confident on the day, as they will take this with them into the future. We had the privilege of working with, and getting to know, some amazing people who are very inspiring, who inspire others every day. Interestingly, though, there was a negative experience within this process, and considering it was ‘Don’t DIS My Appearance’ Month, I found it ironic. I was personally exposed to an ongoing issue that I believe resulted partly from being DISed for my appearance by someone with a reverse weight biased, combined with a personality disorder. Although this person caused a lot of undue stress for myself, and my staff, it has opened all of our eyes to issues that we were not overly aware of. In the end, we are more enriched for the experiences, as it has increased our awareness, understanding, and connection, as a team. A stronger bond was developed between key members of my team and I, as a result of the negative experience. There are always positives within the negatives, and every experience is a lesson for learning and growth.
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TODAY!
IN STYLE
Physical Perfection:
The Modern Obsession Affecting Health
Body image was identified as one of the three top concerns identified by young people in Missions Australia’s Youth Survey 2014, with concerns considerably higher among females than males.
Coping with stress
17.4
24.2
24.6
16.6
17.2
40.8 School or study problems
17.7
23.1
25.5
18.0
15.7
30.4 Body image
12.7 0%
17.7 10%
20%
Extremely concerned
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May 2015 | iSelf Magazine
25.3 30% Very concerned
40%
22.3 50%
60%
Somewhat concerned
22.0 70%
80%
Slightly concerned
90%
100%
Not at all concerned
Source: www.gdhr.wa.gov.au
41.6
B
Everywhere you turn, you are overtly or covertly bombarded with societies’ standards for beauty, attractiveness, body size, body shape, acceptance, belonging and more, from the food you eat; the hair, body, hygiene and cleaning products you use; the clothes you wear, and everything else that you consume. Knowingly or unknowingly, you have allowed commercialism to take over your identity, as you succumb to advertisements delivered by clever marketing strategists. The good news is that a growing number of Australians are smartly reflecting on the present realities of our society. People are beginning to realise and understand that there is beauty in every person and that beauty goes beyond appearances and the body is diverse and there is no one set standard. Every body and person is beautiful and unique! Beauty indeed, is in the eye of the beholder.
Out of Vogue:
Idealised Beauty ‘If you have confidence, you are always in style,’ Maria Hart wrote on Greatist.com. It is agonising to see how many women around the world, and particularly in Australia, women endure the pains and struggles to be beautiful, in the eyes of society. The body ideal is driving people, men and women, to obsession and is taking a toll on lives. Social standards make men and women slaves of trends that drop them into the dark pits of modern obsession for physical perfection that can result in harmful consequences. They have a ‘body dream which is a body that they think they should, or could have if they could only get their food and exercise right,’ say Fiona Sutherland, Practising Dietitian & Director of Body Positive Australia. Striving for this
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The modern obsession with physical ‘perfection’ is a huge barrier to happiness for so many people. – Andrew O’Keefe, Celebrity Supporter, Don’t DIS My Appearance Campaign [see Andrew’s full interview, page 36]
Beauty is how you feel inside, and it reflects in your eyes. It is not something physical. - Sophia Loren May 2015 | iSelf Magazine
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ody image is a major concern among Australians. Research has consistently proven that negative body image or body dissatisfaction can have a significant impact on a person’s life and health. ‘Negative body image can affect many people in all parts of life with health risks such as anxiety, depression, and eating disorders among many other physical and mental health problems,’ says Sarah Harry, Co-founder, Psychotherapist and Registered Yoga Teacher, Body Positive Australia. However, we live in a society that embraces standards for social acceptance and belongingness, based on physical appearance. A sense of belonging and acceptance is important for our social and emotional growth and development. Unfortunately, the painful truth is that our society can be intolerant of those who do not match the criteria. Our society is less accepting and very critical about body form, consistently providing messages that we have to be ‘perfect’ or we don’t belong, or we are not good enough.
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What we sadly overlook as a society, and individually, is that beauty is not found in perfection of sameness. The perfect example of this can be taken from the art world. What one person finds appealing or beautiful about a piece of art, another will not. Looking beautiful and being beautiful are two separate and unique concepts. The radiance of beauty shines from inside out and not the other way around. The reality is: feel good, look good! When you focus too much on perfecting your physical appearance, you are losing the real essence of beauty.
Wear Your Confidence – Feel Attractive Confidence is a style that never goes out of trend! Let’s put it into context: Confidence is about you! ◉ Knowing who you are you,
◉ Identifying that your imperfections are
part of you, and make you who you are: UNIQUE!
◉ Feeling comfortable with yourself,
◉ Feeling comfortable in your own body, ◉ Knowing how to dress for your shape
and size, and
◉ Being able to be uniquely yourself. A confident person stands out from the crowd. Their personality and beauty radiate from the inside out. 6
May 2015 | iSelf Magazine
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All bodies are good bodies. Everybody has the right to feel comfortable in their own skin. –Sarah Harry, Body Positive Australia
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dream can result in stress, anxiety, obsession, social isolation, internal judgement and criticism. When the dream continues to slip from their grip, a myriad of negative emotions emerge including depression, grief, disappointment, anger, and other health problems can occur.
[See Real Women challenging popular culture and defying social ideals...styling for confidence! page 8]
A confident person spends time on themselves as they believe they are worthy and deserving of their own time. They use this time to: ◉ understand themselves better and
continue personal growth,
◉ improve their health,
◉ do things they love to do, and
◉ develop a clothing style that represents
their unique personality, to flatter their size and shape.
It is important to understand who you are and for you to bring out your unique personality in the clothes you wear. Find clothes to flatter your unique shape and don’t hide in garments. Your body is the jewel that exudes your real beauty, no matter the size or shape. When you wear your personality with confidence, you are always in style! (continued on Page 30)
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STYLING FOR CONFIDENCE:
AWESOME WOMEN CELEBRATE UNIQUENESS WITH STYLE!
F
eeling comfortable and confident in who you are and in your body is something that many people, particularly women, struggle with. Body dissatisfaction has a negative effect on a person’s overall perception of who they are, what they are capable of, their emotions, and moods. Body dissatisfaction is derived from societies’ unrealistic connotation of perfection and beauty. This changes from decade to decade. The human body comes in diverse sizes and shapes and this message is finally being shouted louder than ever. People are beginning to stand up and say, ‘I am amazing as I am!’ To celebrate the unique, diverse, and very different packages beauty comes in, iSelf Magazine employed Janine Mison from Love Your Shape, to restyle 3 amazing women. We flew her to Brisbane to meet the women, to be part of the confident transformational makeovers. To complete the makeovers, Tracy Hudson from VIMA provided the hair and makeup makeover for the women. We want to help women of all sizes and shapes to embrace their uniqueness and feel empowered to be confident today, by finding clothes that flatter them. It is time to stop saying, ‘ONE DAY’ and start saying, ‘I am living for Today!’ We firmly believe that by starting to empower three women, this will create ripples of inspiration to others and hopefully, this means you! We hope that you will gain inspiration to start finding your unique style to help you feel more confident, and as you gain more confidence you will inspire others to do the same. Our mission is to make a difference in people’s lives, to inspire and empower. 8
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R U O EET
M
3 B FA EN M O W
Meet Jessica Age: 38 years old
Family: Loving husband and a gorgeous 2 1/2 year old daughter
Occupation: Stay-at-home mum, Massage Therapist
About:
Jessica made the decision to stop working and devote her time to her family. Although she stands by the choice to raise her gorgeous little girl, she sometimes feels that she has somehow lost her identity along the way. She’s blown away to have been given the opportunity to have a styling makeover. It’s a dream come true for her, as she watches shows on transformational makeovers and always wished this could happen to her. This is a chance for her to feel more beautiful and confident in her own skin. She is excited to learn what clothes suit her best because now, she changes her clothes several times until she finds something to wear, as she feels chunky or unhappy about how she looks. In a nutshell, Jessica wants to know how to dress so that she feels amazing every day. And she can hardly wait!
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Meet Natalie Age: 37 years old
Family: Her beautiful husband, longtime quirky and loyal best friend, and two highly charismatic cats Occupation: Team Leader at Telstra
About: She is quirky, fun loving, and blessed with an eclectic mix of people – and animals – she calls her family, a job she genuinely loves, and enjoys varied hobbies including creating jewellery, soap making, and cooking. Fashion is something she has never understood very well. Her childhood consisted of pink frilly dresses that her mum chose for her, which wasn’t her. In her 20s she transitioned to the polar opposite: mostly black! Over the years she has gotten better and she is looking forward to finding styles and looks that suit her and reflect who she is. She is also pretty excited about getting all dolled up!
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Meet Christel Age: 68 years old
Family: Wonderful husband, mum, daughters, cats, and birds
Occupation: Retail shop owner with her husband
About: Happily occupied handling a business and looking after her family, Christel still finds time to indulge in hobbies that include walking on the beach, having coffee with friends, and going to the movies. She only feels 40 and not her age! As a working woman she makes a conscious effort to look as presentable as possible but has days where she tries on 4 or 5 outfits before she feels comfortable and feel like she looks good! She’s thrilled to participate in this fashion makeover. She’d love to know what she can wear to look more feminine. But more than that, she wants to know what types of clothes work best for her weight and body shape. She’s definitely looking forward to a wonderfully enlightening day!
e r o f Be 16
May 2015 | iSelf Magazine
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Photo by David Entz
The three lovely ladies with Kellee, iSelf Executive Editor, after their makeover.
Thank You to: Makeup Assistant, Lucia Fidow, a student from the National Academy of Beauty. She did a great job in assisting Tracy, making the women look more gorgeous and being a part of the project team. David Entz the photographer, who was generous and flexible and made the experience for the whole team, a joy. He was the thorn amongst the rose and it was a pleasure to have him as part of the project.
The team who made this event possible: (from left) Tracy, Janine, Jessica, Natalie, Christel, Kellee and Lucia.
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DEBUNKING MYTHS
AT THE HEART OF
#DISnoBODY
DON’T DIS MY APPEARANCE midd or M Pa i
n t yo
ur
le
fing
er
f
ay
I
n Australia, there are approximately 1 million people suffering from Eating Disorders reported in 2014. Individuals with Eating Disorders shared that they have experienced being judged and shamed by others, resulting in negative and significant consequences, affecting their eating behaviours. Negative Body Image is a contributing factor for developing Eating Disorders. The largest Youth Survey in Australia carried out by Mission Australia recorded that Body Image has been ranked as one of the top three issues of personal concern. In 2014, three in ten youths indicated that they were either extremely concerned or very concerned about Body Image.
iSelf Magazine chooses to stand up against a culture of body judgement, shaming and criticism that leads to negative Body Image, so in May we are participating in The Butterfly Foundation’s national campaign, Don’t DIS My Appearance, to help raise awareness and funds to support those affected with Eating Disorders and negative Body Image. We sat down with The Butterfly Foundation CEO, Christine Morgan and Celebrity Supporters, Tracey Spicer and Andrew O’Keefe, to get to the heart of #DISnoBody campaign and how Body Image can be affecting you and the lives of others, everyday. May 2015 | iSelf Magazine
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REAL TALK
The bottom line is: ‘No two people were born to look the same way and it’s important to celebrate difference… You don’t need to change for anyone.’
Q&A WITH
Christine Morgan
CEO, THE BUTTERFLY FOUNDATION
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May 2015 | iSelf Magazine
ISM: Why is the ‘Don’t Dis My Appearance Campaign’ so important for Australian females? CM: Too many Australians try to define themselves, and their peers, by what they look like or what size they are, without understanding how harmful this can be. There is a real need for the link between negative Body Image, low Self-esteem and Eating Disorders to be made more explicit, for better understanding about why a positive Body Image matters. This bold campaign highlights the preventative health value of a positive Body Image and aims to draw people’s attention to the issue and encourage them to help fight Eating Disorders by taking a stand against appearance-based judgement. The donations raised by this campaign will go toward the work of The Butterfly Foundation in supporting people living with Eating Disorders.
ISM: Why is the ‘Don’t Dis My Appearance Campaign’ so important for Australian males? CM: Unfortunately, there are huge myths around negative Body Image, low Self-Esteem and Eating Disorders – and one of these is that they only affect women. It’s important people recognise the pressures men are under in terms of their Body Image, and this campaign stands for every Australian, male or female.
ISM: What does The Butterfly Foundation hope to achieve with this Campaign?
CM: Don’t DIS My Appearance aims to highlight how body shaming and appearance-based judgement can contribute to negative Body Image and the development of an Eating Disorder. The campaign also seeks to start a conversation about how harmful such judgements are, and to empower people to take a stand and say ‘NO’. Raising awareness about this issue, and funds for the 1 million Australians suffering from Eating Disorders, we hope to continue to build better prevention and treatment services for sufferers and their families.
ISM: In our society, there is a real drive for perfection and this is having negative impacts on both males and females, of all ages. What are the impacts seen by The Butterfly Foundation? CM: Absolutely, this is something that we are seeing on an increased scale. We are inundated with media messages that point to certain ideals of what society deems beautiful. People are increasingly valuing their worth through the lens of an idealised ‘thin’ body shape for women, or a muscular build for men. This buys into negative Body Image, and we know people with negative Body Image can become fixated on trying to change their actual body shape. This can lead to people engaging in unhealthy practices with food and exercise in the hope that the change in body shape will alleviate their negative feelings.
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LIFESTYLE
DOr O
T E I D
Negative Effects of Losing Weight the Wrong Way Dieting can be harmful to your health and it just doesn’t work!
The big negative effect of dieting is the lack of sustainability. Dieting implies doing something in the shortterm, rather than focusing on a long-term healthy lifestyle involving good nutrition and physical activity forever. – Dr Tim Staunton Smith GP - QUT Medical Centre May 2015 | iSelf Magazine
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How many times have you said to yourself, ‘tomorrow, I am going to start exercising 5 days a week! On Monday, I am going to stick to 1200 calories and eat low carb!’? How long does your attempts to reduce your waistline or get fit last? When your attempts fail, what are the consequences?
✔ Shame ✔ Sense of failure ✔ Guilt ✔ Feels like there is something wrong with you (weak, lack motivation, willpower, discipline) ✔ Not good enough ✔ And so much more. But the truth is, what really happened is that you fell into the trap of clever strategic marketers who play on your vulnerabilities, your need to belong, to gain approval, and to fit in with social norms. Fiona Sutherland, Accredited Practising Dietitian and Director of Body Positive Australia says ‘The pressure to pursue weight loss or body improvement means that some women go down the path of plans or programs that are strong on marketing and short on substance. Their programs won’t just give you a change in your body but also other sought after attributes such as happiness, success, desirability and confidence.’ 26
May 2015 | iSelf Magazine
Therefore, marketers skilfully make you believe that you can’t be happy, successful, or beautiful unless you use their product and reach a certain weight loss goal. The images and messages they provide you with are unrealistic, for most, and you will find yourself never reaching them, or reaching them only for a moment before it slips away. Then you will continue to strive to reach this goal again and again. They need you to fail and use their product over and over again as this is how they make their money! Diets have a minimum of 95% failure rate.
[
If you went to buy a computer and you were told that there was a chance that 98% of the time when you go to turn the computer on, it would not work, would you buy it? Unfortunately, we keep being sold the same idea with dieting and we keep doing it, even though the diet will fail and the weight lost will be regained, and more. It’s somehow not the product’s fault, it’s ours! The product is to blame because diets just don’t work! – Sarah Harry Body Positive Australia
[
According to IBISWorld, Australians were expected to have spent $6.6 billion in 2013-2014 in the health and weight loss industries. However, they also forecasted that in the same annual period, Australians will have spent $11.7 billion on unhealthy fast foods! There is certainly a conflict between trying to lose weight and eating junk food! This is part of the pattern that we see when we look at why dieting doesn’t work and the yo-yo dieting effect. Many people tend to constantly flip between either being on an exercise and diet plan or off it! There appears to be no balance or healthy lifestyle trend.
A study conducted by Mann et al., 2007 from UCLA found that people would be better off not dieting! Although some people losing 5-10% of their starting body weight in the first 6-months, one-third to twothirds of people regained their weight and more within four to five years. A study b y Tomiyama et al., cited in Mann’s study, found that one of the future predictors of weight gain was dieting. Therefore, those who have dieted are more likely to gain weight than those who have not dieted. Yo-yo dieting or repeatedly losing and regaining weight is linked to negative health issues including but not limited to:
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(from Page 6)
✿ Find a balanced and healthy nutritional
Living Positively with Confidence! Celebrate Your Uniqueness
✿ What are the things that can provide
Harry says, ‘Everyone on the planet is meant to be in different sizes and shapes and we should become much more interested in celebrating and understanding diversity because we are not meant to look one way. We actually come in a whole range of different shapes and sizes, abilities, colours, and cultural background.’ It is more important that you feel good inside, are comfortable and healthy.
Get comfortable in the skin that you are in. It’s your choice. It should not be made by anybody else. –Sarah Harry, Body Positive Australia The journey of finding body confidence and positivity is different for everyone and the process can take you on an incredible journey. The most important things within the journey to reflect on include:
✿ Focusing on health not body weight or
size. ✿ Being kind and compassionate to yourself and to your body (let go of negativity, drive for perfection and criticism). ✿ Be respectful to yourself. ✿ Be respectful of your
body and what it has done and is capable of.
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May 2015 | iSelf Magazine
plan that is sustainable, interesting and flexible.
you with fun, enjoyment, passion and laughter? Start doing them today! ✿ Who do you want to be – inside (to yourself) and out (to others)? Start living that today! Harry suggests the following steps to help you live a sustainable healthy and happy life at any size and shape:
✿ Make little changes, ✿ Live in the NOW, ✿ Celebrate changes, ✿ Live with steadiness, and ✿ Create inspirational body positive feed in social media.
✿ Real Relationship. Spend more time with people that uplift you, make you happy, inspire you to be better, more confident and healthier. Spend less time in virtual communities and more time with real people and interacting on a personal level to build true relationships.
Now is your time to make informed decisions about how you want to live your life and how you are going to embrace your body and your uniqueness to create a more meaningful and fulfilled life, NOW! When what you feel is more important than what others think, you are on your path to a healthier and happier life. So be bold, step up and find your unique beauty inside of you. Break the rules and defy the norms!
✿ Be Unique. Identify and develop what makes you unique so you can follow your own path in life and be true to yourself. Build your own confidence by letting go of the things that are stopping you from living a life filled with passion, fun and satisfaction. Don’t compare your life, your body or anything to anyone else’s because you are not them and they are not you! Empower yourself to be a rare and beautiful artwork – just you! n
The human body comes in all sizes and shapes and is a representation of a person who feels, thinks, acts and reacts. ✿ Being Comfortable In Your Own Skin. If what you are doing does not make you feel comfortable, STOP! If dieting does not feel right... If wearing makeup does not feel good... If looking at the mirror does not make you feel happy. Just stop and find out the things that make you feel comfortable, do things that make you happy. Find your confidence and calm yourself. ✿ Being Healthy. What is healthy for others may not be the same for you. It may be that your body requires more food than others. It may be that your body cannot tolerate more physical activities and exercise than others. Each individual is unique with unique health requirements. Stop comparing your eating and health activities with other people, because you are not the same.
[
Understand your body and be comfortable in your own skin.
[
Beyond Physical Forms
–Sarah Harry, Body Positive Australia
✿ Celebrating Accomplishments. Focus on your accomplishments rather than the negatives you may have experienced. The recognition for your success in things that you are good at, deserves merit. It is important to get your mindset right and realise that you are an amazing person and you can do anything you put your mind to. Your accomplishments will allow you to see your strengths, which is a positive aspect of your individuality rather than looking at your weaknesses. May 2015 | iSelf Magazine
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: E I L T A F G
A BI
Thinner Doesn’t Mean Healthier
If you are slim you are healthy, if you are fat you are not. That’s always been the notion. Well, it’s time to debunk that myth! For many decades, there has been the perception from: • the medical professionals,
• fitness and health industry, • society, and • media,
that people who are thinner are generally considered to be the epitome of health; while those who carry a few (or more) extra kilos are unhealthy. Therefore, society equates body size and shape with health.
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Dr Tim Staunton Smith, a General Practitioner at QUT Medical Centre predominantly sees youths and he has observed the social pressures for achieving and ‘ideal body’ are present for both males and females. He says, ‘young women think they should look like Kate Moss and young men think they should look like Arnold Schwarzenegger. Typically these thoughts are fed by the internet, media and some aspects of the fashion industry, to name but a few.’ But a ‘one-size fits all’ body size and shape DOES NOT fit all of society and does not determine health. Health is also not solely defined by body size, shape and weight. ‘There are healthy fat people and unhealthy thin people and vice versa. Being healthy is so much more than the weight on the scales,’ says Vicky Graham, Exercise Physiologist and Director for True North Wellness. Dr. Staunton Smith agrees with Graham sharing his opinion from two different perspectives:
From a General Practitioner (GP) perspective: The focus should always be on healthy lifestyle. This means encouraging all patients, regardless of their weight, to engage in a variety of regular exercise. As well as eat foods from a range of food groups including eating foods rich in ‘good oils’ to protect against Cardiovascular Disease, and limiting consumption of highly processed foods, excess salt, sugar and alcohol.
From a purely medical perspective: Fat that is centrally deposited is a risk factor for development of Type 2 Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease. Weight is often used as a measure in determining this risk, whereas waist measurement is a more appropriate tool in determining risk.
source image: wikipedia commons
Fat is bad is too simplistic a statement. The statement thin is healthy, is also too simplistic. – Dr Tim Staunton Smith – General Practitioner, QUT Medical Centre
[
[
We know that thin people who eat poorly and do no exercise are at higher risk of Cardiovascular and other diseases. As well, those that eat poorly and do too much exercise can be underweight which is also problematic.
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Skinny Fat A person can be thin and still be unhealthy, known as ‘Skinny Fat’. There are two medical terms that you might hear for this: • TOFI – Thin Outside - Fat Inside. This refers to a person within a normal Body Mass Index (BMI) who stores a disproportionate amount of fat around their abdomen (adipose). • MONW – Metabolically Obese Normal Weight. This means that these people have a normal BMI but have more body fat than is healthy and less muscle mass. These people can also tend to have unhealthy habits including poor nutrition and lack of exercise, among others. It has also been found that Skinny Fat people can have an increased risk of metabolic syndrome including: ◉ high Cholesterol,
◉ elevated levels of liver fat, ◉ poor blood circulation,
◉ Pre-Diabetes and Type 2 Diabetes,
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◉ Cardiovascular disease, and ◉ Early death.
A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association by Carnethon et al., 2012 found that nearly 1 in 4 skinny people were Pre-Diabetic. The other little known fact is that, the study found normal weight people had higher risk of death than overweight or obese people. A study by Ekelund et al., 2015 from Cambridge University, found that lack of physical activity is associated with, but independent of, a person’s BMI: ◉ Greater risk of Cancer,
◉ Greater risk of Heart Disease,
◉ Increased risk of early death, and ◉ Contributes to increased weight. Just by doing a 20-minute walk a day can reduce the risk of early death by up to 30%! ‘This is a simple message: just a small amount of physical activity each day could have substantial health benefits for people who are physically inactive,’ says Professor Ulf Ekelund from the Medical Research Council (MRC) Epidemiology Unit at Cambridge University.
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REAL TALK
Q&A WITH
Andrew O’Keefe CELEBRITY SUPPORTER, DON’T DIS MY APPEARANCE CAMPAIGN
The bottom line is: ‘Real beauty is about the way we look at the world, not the way the world looks at us. A beautiful mind, a beautiful heart, a beautiful spirit…these are the truly attractive features of any person.’ 36
May 2015 | iSelf Magazine
ISM: Why have you become a supporter of the ‘Don’t Dis My Appearance Campaign’? AO: Everyone deserves an opportunity to be happy. The modern obsession with physical ‘perfection’ is a huge barrier to happiness for so many people. I also support the campaign because I believe that all people, of all colours, shapes and beliefs, have something unique to contribute to our world, and to our appreciation of what it means to be human. If some people are shamed out of confidently playing their part, we all miss out.
How boring this world would be if everyone looked ‘perfect’, or if every person you ever held felt just like the last?
ISM: Appearance and Body-image have been linked more with females than males. Why is this a male issue too? AO: Men have a huge role to play in changing the culture that says ‘it’s okay to constantly judge women by their bodies.’ We have to challenge the messages all around us telling us that women are primarily sex objects and that there’s an Ideal feminine physical form that represents sexiness. We wouldn’t openly DIS a mate because he was “no oil painting”, but we’re constantly critiquing women based solely on their looks. I should point out that women can be just as guilty of this as men. But I think it’s important for men to really proclaim that we value women as people and not just as bodies. There are also plenty of
men who have real body-image issues, even if they don’t always manifest in the same way. I know lots of blokes who feel they can’t stack up to the modern ideal of the ripped and buff super-male, and who feel a quiet sense of shame about that. You’d be amazed by how many men feel terribly self-conscious about having no hair up top and too much hair out back!
In all sorts of ways, our society tells men that if you’re chubby, or weedy, or bald, or too hairy, or short-sighted, or short, or you’re not hung like a horse, you’re somehow laughable, or less than truly masculine.
ISM: How do you think the above has affected men? AO: I think many men experience a lack of confidence associated with what they perceive as their physical flaws. They don’t feel sexy enough to be attractive and they feel that others will assume they lack self-discipline. In a society that constantly equates masculinity with toughness, sexual mastery and emotional control, it can feel quite emasculating. One of the big challenges for our society is to redefine masculinity to include softer and deeper attributes like thoughtfulness, compassion, empathy, and openness. When we can do that, I think we’ll start to see the male body ideal shift away from the ‘man of steel’ and I hope then that men of all shapes and sizes will feel that they count as “real men”. May 2015 | iSelf Magazine
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May 2015 | iSelf Magazine
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May 2015 | iSelf Magazine
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REAL TALK
Q&A WITH
Tracey Spicer CELEBRITY SUPPORTER, DON’T DIS MY APPEARANCE CAMPAIGN
The bottom line is: ‘Understand that you are more than the sum of your body parts. Those who love you, do so because of what is in your heart and head. Not what’s on your face.’ 40
May 2015 | iSelf Magazine
ISM: Why have you become the supporter for the ‘Don’t Dis My Appearance Campaign’? TS: It’s a fun and cheeky way of telling people to mind their own business, when it comes to someone’s appearance. I love the humour in the campaign. Often, this is the most powerful way to get a message across.
ISM: How did you feel going natural (without makeup), in the first week, after so many years of being in the spotlight with an expectation to look a particular way? TS: It was incredibly liberating. I felt like I was truly me, for the first time in years. And it’s saved me an awful lot of time and money, as well!
ISM: What was your motivation behind not wearing makeup (most people may not remember the media around this)? TS: I wanted to be a better role model for my daughter - in fact, for all young women. We shouldn’t feel obliged to wear a ‘mask’ to feel accepted, in certain circles.
ISM: Many women could not go as far as you have gone, to go completely natural, so what is your advice for them? TS: My advice is to go as far as they feel comfortable. And to question why they are engaged in the grooming routine they have chosen. Is it for themselves, or others? How much could they cut it back? Would reducing it make them happier and healthier?
ISM: Everywhere we turn, we are bombarded with images of societies’ norms and ideals of beauty and
perfection. How do you think this has negatively affected self-esteem, confidence and body-image of girls and teens? TS: There are unrealistic images, everywhere we look. It’s important to deconstruct those images, by discussing the way women’s bodies and faces are manipulated to fit a certain standard. It’s not reality.
ISM: How do you think the above has affected women? TS: It eats away at our self-esteem, every day.
ISM: Success has been highly interlinked, in our society, both in our professional and personal lives, with appearance. What advice would you give people about the two separate concepts? TS: Truly, success is what you make of it. If you tie success to appearance then it’s a slippery slope. We must build our confidence upon our other attributes, such as intellect and character. This is more sensible - and sustainable.
ISM: Currently, there is a billion dollar industry based on fat shaming women post-pregnancy to ‘bounce back’ to pre-pregnancy weight, or celebrity/society ideals of thin, ASAP. What are your thoughts about this industry and how they are playing on the vulnerable thoughts and emotions of women? TS: Gah - I hate that! I felt under enormous pressure to lose baby weight, working in television. It’s so stressful when at this time all of our energies should be on caring for our baby and formulating a return-to-work plan. n May 2015 | iSelf Magazine
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MAKEUP AND HAIR STYLING Tracy Hudson – VIMA
I was taken away with the canvas I had to work with as she has great facial structure, beautiful eyes and a full bottom lip. I enhanced her eyes, as they are her best feature, followed by her lips. I contoured the hollows SQUARE of her cheeks to give the appearance of higher cheekbones. A combination of peach and pink was used on her cheeks, which was followed through with her eye makeup, incorporating a warm soft Matte Brown eyeshadow in the crease of her eyes and outer corners. A dark brown eyeliner was used to make her eyes pop and smoked it out with a fine brush underneath the eye to make her eyes appear larger. I filled her eyebrows with a light brown to give definition and highlighted just under the brow bone with a matte skin toned colour. I used a touch of peach semi shimmer eyeshadow, in the centre of the eyelid to complete a rose/gold look. To finish off the look I applied a burnt hot orange lipstick and styled her hair giving volume and a tousled look. She looked hot!!
Christel
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May 2015 | iSelf Magazine
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May 2015 | iSelf Magazine
Life l Health l Happiness l Love
A call to be gentle, to be forgiving, to be generous with yourself: Just look into the mirror and see your face. When the criticism drops away, what you will see then is just you, without judgement, and that is the first step toward transforming your experience of the world.
- Oprah Winfrey