Today I sent this letter to one of the popular women's fitness magazines. I'd like to explore this issue further. Any thoughts?
Hi,
I like **** mag generally but I am increasingly frustrated at being presented with photographs of extremely lean, defined women sprouting two absurd boob balloons on their chests with the expectation that I would admire these women, I don't! These 'competition winning' bodies are obviously the result of having surgery to insert foreign objects into their breasts in order to re-gain some of their lost femininity. Here's the problem that we fit women don't seem to want to address and it is this: if you reduce your body fat levels to a minimum and really work on muscle definition you will have no boobs. None! What we end up with is a flat split broader chest that is not feminine at all - hence a huge number of fit women opt for surgery. Now, how is that healthy? not to mention the fact that extremely low body fat has the potential to bring menustration to a halt and cause fertility problems.
We need some balance here and promoting an 'ideal' that is impossible to receive without surgery is something I'd expect ***** to be very wary of. If you really do care about promoting womens health and fitness you will not feature the grotesque contradiction of a plastic boobed super woman as something your readers should aspire to. Look at page 124 of the October 2012 issue - the fake breasts on these women are absurd and an insult to many of your readers who are actively seeking a healthy balance in their lives.
Please continue to promote healthy receipes, self-confidence and great workouts but at least also address how we can seek a balance in our lives that includes keeping some of our natural form, and staying away from extremes that can adversely affect us functioning naturally as women.
Your faithfully
Hi,
I like **** mag generally but I am increasingly frustrated at being presented with photographs of extremely lean, defined women sprouting two absurd boob balloons on their chests with the expectation that I would admire these women, I don't! These 'competition winning' bodies are obviously the result of having surgery to insert foreign objects into their breasts in order to re-gain some of their lost femininity. Here's the problem that we fit women don't seem to want to address and it is this: if you reduce your body fat levels to a minimum and really work on muscle definition you will have no boobs. None! What we end up with is a flat split broader chest that is not feminine at all - hence a huge number of fit women opt for surgery. Now, how is that healthy? not to mention the fact that extremely low body fat has the potential to bring menustration to a halt and cause fertility problems.
We need some balance here and promoting an 'ideal' that is impossible to receive without surgery is something I'd expect ***** to be very wary of. If you really do care about promoting womens health and fitness you will not feature the grotesque contradiction of a plastic boobed super woman as something your readers should aspire to. Look at page 124 of the October 2012 issue - the fake breasts on these women are absurd and an insult to many of your readers who are actively seeking a healthy balance in their lives.
Please continue to promote healthy receipes, self-confidence and great workouts but at least also address how we can seek a balance in our lives that includes keeping some of our natural form, and staying away from extremes that can adversely affect us functioning naturally as women.
Your faithfully
But I agree with what you are saying. The pressure put on us to be the perfect woman who is rail thin with Hustler sized hooters is ridiculous. Women seem to be wired to look at other women and mentally compare ourselves. With that type of model in what is supposed to be a "fitness" magazine it's no wonder many of us feel like we come up short. I don't look down on people who choose this route-I know it has come up frequently on these boards, but I know that no matter how I feel about my figure, I just couldn't stand putting an implant anywhere in my body. I feel like I would be betraying myself. Of course it has crossed my mind. I'm a B cup with two nursed children who wishes that the girls looked as firm as they used to. 
