I don't know about you but I was getting pretty tired of seeing the "French Girls Don't Get Fat" just about everywhere, even here at Bella. Talk about a good marketing campaign. Finally, someone is debunking the claims. Writer Anne Korkeakivi seems to be sick of it too.
In her article, Ce N'est Pas Vrai! French Women DO get fat, and DO watch their weight for the Summer 2005 issue of Ms. Magazine she had this to say: "Yes, French women are generally thinner than their U.S. counterparts, but a 2004 study by French Senator Claude Saunier shows them catching up. They diet too." And lots of other juicy facts you probably haven't heard about lately.The sad thing about this little bit of news is that a lot of women won't see it. Most will see the ads and keep hearing about how other women are skinnier than them.
Another great article was by Catherine Orenstein, The Dialectic of Fat. While the first page or so will probably cause an uproar for those of you opposed to Kirstie Alley's latest antics, the following pages offer some notable insights about Camryn Manheim, Susie Orbach, Deborah Voigt and Pavarotti.
One particularly scary bit of info she sites is a 90's study by Harvard Medical School regarding Fiji girls and television, "Between 1995 and 1998, the islanders watched Melrose Place and Beverly Hills 90210, and 11 percent of the girls surveyed developed bulimia--a disease previously unknown to them."
Besides these two articles you'll also get to see the magazine's new campaign "This is What a Feminist Looks Like" featuring Camryn Manhein and Margaret Cho. They look like they had a fun time.
No, Ms. hasn't become a fat mag but let's face it, while women don't have a monopoly on fat, it is a women's issue. There is an abundance of other reading in this mag but you won't find fluffy ads or articles on how to wear makeup or dress to attract the opposite sex. Thirty something Ms. is concerned with women's issues and women's rights.
I highly recommend picking up this issue.
If you want to purchase a subscription to support Ms. please visit their website.
