Do men worry about self image?

We have heard the jokes and puns about men worrying about baldness, somewhat like a women worrying about how big her butt looks in her new jeans. Usually articles and advice on improving self confidence, awareness and image point toward women. Would that same advice benefit men in the same way? Do they need their own pep talks that would differ from the womanly advice we receive?

From an article on http://www.askmen.com/, this started me thinking

As many suggest, facing and talking about fears is a good start in managing or overcoming them. Some body-image difficulties affect more people than others, and some are fixed (penis size) while others can be altered or improved. Self-help anxiety and body-image books are a great start and help many people. A therapist can also help you work on these anxieties.

Read more: http://www.askmen.com/dating/dzimmer_700/741_voyeurism-and-consent.html#ixzz1nKERuMne

Do men and women have such different body image issues or do men hide it better than women?

If you do a search for healthy self image, many sites you will find are directed at women. Too improve your self confidence. Are women more ssusceptible to damaging self image and esteem?

According to Self Image In Recovery the following is involved in creating a self image......


Your self-image is developed by how you assess the following factors:

* Physical appearance.

* Shape of your body.

* Accomplishments in academics.

* Achievement in athletics.

* Social skills.

* Value system.

* Skills, abilities and competencies.

* Relationship with family, relatives, siblings, peer group and others.

* Behavior in social and professional situations.

* Background and environment from which you came.

* Roles played in life at school, home, work and in the community.

* Jobs and job titles held.

* Goals, ambitions and aspirations for the future.

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/14735-self-image-in-recovery/#ixzz1nKHMGaEU
 
Well that just gets me thinking even more. The things listed above are not gender oriented. Why are women more affected by such things and have so much problems with self image? Or do they in reality? It could be that women are apt to buy the magazine and analyze their own self image more than men do, reflecting the abundance of information that is geared towards helping women feel better about themselves.
 

It now comes down to more questions and not a whole lot of answers, but I feel better about myself today just because I was able to come up with so many questions in the first place. Thinking gets my juices going.

Dear Paula Deen, You couldn't see it comin'?

Maybe she was unaware, or even had a ton of excuses for 'why' butter and sugar were the must have ingredients. Maybe she only ate the food she entertained our 'fat' sides with, when she was on the air. It could have been the truth when she stated that she believed in moderation.

Multi millions just doesn't happen without the consumer buying the books, cookware and tuning in to find out what high fat, high sugar, billion calorie dish that southern belle had so devilishly presented to our senses. We the people, that the marketing pros call the perfect customer, bought into it all.

Now this gal in her 60's finds herself with diabetes, which was once called a 'disease of kings'. Does she turn to her loyal fans and help make sure they do not follow her evil fat soaked ways, NO...she puts her face on a drug. Just like many known diseases these days, take a pill for your ill.

So now the suspense! Does she keep cooking her recipes, the very same recipes that have made her soooo much money. Does she do her show with a disclaimer provided?

"This show, host and food may cause damage to your health"

Sex Sells and We are Buying it Up!

There just might be truth in the pudding (no clue what that means). The involvement of 'sex' and of 'food' in the ads that get us to buy things may be overwhelming when we take a real close look. As we examine how we are led to the sexy ads and the juicy 'got have it' food commericials, Could we all have strings attached?

Would you buy 'Old Spice' from Mr Magoo? Imagine it


Would you pull into Burger King if instead of burgers you smelled cooking cabbage?

Pleasure me, then make me fat!?

As we become surrounded by the convenience of high fat foods, taste enhanced processed products and advertisements that lead us like a herd to the feeding trough; we find incomparable pleasure in the foods we eat. Many a time people will defend this way of life, the life of ultimate convenience, but the evidence or even the enormous hint shows that maybe, just maybe....it is not good for us, as we are all started to look alike.

Call it what you want! The muffin-top, spare tire, life saver, beer belly or extra body fat, when you can enter a large store, look around and only see a very few people that actually look like the weight and shape that they should be, this could be the 'hint' that something may be amiss.





We all have different shapes, different structures and handle different situations differently. Get it? Different!
Overweight should not be the norm, it should be the exception. Regardless of the look of the muffin top, it is a huge signal of poor health, proof is the increase in health care needed. This puts us in lines at the Doctors office at an earlier age and that is where we stay until we get the 'hint'.

It may not be the need to add medications or supplements. It may not be the barrels of 'get thin quick' advice we seek. It may just be, we need to change our diets, not as a whole but as individuals. To each to care for ourselves as responsible people.

Will sum it as "I am just saying....." Get the hint!

You can dress me up, but scare me once....and POW

From 'Angry Birds' to 'Nicki Manaj' getting ready for the night of 'Trick or treat' has arrived.
It is also a time to reflect on how times have changed. Halloween seems to be put in the closet and protected in bubble wrap. There is no door to door, innocent costumes and apples or popcorn balls.

I have always believed that making your own costume was a better way to go, it brought personality to the whole deal. My kids are older now, but I could not imagine them going out as 'Snooki' or any reality show 'character'.

According to the National Retail Federation, Americans will spend an average of $72.31 on costumes, candy, and decorations – up 9 percent over last year. Total spending for the holiday is expected to reach $6.86 billion, the most in the NRF survey's nine-year history. Halloween, notes the NRF, is no longer just for school-age trick-or-treaters. It's increasingly an adult party holiday. source

It is actually nice that there is some socialization to the event still!