Comments on: Fitness Magazines: Do They Make Us Feel Better or Worse About Ourselves?

By: JivaFit Julie

JivaFit Julie — Thu, 15 May 2008 16:30:53 +0000

What’s worse is fashion magazines that ask us to look at what we hate about our bodies in order to find the best clothes. I just wrote a post about how mad I got when I read InStyle’s recent Shape Your Style issue: http://www.jivafit.com/2008/05/15/stop-hating-and-start-loving-your-body/
The credit I can give to fitness magas is that they will on occasion print a fashion story that tells us how to show off our favorite body parts, open back dresses for strong backs, sleeveless tops if you love your arms and so on.

By: Elissa

Elissa — Thu, 15 May 2008 14:27:09 +0000

I really enjoyed your article Zan! Enough said

By: "classic" jen

"classic" jen — Wed, 14 May 2008 20:38:08 +0000

i haven’t found any women’s fitness magazines that i like in a long time. even to the extent that they do have good information, it’s so repetitive — i found that i was basically reading the same information over and over.

i generally like to read “discipline-specific” magazines (for lack of a better term) like “Running” and “Outside” — although i’m not currently a runner or an outdoor sports person, i find that these kinds of magazines have the general fitness-related articles i’m interested in. like what’s the best heartrate monitor and why i should incorporate anaerobic intervals into my workouts… stuff like that.

and another upside is that these kinds of magazines don’t tend to have a lot of “cheesecake” type photos highlighting model’s bodies.

By: Suzanne

Suzanne — Wed, 14 May 2008 12:58:17 +0000

Thanks for mentioning BlogHer! I must say, though, that when I picked up a copy of Fitness to read that article, I was shocked that many of the women they depicted are not “perfect.” (Nor were they all in their 20s.) It seemed like a good start to showing the wider range of women as we actually appear in real life. A few weeks later, I looked at my friend’s Glamour magazine and was also surprised to see different types of women in it. Maybe one day, magazines will realize that they don’t need to airbrush the living daylights out of their cover models, too. Let’s keep the pressure up to show more diversity!

By: Well-Intentioned Heartbreaker

Well-Intentioned Heartbreaker — Wed, 14 May 2008 04:09:13 +0000

I was actually just talking about this issue, regarding a section of Cosmo that I read today.
It was on facts you don’t know about Kristen Bell..
One of the facts was that she “believes in breakfast after every meal, including breakfast.”
I find reading things like that frustrating.. It is promoting a negative body image to those who cannot eat DESSERT AFTER EVERY MEAL.. Which should be everyone, no?
And honestly, Kristen Bell does not eat dessert three times a day.
The celebrities that claim their “rock hard abs” come from walking their dogs on weekends are annoying. And liars.

By: Another Chris

Another Chris — Wed, 14 May 2008 00:30:08 +0000

Great post, Zan! I don’t know if my viewpoint will help or not, but the one thing I have noticed about fitness magazines that show IMPOSSIBLY ripped people on their covers (’impossibly’ refering to air-brushing or steroid abusers or people who are paid fitness models, and so can devote their entire day to working on their body, through diet and exercise) is that–well, first I can’t imagine wanting to look like one of those people, but second, I believe that the men I know are not looking at the women in these magazines thinking that they want to be with somebody who looked that ripped. I do not find the female models in these magazines attractive, and I think many men do not either; I think it is mainly women noticing these nearly impossible-to-obtain figures…I think these magazines are more about guilt, and fantasy than they are about promoting healthy lifestyles, and promoting what the world really is all about, when it comes to attraction. I soo wish that women would not look at these stupid magazines and feel inferior, or undesirable. I look at the butt-head men on these covers and laugh…they soo-define themselves by how taut their bellies are, and how thick their chests are. And I know it’s easier for me, because men are held, generally, to lower standards of attraction than are women, in our stupid society, but also, I mean really, who the hell would want to look like one of these muscle-rich, fitness-osbsessed people? I wish women would not let corporate America decide for them how they should look, or when they should feel inferior, and why they are inadequate. So, please know that not everyone wants a washboard-stomach model as a mate…and please, do not let these dumb magazines help to establish your sense of worth…I think I didn’t say that all exactly how I heard it in my thoughts, but I hope it made some sense, CR

By: MizFit

MizFit — Tue, 13 May 2008 21:44:03 +0000

(blows kisses at WG who so often says what Im feeling only BETTER)

Im gonna go out on a limb here

part devils advocate and part how I really feel.

THEY DONT IMPACT ME EITHER WAY.

I read them. but with the same cynical eye as I read STAR MAG, THE NYT, or a James Frey novel.

I gather the tips which apply to me (read: not the make up but the how to pack more cr** in your gym bag type stuff) laugh AT the insanity of it (how these women stay thin and eat only junkfood and “just look this way. Im lucky!!”) and move on.

Im not sure why they dont make me feel sh**** about myself—even when I had weight I needed to lose—and if I can ever figure it out Im gonna pass it on to my daughter.

thanks Z for the GREAT conglomeration o’info!

By: WeightingGame

WeightingGame — Tue, 13 May 2008 20:10:30 +0000

wow – great job gathering so much info together here! I echo your sentiment that it can be both uplifting as well as discouraging. I amke it a point to NOT read magazines that portray overly thin models (ie most beauty mags) and stick with the fitness ones which make me feel happy about being a strong woman…even if I don’t have a washboard tummy.

By: P.O.M.

P.O.M. — Tue, 13 May 2008 19:01:29 +0000

Great post! I actually tried to ban fitness magazines in my house. However my bestfriend got me a subscription for Christmas. As soon as its over, then I’m really done with them. I mean, how many different ways can they have the “Lose 5 pounds in a week” article.

By: Sagan

Sagan — Tue, 13 May 2008 18:23:12 +0000

I’m a total sucker for fitness magazines. I’ll read them pretty often. Most of the time I’ll be partly disgusted with it, but its one of those guilty pleasures, I guess. I enjoy reading those kinds of things and I think the main thing is to just not take it too much to heart!