Wednesday, October 25, 2006

Celebrity Chatter


In November’s issue of Self magazine, Lost star Evangeline Lilly, 27, reports that, after a recent stint of undereating and over-exercising, she realized, “‘I didn’t have an eating disorder, but I was pushing myself too hard for the calories I was taking in, and it wore down my immune system.’” Now, Lilly has dropped her three-hour daily workouts down to an hour, and is “‘not depriving [her]self anymore.’” But, there’s still a psychological struggle:
“I’ve always hated that my hips are smaller than my thighs, but I also take pride in that, because I want to be somebody who young women can look at and go, ‘Ok, she’s not perfect, so it’s OK if I’m not either.’”
Kudos to Lilly for recognizing (and avoiding) the entrance to a slippery path and for recognizing her role-model potential. Will it really make a difference? A recent issue of In Touch Weekly quotes Lilly as saying, “‘I come from a family of women with big thighs,” and notes that her workouts can “go a long way toward smoothing her lumps and bumps.” Other celebs targeted in the same “Even Stars Have Cellulite!” feature: Scarlett Johannson, Mischa Barton, Christina Aguilera, Kate Moss, Jessica Simpson, Uma Thurman, and the Hilton sisters.


An interview with Rachael Ray, in the same issue of In Touch, asks of Ray, “How do you stay in shape?” Ray replies, “I don’t! All of my pants are stretch and some days I’m a size 4 and other days I’m a size 6. I’ve never loved clothes enough to give up food!” Well, in addition to the fact that sizes 4/6 are, (body composition aside) generally understood to be “in shape,” and certainly not requiring of a fashion-inspired fast, I’m (in all honesty) quite ashamed that I thought she was bigger than this. Again, I’m reminded of the pound-loading camera and, likely, more of the generally skewed shapes we’re conditioned to seeing—how disturbing is it that the typical size 0/2 we view on television, in movies and magazines can make a still-petite woman seem larger than she is?

13 comments:

Blog said...

I love Evangeline Lilly. I think she's beautiful and am happy to hear she's adopted a healthier attitude toward her body. Amazing that someone like her is considered "bigger" or "voluptuous," etc....I'm not a fan of Rachel Ray's (love her cookbook, though), but kudos to her for spreading the word that being skinny isn't everything, and that food=pleasure.... :)

Anonymous said...

I didn't know much about Rachel Ray until recently; when I read that she doesn't diet, I became interested enough to buy a copy of her new magazine. No cookbooks yet.

But.... (a bit of a guilty "meow" here) I thought she was bigger also. I'll even go further: I think most people shave off a size or a few pounds when they "disclose". Rather than do that myself, I don't answer the question.

PTC said...

I always thought RR was bigger than that too. I know she is short, so that's probably why she appears to be larger. If you watch 30 minute meals, you can see how much her weight fluctuates.

Good for her though. I heard that she doesn't watch herself at all because she doesn't want to start obsessing about how she looks.

I would love to have her job on 40 Dollars a day, but would never be able to go eat all the stuff that she eats. No way!

Donna said...

Totally off topic as it relates to your post, and I hope you don't mind me asking for advice, but can you recommend books on the topic of body acceptance?

I'm undergoing gastric bypass, and I know many patients struggle with their body image after. It's like they're not happy unless they get that last tummy tuck or upper body lift.

For me, of course I want to look better, but more overwhleming are my medical reasons for doing it. I just don't see me having an upper body lift, ever.

Everyone keeps asking, "What's your goal size?" I don't have a goal size! I just want to have a healthy BMI! If I'm at a healhty BMI and that's a size 12, then so be it. I just makes me wonder if the process will change my current state of mind.

Throughout this process I have really tried to stay ahead of the curve and educate myself on potential mental challenges I will face later on, which is why I ask for your thoughts on reading material.

Thanks,
Donna

neca said...

Maybe it's splitting hairs a bit, but while RR may not be overweight, that doesn't mean she's in shape. A healthy fitness level and a healthy weight level aren't the same. I wonder if she meant she didn't diet, or that she didn't diet or exercise.

Anonymous said...

I don't know too much about RR, but the impression I have from the times I've watched 30-minute meals (she's annoying, but some yum recipes) is that she's more about intuitive eating, as Dr. S proposes. She enjoys what she wants, when she wants it, and therefore doesn't get caught up in the whole cycle of deprivation/binge and doesn't feel the need to overeat. She also uses a lot of natural, fresh ingredients which I personally think is great for health.

As for Evangeline Lilly, I think she is beautiful and love that she is athletic (judging by highly unreliable tabloids). Who knows? Maybe that In Touch quote was before the thing she said in Self magazine. These tabloids recycle quotes/pictures for many months after their original date. Either way, even seemingly "laid back" celebrities seem to succumb to the pressures.

wife2abadge said...

Am I the only one who thinks Evangeline Lilly is too skinny? Hmmm..I always thought Rachel Ray was about a size 6 or 8 -- not that I think that is big in any way, shape or form!

Anonymous said...

Wow- I, too, totally thought that Rachel Ray was a little bit "bigger" than that. Oops!

Emily Jolie said...

I've always noticed Rachel Ray's weight fluctuating a lot between her shows. On some episodes, she looks really skinny, and on others not quite as skinny. I do think she's in shape. Even in the not-so-skinny episodes, she still always has a very tight stomach.

I always wondered what her attitude to eating was and whether she was as laid back about her approach to food in real life as she makes it appear on TV. She eats all kinds of foods that are absolute no-no's for me.

Another food network persona I always wonder about is Giada DiLorentis (not sure how to spell her last name). She is SO skinny, and I just keep thinking there is NO WAY she could be this skinny eating the kinds of foods (lots of pasta...) that she prepares on her shows! I'd swear she'd have to be bulimic! Funny thing is, it almost pisses me off that she's so skinny and pretending (?) like she eats all these heavy foods. It seems so phony to me. Then again, ha, I am the one that was bulimic for the longest time, pretending I could keep my weight low, all the while indulging, when, of course, any slightest indulgence went down the drain! Talk about phony!!

Anonymous said...

Evangeline is upset because her thighs are bigger than her hips? That's really too bad. And yeah, I've thought that she was becoming too skinny as well.

Anonymous said...

Giada definitely eats what she cooks, but she understands portion control. Watch how much she puts on her plate at the end of the episode. Just because a recipe makes 6 cups of something,doesn't mean you get to eat it all. You still have to eat plenty of veggies, moerate amount of protein with a small serving of pasta.
I love Rachel and her attitudes towards cooking and eating. She's just fun and, although she has a tendency to be "bottom heavy" for her frame size, she still looks in pretty good shape.

drstaceyny said...

haley--I think EL is beautiful, too, and agree on RR.

anon--they might. My thinking she was larger is really a comment on the ultra-thin celebrities we're used to seeing, the power of Photoshop, etc.

ptc--it sounds like she has a healthy attitude.

donna--no problem. I happen to like "The Body Image Workbook" by Thomas Cash, Ph.D. As the name implies, it's interactive, w/a number of written exercises that address body-image concerns. You may also want to check w/the psychologist who did your pre-surgical eval. for other rec's. Good luck. . .

neca--true. In the interview, I think she went on to say that she exercises some, but not much.

ps--I, too, don't know much abt RR, but it's nice to know she focuses on natural ingredients. Good points abt EL.

wmc--in the Self article, I believe EL said she weighs 125 now (at 5'5"), but had gotten down to 115. It seems she recognizes that 125 is a healthier weight for her (at least according to this). Size 6/8 is still several sizes smaller than the avg. woman, just larger than we're accustomed to seeing.

kristi--it's good to know, though, abt these distortions in the media.

ej--I'm not familiar w/GD, though see anon below.

victoria--it is too bad. . .

anon--so, it's possible that she eats in moderation.

Who knew that celebrity ramblings would generate so many comments? ; )

Anonymous said...

How we see others also depends on how we see ourselves. When I was at my thinnest, thinking I was normal, I remember thinking that Jennifer Aniston was huge.