If you’ve been putting on the holiday pounds, better think twice before you run back to dieting. Somebody tell that to singer, Jessica Simpson. Looks like she’s about to be the next diet casualty in the weight watchin’ wars. If you’re struggling with a negative body image, is she the right role model for you?
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Put down that pasta, Jessica Simpson, Weight Watchers® is watching. Poor gal doesn’t know what she’s setting herself up for. The singer/new mommy is about to be the next diet casualty in the weight loss wars. On December 12, she signed on as Weight Watchers® newest celebrity spokesperson slated to begin in March, post baby. She’s going to be getting paid $3M to curb her famous Texan craves; like Velveeta®, chicken fried steak and other fried foods.
After seeing her silly escapades and immaturity being flaunted on MTV’s reality show, “Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica shared with ex-husband, Nick Lachey, I haven’t had much respect for Ms. Simpson until I saw her hosting a show back in 2010 called “Jessica Simpson’s The Price of Beauty.”
Joined by her two best friends, Ken Paves and Cacee Cobb, Jessica travelled the globe seeking to expand the traditional image of beauty. After previewing a couple episodes on my own, I got so excited when I saw its body acceptance message that I invited my then 14 year old daughter, Cara to watch it along with me.
I was especially touched by the Paris Episode 1 when Jessica and friends interviewed 86 pound anorexic French model, Isabelle. Isabelle shared her story of how she was pressured into becoming anorexic to maintain her modeling job. After nearly dying and coming out of a coma, Isabelle decided to educate young aspiring models by posing for a powerful “No Anorexia” statement poster showing herself rail-thin. It was presented In September during fashion week in Italy.
In talking about Isabelle’s situation, a tearful Jessica says, “the pressure you feel when someone is telling you, you need to be skinny or you could look better I know that can affect you because I have been criticized. I have been told I was fat and the way that it affected her… it scares me for a lot of people out there that battle an eating disorder. I hope that women all over the world hear Isabelle’s story and I think it’s important to know that the skinnier you are doesn’t make you more beautiful.”
Who knows what’s really motivating Jessica to do the dirty diet deed. It could be money because $3M is nothing to sneeze at, but it could also be a lingering sense that her value rests solely on her looks. Who really knows what’s inside of each of us.
As a curvy and confident woman, myself I’m certainly not against getting thinner to become more healthy. But what’s the rush? I stand firm knowing that as long as you fail to love that curvy gal in the mirror, you’ll never end your journey trying to become thin.
My advice to Jessica is to tell Weight Watchers to keep their damned money. As a mom who’s been there and done that, I know the kind of damage you can do to yourself and your family living a life ruled by fat and weight obsession. You become the worst role model for your children, eating broiled chicken and a naked salad one day and being caught stuffing a box of cookies in your face the next.
A message to all moms – take your time getting back your shape, rock your new mommy curves and expand your definition of beauty. Not just for you but for all of us. That’s how role models are made.
Andrea Amador, The Juicy Woman, Jessica Simpson, Weight Watchers, emotional eating, body image,