who cares about a little cellulite?

I've posted before about the crazy amount of air brushing that happens with pictures of women in the media.

[I think it's important to remind ourselves that real women don't look like the women on the covers of magazines - they are photo-shopped to society's ideals of "perfection". Even our beloved celebrities don't look that good in real life.]

Anyway, celebrity Kim Kardashian posted a pre-photoshopped picture of herself from her Complex magazine photoshoot to her blog saying she is aware she has cellulite and "which curvy girl doesn't?"

I like that we can see examples of the air brushing that happens, but I'm more glad that a celebrity is actually talking about it being okay to have cellulite. Nice.

Here's the before and after:

back to posting

So I'm still sick with this sinus infection but I've started on some heavy duty antibiotics so I'm hoping I'll be kicking this infection to the curb soon!

Sorry I haven't been posting this week. I've been really sick with a sinus infection. I hope to be back here soon though!

many teens believe dating violence justified

I am guessing that most of you have heard about the situation between pop stars Rihanna and Chris Brown. Brown has been charged with two felonies for allegedly attacking Rihanna. The story was such big news that even Oprah devoted an entire show to the issue of Rihanna and Chris Brown and domestic violence.

In this situation concerning dating violence a very concerning article came out earlier this week reporting:

"Nearly half of the 200 Boston teenagers interviewed for an informal poll said pop star Rihanna was responsible for the beating she allegedly took at the hands of her boyfriend, fellow music star Chris Brown, in February."

Apparently quite a lot of teens felt that the woman was responsible for being brutally assaulted.

"Of the teens questioned, more than half said both Brown, 19, and Rihanna, 21, were equally responsible for the assault. More than half said the media were treating Brown unfairly, and 46 percent said Rihanna was responsible for the incident."

I think part of the problem is the large number of teens who have witnessed violence in their own homes. Apparently we need to continue working at educating teens about the problem of dating violence and what is okay in a relationship.

If you have teens have you had a conversation with them about what is healthy and acceptable in a relationship?

State's Report Card on Mental Health

The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) recently came out with a report card on state's mental health care. As you can imagine in this time of economic uncertainty and with many budget cuts the grades were altogether not good.

According to NAMI:

"Our national mental health care system is in crisis.

Budget cuts are coming at a time when mental health services are even more urgently needed.

One in four Americans experience mental illness at some point in their lives. The most serious conditions affect 10.6 million people.

Mental illness is the greatest cause of disability in the nation, and twice as many Americans live with schizophrenia than with HIV/AIDS."

I have been talking about the problems with state mental health care for a while and so I am not surprised at this report, but I am concerned.

For the full report click here. To find out what you can do to help click here.

yep. I still love some Dilbert.

On the first day back to work after my vacation it just seemed fitting to start with some fun...

Am I the only one out there who has dozens of friends going on and on about how much they love their iphones?

hiatus

I am a big fan of vacations.

I think vacations preserve mental health, are a great way to take care of yourself and connect with your loved ones, and help prevent burnout.

I am happy to say I will be vacationing this week. I'll be back to blogging next week.

thankful Thursday

During times of economic uncertainty I think it is particularly helpful to continue fostering an attitude of gratitude.

One of my friends recently told me she felt discontent in life. Not being able to afford the finer things in life was taking a toll on her and she was resentful. My friend said that all changed when she read The Grapes of Wrath. While reading about the poor folks from Oklahoma who had lost their homes and farms and struggled to find housing, food, and clothing my friend began to realize just how good she has it.

I re-read The Grapes of Wrath this past summer and felt very much the same way. When I think about how little so many people have, I realize anew how very rich I am.

I have the necessities of life in abundance. I have more than I could need. And for this and more, I am so grateful.

What fosters your gratefulness?

how to make friends

I came across a great blog post today: 10 Ways to Make Friends.

I liked it because let's face it - it can be hard to make friends when you're an adult (especially when you're new to an area).

And as I have said previously, having friends is an important part of mental health.

To read the post click here.

sex objects

I read an article recently on research demonstrating the link between what men see and how they view women.

Here's an exerpt -

Researchers used brain scans to show that when straight men looked at pictures of women in bikinis, areas of the brain that normally light up in anticipation of using tools, like spanners and screwdrivers, were activated.

Scans of some of the men found that a part of the brain associated with empathy for other peoples' emotions and wishes shut down after looking at the pictures.

Susan Fiske, a psychologist at Princeton University in New Jersey, said the changes in brain activity suggest sexy images can shift the way men perceive women, turning them from people to interact with, to objects to act upon.

This is not very surprising to me. I think it is a lie to believe we are not impacted by images we see. However, this particular study was concerning to me for a couple of reasons.

First, how many images do you think men see daily where women are portrayed in a sexy way? Probably quite a lot, right? I'm thinking of all the billboards I see as I drive home that feature a women in a bikini marketing a gym, a women scantily clad marketing beer, etc (not including all the tv, magazine, and internet ads we're all bombarded).

Second, if men viewing these sexy images then have more trouble empathizing with women and seeing women as people, not objects, that impacts their behavior towards women. If a women is viewed as an object and not a person I think it would be a lot easier to rationalize demeaning behaviors and violence.

For the full article click here.

What do you think? Are you concerned?