3/9/16, The Inquirer, Pretty Does Hurt, by Chelsey Schallig

3/9/16, The Inquirer, Pretty Does Hurt, by Chelsey Schallig

[snip] Linda Bacon, a professor at City College of San Francisco, associate nutritionist at the University of California at Davis, and author of many books concerning nutrition said, “The popular media presents us with many images of white, able-bodied, slender bodies, and doesn’t accurately represent the larger diversity of what female bodies really look like.” “Women are taught that looks are their currency. And there is some truth in that: The more you resemble the culturally promoted beauty ideal, the better you get treated in the world, socially in terms of work. It makes sense to want that power,” said Bacon. “That said, I’d rather us invest our time and energy in changing the culture, rather than buying into and perpetuating harmful values.”