Saying Goodbye to Size Zero?

It’s not so long ago that size zero was the ultimate goal for Hollywood celebrities. Popular fashion and celebrity magazines like Vogue and US Weekly regularly profiled size zero movie stars and supermodels, as though these waif-like figures were the norm. But it seems that the tide is turning, with more celebrities speaking out against the size zero obsession, and instead calling for a more realistic and attainable body image for women.

Over the last decade, runway models and celebrities appear to have literally shrunk before our very eyes. The formula for success seemed simple enough – the thinner you were, the more beautiful and glamorous you were considered to be. However, the high-profile and tragic death of 22 year old supermodel Luisel Ramos in 2006, who was later confirmed to have been suffering with anorexia nervosa, began to turn the tide of popular opinion, forcing the fashion and media industries to face up to the devastating health risks associated with a size zero culture.

Re-defining the norm

Indeed, this tragedy forced the fashion industry to review its size policy for all models, leading to the introduction of a minimum Body Mass Index (BMI) requirement for all models selected to work at flagship fashion shows. Leading Hollywood ladies like Meryl Streep and Kate Winslet also spoke out against the size zero culture, expressing their concerns at the relentless promotion of an unrealistic and unattainable “perfect body.”

Likewise, popular campaigns, like the Dove Campaign for Real Beauty revealed the power of digital air-brushing technology in enhancing, and sometimes completely falsifying the physical appearance of fashion models. Suddenly, it seemed, the size zero trend was imploding, and the myth of the size zero ‘norm’ was being exposed.

A healthy respect for curves

Today, thankfully, we now seem to be witnessing a reverse in this trend towards body perfection, with more celebrities embracing their curves, their wrinkles and their cellulite even!

Instead of focusing on achieving a stick-thin appearance, many celebrities, including Jessica Biel, Sandra Bullock, Halle Berry and Hilary Duff are opting for a strong and healthy physique, which celebrates their natural shape and curves, while allowing them to focus on total body health while embracing their individuality.

Rather than engaging in punishing diet and exercise regimes which can damage health (both physical and emotional) and deliver artificial or unsustainable results, the focus is shifting toward choosing exercise and nutrition plans which fit naturally for each woman and her specific goals and body.

I hope that you are as excited as I am by this new and more inclusive body image culture. One of our goals at Live Well 360 is to help encourage this growing recognition that good nutrition and regular exercise are at the center (aka Core) of a healthy lifestyle – enabling people to achieve fantastic results which complement the natural shape and size of their unique bodies.

Rather than air-brushing or dieting away imperfections, it’s time to embrace and celebrate our individuality using diet and exercise to enhance our well-being and our natural beauty.

Britney Spears recently released these un-airbrushed vs airbrushed photos

Have you noticed this changing Hollywood trend? Why do you think we’re seeing a revival of natural body shapes and what does it mean to you?