Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/56679
"15 reasons why you WILL lose weight this year," "Bombshell hair in four easy steps," and (my favorite), "Th e top 10 ways to wake up prettier." Wake up prettier? Is that really a thing? Perhaps all of this would be less obnoxious if it wasn't primarily aimed at women. Really, why aren't there more head- lines targeted at men screaming things like "Trendy sweaters that slim your beer gut"? Not that I want to stomp my foot and complain that it's not fair (though it isn't), but it is worth pointing out that this culture of body-obsession is dispro- portionately kicking the confi dence out of women and girls. "Th e Real Truth About Beauty: A Global Report," a collaboration between a Har- vard University professor, a London School "Every day I am surrounded by beautiful, amazing women, who, much to my surprise, spend a startling amount of time complaining about their thighs." of Economics professor, and the Dove Movement for Self-esteem, states a dis- heartening statistic: Only two percent of women around the world describe them- selves as beautiful. Two percent! To help me make sense of our beauty/ thin-obsessed culture and the impact it has on our collective female psyche, I paid a visit to Dr. Janet Hyde, a UW-Madison professor of psychology and women's studies. Having devoted her career to studying the psychology of women and human sexuality, Hyde's research studies have shown that with a large cultural emphasis on physical appearance comes the tendency of women to objectify themselves, measur- ing their self-worth by how closely they resemble their society's physical ideal. In other words, the societal preoccupation with beauty takes the focus off women as individuals with diverse talents and places it on their bodies. In a society where beauty is held to high—and, in the media, unattainable— standards, many try to control the shape of their bodies by controlling their food. Th e rise in eating disorders, or the more com- mon fi xations on dieting, are evidence. Th is revelation isn't new, but many of us still haven't fi gured out how to address it. How are we supposed to digest the on- slaught of messages about our body types without thinking too critically about our own? Hyde urges women to focus on a simple 60 BRAVA Magazine February 2012 question: What are your most important goals in life? "Ask yourself, 'Can I have other sources of satisfaction in life [than just beauty]?'" she says. For me, the answer, of course, was yes. But to stop all the fat talk in my head, I knew I had to do more than just recognize the impact of media messages. I had to sit down at the table and face my friend, my nemesis, my love and my partner in crime. I had to once and for all settle this tug of war with food. When any relationship gets rocky, sometimes the best step toward a remedy is to seek professional help, something I wish I had done. To fi nd out how others are gaining a healthy perspective on food, I talked to holistic nutritionist Tracie Hit- tman. Owner of Tracie Hittman Nutrition in Middleton, Hittman spends her days helping clients reach their health goals when they feel nothing else has worked. It's a struggle she understands. Hittman launched her business follow- ing her own seven-year battle with health problems that began in college after she was diagnosed with endometriosis, a pain- ful condition that causes tissue from the uterus to grow in other parts of the body, and a thyroid condition. She underwent surgery and took medication, but was left with serious side effects. She also gained 35 pounds as a result, often bingeing on food and feeling guilty or depressed afterwards. Frustrated by the traditional health sys- tem, Hittman took matters into her own hands. She began studying health and healing, which led her to earn a master's degree in holistic nutrition. Now healthy and symptom-free, Hittman wants to help others out of the same downward spiral. "I was constantly thinking about food," Hittman explains. "I was in bondage with those thoughts. I also obsessed about my feelings after I overate. It was a very un- healthy relationship." Hittman follows a holistic approach by emphasizing overall health and well- ness above weight loss. If a potential client comes to Hittman with weight loss as the main goal, she is quick to set them straight. "I don't help people lose weight," she says. "I help heal bodies." Her fi rst priority is helping clients listen to their bodies. For many, this can be the hardest step. "So many of us are disconnected from the messages our bodies are giving us," she says. "If we just learn how to tune back in to that, we wouldn't have to be so crazy