This was first written in August 2008, and it was one of my first proper articles. Have a read and see what you think. I've updated it a little since the original one I posted on my Myspace blog.
The benefit exactly of this I'm not sure. It might save money on fire services being called out to extract teenagers from their own doorway, but I can't see the rest of the benefits. More worryingly, however, I can see the sinister consequences of this.
You see, in America, to be obese is to be physically repulsive. Obese people in America are mistaken for Jabba the Hutt or a small planet with legs. America is the country with the serious obesity problem.
Here, on the other hand, most of the England national rugby team are classed as obese. Here are men at the peak of their physical fitness and ability, and yet their being told that they are about to have a heart attack if they dont loose weight? Has any of the contestants of Britain's Strongest Man collapsed with a stroke? Don't think so.
Then I noticed on Facebook an advert for MYA appearing. MYA stands for Make Yourself Amazing. Basically, its plastic surgery.
These people are pushing plastic surgery on a website commonly used by teenagers. They are delibratly playing on teenage girl's insecurities to persuade them to go under not only the knife, but some ridiculous belief that when they come out, with a plastic nose and breasts with their own gravitational field, they will have guys falling at their feet. No you won't. You'll just grow up looking ridiculous as certain parts of your body age and the others don't.
All of this prompts a strong question, and it's one normally overlooked when considering one's personal image and looks - who actually is the judge of what is attractive and what isn't?
Does anybody have a God-given right to tell you that you're ugly? Not the government. Not MYA. Not the supposadly popular girls at school. No-one.
I'm concentrating on girls here because, for the most part, girls worry more about their image than guys. It's a fact of life, although I know a few guys who do try their best to disproove that claim. But largely, for the most part, it's the girls who are more concerned about how they look. They spend hours on their hair and clothing etc, and one guy telling them their ugly can ruin their confidence completly.
But why? Image is a personal opinion thing - just as people can disagree on subjects, people can disagree on whether a person is attractive or not. One person may think a certain girl resembles a warthog, another may think she resembles Kelly Brook.
Let me give you an example. At a Battle of the Bands contest at Bluewater in summer 2008, I had the pleasure of meeting a very attractive girl. Actually, that's an understatement. She was, by a country mile, the most gorgeous girl in the whole of Bluewater that night. But when we went to get something to eat, she refused to eat much because - and I'm not joking - she thought she was too fat.
My jaw hit the floor so hard that when it came back up I had a bruise on my chin. Seriously, did she just say that? Apparently so. And she's not the first girl I've heard say this about themself. A friend has a similar problem with his girlfriend, who seems to have an idea in her head that because she doesn't have the figure of Kate Moss (i.e. a stick insect) she is somehow abnormal. Okay, so that's a slight exaggeration, but you get my point.
And who made them think this? Probably a guy, or perhaps another girl, probably with some lofty idea that she is beauty incarnate, saying so.
Well, I have some enourmous reservations. Take me as an example. I have fairly ordinary looks, funny hair that resembles a Lego figure when it doesn't have gel on it, a slight belly and no muscle definition to speak of. Basically, I have none of the stereotypical 'hunk' characteristics. And yet, I've met (and dated) girls who seemingly think I'm more attractive than Jude Law. I'm not being arrogant, but it proves my point - that appearance is an opinion, not a judgement.
Now, I'm not saying we should all slob around not caring about our looks - one should always take pride in one's appearance. But imagine it like this - just because one person thinks you're as attractive as genital herpes, doesn't mean everybody else will think the same. In fact, there may be someone around the corner who thinks you are a gift from the Gods in terms of appearance.
What I'm saying, in a kind of roundabout way, is to be proud of your appearance. Don't waste your time wishing you were something you're not, instead, take pride in being who you are, and instead of looking for attention from the opposite sex, just wait for it to come your way. Because trust me, it will.
Oh, and on a personal note - girls. Short skirts - there is a limit to how short they can be, y'know.
On an aside - since I first wrote this article, the girl from Bluewater has gone out with my best friend, and they will soon be celebrating their six month anniversary together. Do you reckon he thinks she is too fat? Nope, didn't think so.
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