Beauty is in the eyes of the Beholder

I wrote a few articles about eating disorders and thought that before I move on to another topic that I write a bit more about image. The idea of beauty and the ideal body changes from country to country and from different era's. It is ironic that eating disorders are found prominently in countries where there is an abundance of food. I remember as a teen, a neighbour approaching my mom with the Toronto Sun newspaper, point at a sunshine girl and inform my mom, that the girl was disgusting. My mom looked at the sunshine girl and then at our neighbour and pleasantly told her that if she or my mom were in the paper than it would be disgusting. However, the sunshine girl was not disgusting. My mom had great joy re-iterating this to me. I too found it amusing and more so because my mom was far from disgusting. I have found through the years that how a woman looks or dresses does at times define her from the eyes of the other, who is looking at her. She is wearing too much, not enough, her dress is too short, her hair is too long, etc........I actually find it all tiresome at times because it appears very rediculous to me. It is not only women who have become overly concerned about their appearance and how it defines them, but men too have caught up. What I have found the most disturbing is how women who are raped are blamed by the ignorant, regarding their dress. In some countries where women are forced to dress from head to foot (and I mean those forced; not all are) it is because they may cause the poor male to lose all restraints and become the animal who needs to rape her. Then she is also blamed by the society she lives in. I remember a time when how a woman dressed was considered in court for sexual assault cases and how her relation with other men (promiscuality) was considered as contributing factors. All this is quite absurd. No one. No man, woman or child ever deserves to be sexually assaulted. It does not matter how one dresses, how many romantic interludes one has, etc.... What matters is if the adult man or woman wants to have sex period. Sexual assault is always about power. So the next time you judge someone about the way she dresses, ask yourself why you care. What you may feel is very inappropriate may just be your own subjective judgement. Why not take a closer look at the person and accept that person as he or she is? So dress as you like. Be yourself and do not try to please any one else. If you want to lose weight do it. If you want to eat healthy do it. Keep in mind that you do have control over yourself and do not hurt yourself in the process by thinking that is all you can control. When people judge you, they do not have to look at themselves. Live your life to the fullest and make the first step a gift to yourself. What do you think?