Marilyn Monroe was a size 12, and I too have heard the argument that a 12 was really an 8 due to size differential in the 50s and 60s, but the argument is flawed.
My mother was a size 10 and plump and the label on her clothing was right; there was no differential and it’s all bull. Rita Hayworth was no small cookie either and men adored her. The list of women that were healthy in the 50s is a long one with most in sizes 10, 12, and some even a 14, and men loved them. I have, as an adult, been up and down the weight scale, being on the too small list, too often. After age 50, my weight flopped to the larger side with a stomach that is flabby, and a backside that has it’s own zip code. My husband, the sweet blind man, thinks I’m beautiful and I refuse to take him to the optometrist. Problem solved.
Gaining weight can and often does, take a toll on the sex drive and the heart. It’s not healthy and to those of us who are over-weight it’s anything but sexy. Loosing too much weight can be hazardous as well, with your body not getting the proper amounts of protein, and carbohydrates that it needs to function properly. Women that go down the bulimia-anorexia trail end up in dire straits due to the purging and lack of needed nourishment that is a constant in their diets. The heart, liver, and kidneys—all vital organs—become damaged due to excessive weight loss. On the other end of the spectrum, too much weight can lead to heart, liver, and kidney damage with the added worry of diabetes. There is a perfect weight, but females are bent on self-destruction while finding it, and rarely is it the perfect weight because we see bumps and bulges that to us are unappealing regardless of our size.
If 20 pounds is too much, and 15 pounds too little, what is the answer to when you feel the sexist? It’s when your loveble, lying, adoring, smart husband tells you how beautiful you are too him. If the doctor says you need to lose a few pounds, then he is not your husband and is not likely sight-impaired, so lose the few pounds. If your husband is telling you to lose a few pounds, tell him he’s not the man you married either. Let him know you are happy with yourself, and then when the lights go out be the person that you know you are on the inside.
Sources:
http://www.helpguide.org/mental/anorexia_signs_symptoms_causes_treatment.htm
http://www.mentalhealthchannel.net/eatingdisorders/anorexia/index.shtml
http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=56044
http://gyroscope2000.today.com/