Can't be too rich or too thin

My wife has said that on a number of occassions. I guess it's all in the way one looks at things. It material possessions are your thing then I guess you can never be too rich. While I like my toys I don't obsess on them or let the pursuit of them control my life. As for being too thin - well, there is no chance of that for me!

Thing2 is a bright attractive 13 year old girl. A few pounds overweight but neither her doctor or her parents are worried as she's starting to understand how to eat better. She is also exercising more. She came home one day from school in tears as some other girls called her fat. She wanted to stop eating till she was skinny. Paris Hilton skinny. Skin and bones. Arg! I realize that some people are that way naturally but not everyone is.

So we talked. I hope she realizes that healthy and fit do NOT equal skinny for most people. We were all blessed with a body that is uniquely ours and we need to treat it properly and not try to make it something it's not. I think it may be sinking in. Time will tell.

It doesn't help that the media is constantly showing us these hyper-thin women. From the Olson twins to Paris to Teri Hatcher - skin and bones is in. Ms. Hatcher used to be - well beautiful (thinking back to Lois and Clark). Now shes just another skinny woman. Two of Thing2s favorite actresses are Hillary Duff and Lindsey Lohan. Miss Duff has come right out and said she'll never be skinny. She likes chocolate too much. Miss Lohan used to look like a normal young lady. Now, sadly, as Thing1 pointed out today she is just another stick figure. "Compared to a lot of actresses my age, I'm actually overweight" is what she tells Teen Vogue. To quote Thing1; "SHE'S A BLOODY TWIG!"

What a shame. Hopefully girls (and their parents) will wake up and see that this isn't healthy.