A Stabbing Teen Cover

Magazine covers push boundaries all the time.  In attempts to be provocative,  newsworthy and sell copies, they pull crazy stunts and commission outrageous cover shoots regularly.  This is not news to anyone.  Every now and again though, a magazine truly goes too far and sells it soul in the worst way possible.  Such is the case with Australian Surf Magazine - Stab - with this cover of 16 year old Ella Rose Corby.

Stab Magazine

To think it acceptable for an under age girl to appear nude on a magazine cover is insanity, but such is the thought pattern of editor Derek Reilly.  Derek claims Ella was chosen to front the cover because of her amazing smile and cheekbones and that it captured "a moment in her life when she is flawless."  Why then Derek is Ella not smiling and her supposed flawless body covered in graffiti like scribble?  Put down what your smokin' Derek and step back and take a look at what you've been a part of creating here.  It's not flawless at all - in fact - the exact opposite.

Derek states Ella's parents gave consent for the nude cover but The Sydney Morning Herald reports that the family are in shock at the cover and it has been confirmed that Ella's modelling agency were entirely circumvented in the whole cover 'deal.'  Begs the question of why Ella's representatives were not consulted and of course displays the naievity of a young girl and her family who are now dealing with a situation that has gotten terribly out of hand.

People outside of Stab are defending the cover choice which I find truly incredulous.  Media and Communications Lecturer Marc Brennan claims that young women's bodies are over policed and that Ella is "not a child.”  Are you kidding Marc?  Until she turns 18 you can call Ella a teenager, a young woman, a young lady - whatever you want - but in the eyes of the law - she is a child.  Fiona Giles, another Media and Communications lecturer is on the record stating the cover is not at all concerning.  Problem is, she also admits to not having seen the full cover.  Goodness me Fiona.  If you're a lecturer in media I would have thought you would know the stupidity of commenting on something you had not fully seen.

I leave the last word on this one to a young man called Luke who left the following abridged comment on Stab's website re: the cover:

"I fall under the catogory that would be catagorized as being your target market...you have taken what could have been an issue with style, and given kids a chance to be positioned in a publication that gained POSITIVE publicity. Except you decided to try and fit the stereotypical view of being 'cool' and made these aspiring teens that are the future of modern media and made them come across as cheap, unprofessional tryhards being told what to do. This is only my opinion, but its one guy that used to buy your magazine that wont be...You like to talk about drugs, young girls and position the image of surfing in a light that is NOT real."

Thanks Luke.  Hope you find another, much better magazine, that helps inspire you to get out there and catch great waves.

Revealing the Spirit with Louise Pearson

My third Beautiful You Interview is with Louise Pearson from Rocks Revealed. Louise is a very special person who is currently living with a challenging illness. I think you will find her quite inspirational. Read on for a chance to win a beautiful piece of jewellry handcrafted by Louise. She made it especially for Beautiful You readers!

Hi Louise. You are a Lapidarist which is quite an unusual profession. What exactly does a Lapidarist do? A Lapidarist is a person concerned with stones. I fossick and gather stones, cut, polish and then create them into fine pieces of jewellery, revealing the story of the stone. The art of silver smithing, or learning to manipulate silver and gold to set stones is also a part of Lapidary, although that is a skill in its own right. To learn the secrets of Alchemy from finding a stone, through to making a fine piece of jewellery, allows you a creative licence that has endless possibilities.

You believe that certain stones have 'stories to reveal' and have a spiritual quality as well. Tell me more.  I am a student of the Shamanistic ways of life of the Spirit Walker and stones for me mark a spiritual path, both the paths of the earth and that of knowledge. My connection to stones is very strong – I feel there is a magic in them. The spiritual aspects of rocks that complement our colour wheels or chakras can aid and enhance our growth in helping our mind, body and souls to evolve to enlightenment.

How can gemstones, minerals and crystals help 'heal' someone?  Colour is nature’s own anti-depressant and in playing with stones, one gets to experience the energy they hold within. Just by becoming aware of what colour can do in helping you heal; will make you think more about the colour of any stones you wear. If you can tune in, the stone will speak to you. Mineral in stones can also heal. I believe stones guide me to help others understand themselves. We have always adorned ourselves in jewellery since the beginning of man, so gemstones, minerals and crystals are a way to “wear” your very own medicine chest.

Louise - you are currently living with Parkinson's disease. What is Parkinson's disease and how does it impact on your life?  Parkinson’s symptoms have been a part of my life since I was 28. I was diagnosed at 37 and am now 47. Living with Parkinson’s has lots of challenges. It is a movement disorder where the connections to the brains neurons that control movement are interrupted. I had many dark years when I was in the grips of the disease, trying to make logical sense out of it all, angry because it happened to me and trying different tablets to get some relief. But, a wonderful public hospital gave me hope. They taught me how to live with the disease and that is what I now do every day - live with it.

Parkinson's disease is often thought of as an elderly person's illness. Has it been difficult to deal with from such a young age? At the time I was diagnosed, the doctors were becoming more aware of “Young Person’s Parkinson’s” and Michael J Fox had been diagnosed as well. The difficulty for me is that in “Older Person Parkinson’s” dementia has always been strongly associated with the disease. As much as the doctors assure me that it is just part of old age, I still question this, but try very hard not to dwell on it. In reflecting, I believe in getting Parkinson’s at such a young age, I have been able to rise to the challenges of the disease with youthfulness as my friend.

How has working with stones helped you while living with Parkinson’s? I think it’s all about passion. Whether it be playing golf, cooking or cutting stones - if you can find something that you are passionate about, it makes it worth getting out of bed in the morning! The beautiful thing about working with stones for me is in learning to focus. Once I focus on my passion, I forgot all about the Parkinson’s.

Lastly Louise - as you know, Beautiful You is all about positive body image and self love. What are the best stones, gems or crystals to help someone with their body image and self esteem?  Rose Quartz and Malachite are two gentle, calming, positive heart stones. They both work well on the emotions, balancing and harmonizing. These two stones will help you stay in the love zone of self. It’s nice to put on Rose Quartz or Malachite and let the stones work there gentle magic, helping you to know you are beautiful. My favourite stones for self esteem are Topaz and Rhodonite. Topaz brings forth confidence and trust in one’s own ability, a clarity to be yourself and walk your own walk. Rhodonite is a beautiful pink stone that has black veins. It is one of the heart stones and with the veins woven into the rock, it helps brings forth wisdom, self- esteem and confidence.

Thankyou Louise for being so open and sharing your journey and profession with Beautiful You readers. Thankyou also for providing this incredibly beautiful Rose Quartz and Sterling Silver necklace as a prize for a reader. It is valued at $30 and I think it's gorgeous! The perfect present for yourself or with Christmas fast approaching - someone you love. To be eligible to win this necklace (International readers too!) please -

Be a follower of both Beautiful You and Louise's blog RocksStorys and

Finish this sentence - "My spirit is beautiful..."

So easy! Please leave your answer in a comment below or, if shy, you can email me your answer at beautifulyoublog@gmail.com by Friday December 11th. The winner will be announced on Saturday December 12th.

Does Beauty Have To = Botox?

I recently blogged about the terrible new trend of Teenage Cosmetic Surgery for highly invasive and dangerous procedures such as liposuction.  I don't think any person in their right mind would see this as a good thing.  I wonder however what the general response is for procedures that are not as invasive, like for example, Botox?

Once thought of as the domain of middle aged men and women, Botox is now being wholly embraced by young people.  Take Courtney Lovell, who aged 21 looked in the mirror and spied fine lines on her forehead. Within a week she was having her first Botox injections for $300.    I find this such an extreme and unecessary reaction to what is quite simply a normal, human response to being alive and having the utter privelege of getting older.  Courtney however clearly does not see things the same way and has even started buying cosmetic surgery gift vouchers for her young friends.  Wow.  I certainly hope one of those is not waiting for me under the Christmas tree this festive season.

In the clip below from A Current Affair, Courtney likens her getting these injections to being no different to buying a pricey face cream, getting a massage or dying hair.  Seems like she may have forgotten the part about the needle, which actually saddens me on her behalf.  Have people like Courtney and indeed many others forgotten, or do not know, that Botox can actually cause harm and long term injury?  Has the pursuit for eternal youth blinded people that much?


Botox for under 30s

Heidi Costa, 25, also interviewed in the story, believes there is really not an age that is too young to have Botox.  Does this include teens I wonder? Both Courtney and Heidi are beautiful young women (and it can be clearly seen would be so without the Botox) so it saddens me to hear Heidi say things like "I think I need it."  No - you don't Heidi.  There are many things we need in life, but Botox is not one of them.  You don't need it.  You don't need it at all.

What is driving increasing numbers of lovely young men and women to undergo these cosmetic procedures?  Is it just a sign of our times and the new wave of beauty or is something more serious at play? I'm tending to err on the side of the issue being deeper than just availability of something new.  While it's true we have always searched for ways and purchased products to combat wrinkles, things have never gone as far as they have now.

Hearing young women like Heidi almost craving the Botox needle I think is a sad sign that we have become such an image and youth obsessed society that some people do not know when to stop in an attempt to make themselves beautiful, attractive or even acceptable.  At the core of this is the yearning and searching for something 'outside' of ourselves.  A pill. A cream. An injection. A procedure.  All in the name of 'fixing' something about the way we look.  The truth is though that only true, real and lasting feelings of confidence, beauty and attractiveness can come from searching within ourselves and developing feelings and thoughts that clearly show the world we believe we are ok - wrinkles, saggy bits, spots and all.  In my mind, that is what real positive body image is all about.

Wrinkles to me are the way our faces show we are 'living the good life'.  We are growing older.  Wiser.  We have more stories to tell.  More insights to share.  They are not anything devastating to be injected away.

This is my 89 year old Nana.  She is as whip smart and beautiful today as she was in my first memory of her.  I pray I am alive and as beautiful as she at 89.  She has never used Botox and I surely hope nothing dents my confidence to the extent that I ever would either.

'The Biggest Loser' Busted

I have been waiting for this article to be written for a very long time.

Since four years ago when the reality tv show The Biggest Loser started screening in Australia, I have had serious concerns and issues about the treatment of contestants on the show.  Many times I was loathe to watch it, but felt I needed to so I was aware of what was going on.  Some of the more distressing and concerning things I have seen happen on the show include -

A male contestant engaging in a secret binge eating episode while sobbing uncontrollably, only later to be chastised by his trainer for not being self controlled.  The fact it was clear this person was suffering from a mental illness and the binge was clearly driven by psychological and emotional distress was completely ignored.

A team of contestants competing in a week long challenge where they were given $50 to purchase all their food for the week.  To say they were eating miniscule amounts of food (while doing up to 6 hours of exercise a day) is an understatement.

A female contestant, clearly distressed and having breathing difficulties, being screamed at by an army soldier while she was face down in a puddle of mud.  Seems the fact she had been exercisely strenuously for a long period of time was not acceptable to him and humiliating her was in order.

I am not at all surprised that medical professionals are now expressing doubt about the program’s regimen of severe caloric restriction and up to six hours a day of strenuous exercise. Every single doctor, dietitian and even personal trainer I have spoken to about the show has had concerns about the severity of the diet the contestants are placed on and the level of daily exercise they do.  One day I will do a Beautiful You interview with one or more of them as I think what they have to say on this issue presents a new side to the argument that everything that is done for the contestants is for the betterment of their health.

These revelations should really not come as that much of a surprise to people, but somehow I think they will.  The fact is that "rapid weight loss can cause many medical problems, including a weakening of the heart muscle, irregular heartbeat and dangerous reductions in potassium and electrolytes.  “I’m waiting for the first person to have a heart attack,” said Dr. Charles Burant...“I have had some patients who want to do the same thing, and I counsel them against it,” Dr. Burant said. “I think the show is so exploitative. They are taking poor people who have severe weight problems whose real focus is trying to win the quarter-million dollars.”

The now admitted behaviour of former contestants seems to support Dr Burants concerns.  In pursuit of the prize money contestants have deliberatly dehydrated themselves and when not being filmed exercised in heavy clothing.  Trainer Jillian Michaels from the US based series has stated this is "just part of the nature of reality TV.”  Really Jillian? Where is your or the executives of the program duty of care to these contestants to protect or stop them from doing such dangerous things?

The answer to that appears to be I'm afraid - nowhere - when contestants are asked to sign a waiver that states:

“no warranty, representation or guarantee has been made as to the qualifications or credentials of the medical professionals who examine me or perform any procedures on me in connection with my participation in the series, or their ability to diagnose medical conditions that may affect my fitness to participate in the series.”

WHAT?  There is no guarantee given that the health of Biggest Loser contestants is monitored by a qualified medical professional?  How can the television network and producers be getting away with asking people, many of whom have serious health problems, to sign something like this?  It horrifies me to think these people are out there doing extreme things to their bodies, without even the guaranteed safety net of the credentials of people there to 'help' them in a time of need.  Even this I will admit has shocked me.  At the very least I thought that some very well paid medical professionals would be right at hand when needed.  If indeed they are - why the need for this clause?
 
A reunion show of 40 past US Biggest Loser contestants is due to screen in the coming days.  The original winner of the program is already known to not be attending due to the fact he has put back on all the weight he lost on the program.  My heart goes out to him as I suspect the prize money is no real consolation to him now.  A follow up post may be due.
 
What are your thoughts on The Biggest Loser?  It is a very popular program and well watched.  Are you a fan or have you, like me, always had concerns?  How do you feel about the underside of the program now being exposed?

'Sick' Daytime TV

I have been at home unwell this week and to help pass the time while resting, watching daytime television. It's a total trip and I had no idea there were so many things happening in the land of soapies and talk shows. What has caught my attention the most however, is the incredible concentration of weight loss, dieting and exercise products that are marketed during the day. I can only presume the target audience is stay at home Mums which makes me both sad and mad at the same time.

The advertorial content in the morning talk shows is truly phenomenal. I had genuinely thought that ab crunching machines had been relegated to the back of garages, dumped at the tip or were possibly lurking somewhere on ebay. Little did I know that they are certainly still out there and making outrageous claims like the 'Ab Circle Pro' which will give you a money back guarantee that you will lose 5kgs in 2 weeks by using it - minus postage of course. The focus of the hard sell has nothing to do with any health related needs someone might have - it's all about how flat and toned your abs are with people proudly claiming they have lost 3 dress sizes in record time. With the use of a silly contraption like this alone? Please!

Then there are the diet pills and programs. It seems to me like every second ad throughout the day is trying to tell me to stop eating nutritiously and replace whole foods with pills, potions and shakes. 'Fat Magnet' tablets are marketed with images of a magnet actually sucking fat from someone's body. Are they serious? It's so silly and so outrageous that if they weren't so dangerous it would be funny. 'Lemon Detox Diet' and 'Celebrity Slim' push the notion that by using their meal replacement programs you will look like a superstar. The name of Celebrity Slim alone is somewhat of a giveaway there and the lemony thingy is promoted by C-Grade personality Tania Zaetta parading around in a lemony coloured gown.

It's all incredibly pervasive and I am sure directly feeding into the insecurities that many people unfortunately feel about their bodies. These products are designed to prey on vulnerable people who are looking for a quick fix solution to feeling unhappy about their body image. There is no quick fix to such complicated issues of course and in fact, using such products can make a situation even worse for someone.  They really need to be seen for exactly what they are - nothing more than marketed products designed to take money from people and get them 'hooked' into the weight loss industry.  Sigh.

I'm turning the tv off for the rest of the time I am at home. Not only do I not want to see these ads and get myself worked up to the point I start writing targeted letters to companies pointing out the error of their ways, I may just purchase some whiz bang steam mop I really don't need. Seems like even household floors have image problems and need a product to fix them too!

Kate Moss' Skinny Motto: Revealing and Sad

Having been interviewed by a number of journalists in my lifetime I truly know how easy it is to get tongue tied, go blank, come across like a complete goose and completely say the wrong thing.  It's pretty easy to do when you are being faced with rapid fire questions and trying to keep your cool and sound intelligent.

I wonder how Kate Moss might be feeling at the moment after being quoted as saying this in a interview for Women's Wear Daily - "Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels."  

Oh. Dear. Kate.

Is it just me or is that not really such a wonderful personal motto as you claim it to be, especially considering you have a young, impressionable daughter?  Could you have possibly been caught out saying something you didn't really mean or are you serious? Unless she comes out and says something in her defense I guess we will never know if Kate is serious, has been caught out with her tongue tied, or had her words manipulated.  Having made a great deal of money and become very famous based on her waifish body shape, it is likely, from this bloggers perspective at least, to at least have some ring of truth to it.

What I hope comes out as a result of this is that any young girl or woman who looks up to Kate and admires her body shape, now realises with this comment that any thought they may have had that Kate's very thin body is completely natural - is highly likely not to be true.  By living by and believing in such a personal mantra, Kate makes it clear she values maintaining her thinness above eating.  My strong feeling is that she has likely been on some form of restrictive diet her whole professional life and has endured periods of fasting and extreme food restriction.  Having started her modelling career aged 14 and now being 35 - that's a very long time to have been restricting your food intake.  The thought of it actually makes me very sad. UK based eating disorder advocates have been outraged.

Kate herself, with this comment, should surely give us a timely reminder that being thin, is not a penultimate state that we all should aspire to achieve by restricting food and placing our physical and psychological health in jeopardy.  Food is, in fact, one of the great joys of life and provides our body the nurturing fuel we need to live our lives to the fullest.

Now if I could just find Kate's email adress and a tub of rocky road icecream, I'd gladly invite her over to explain in person. 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ktktphotography/ / CC BY 2.0

Stylish Swapping with Sportsgirl

As a little girl my Mum used to dress my sister and I in hand me down and second hand clothes ALL the time.  She was a single parent and I now appreciate this was done out of financial necessity but boy, did I  hate it.  I desperately wanted to wear brand new clothes all the time.

Little did I know my Mum was way ahead of her fashion time or that her thriftiness would positively impact my style later in life when I became inextricably drawn to vintage fashion from the 1930's-1950's and now own a rather impressive collection of dresses from this era.  That's a post (with photo's!) for another day.  I now also proudly fossick through op-shops and designer recycle stores looking for second hand bargains and the love the thought that each item has it's own history and "story."

I think it's fantastic now that young people, particularly young women, are proud wearers of second hand and vintage clothing.  It's great for the environment and purchases often go to wonderful charities like the Salvation Army and St Vincent de Paul's.  I'm also a big believer that the clothing you wear does not have to be designer or outrageously expensive for you to feel confident and positive about yourself and the way you look in your clothes.  When thinking about fashion and body image, size should not matter and neither should the price tag!

I've come across a wonderful series of events that I wanted to let Beautiful You readers know all about and that my Mum I'm sure would have died to go to when she was in her shopping hey-days!  'Swap 'Till You Drop' events are running being run by Swap My Style and Sportsgirl in Melbourne on November 30th, Sydney on December 2nd and Perth on December 8th asking you to bring along 5 preloved items (no older than 1 year) to the value of $30 or more, where you will swap for other preloved items bought on the night. Entry is $10 with all proceeds going to The Butterfly Foundation, Australia's largest charitable organisation supporting people with eating disorders and negative body image. Any left over clothing will be donated to The Social Studio an initiative that supports the design talents of young refugees.  Pre-registration via the Swap My Style website is encouraged. 

Big claps from me to Swap My Style and Sportsgirl for such a great initiative.  It really is "gorgeousness, good times and generosity all in one."

Thankyou to Sportsgirl for the use of images in this post.

Slimy Sumo Salad

I'm about to get seriously nasty. 

I was alerted to the latest advertising campaign by food franchise Sumo Salad by Danni Watts who is an experienced fitness trainer and Project Officer at The Butterfly Foundation. Thanks Danni for bringing this to my attention and being the amazing sort of fitness professional who believes this sort of crap is just not ok.

While loathe to send you to the site, you have to see it to believe such trash would even exist. Has someone in that company completely lost their mind? Clearly they have, because this sort of advertising is disgusting, shaming, hateful and just downright offensive.

Let's take a closer look here.....

Firstly - how the hell the company is getting away with putting the words 'Surgeon General's Warning' in their ads I have no idea.  Last time I checked I thought warnings that came out of the Surgeon General's office were meant to be serious in nature and not involve mocking people for so-called 'cankles' and 'moobs.'

Next issue is the ridiculous accompanying 'Quit Guide' that is supposedly meant to inspire you to give up your fatty fat ways to eat only salad.  Sumo Salad of course.  It contains NO helpful or substantial information whatsoever, just gems like "put the greasy chicken down" and cankles are "predominantly (a) female urban condition where grease & nasties in fatty foods slide inside your body, building up to create swelling on your ankles...Sufferers describe it as capri-pant & strappy sandal sabotage."  Oh - delightful Sumo boys.  Just delightful.  Thanks for bringing to the general publics attention the dire importance of needing to have hot looking ankles in capri pants.

What is clearly at play here is that Sumo Salad executives loathe anyone that is not thin. They are trying to sell their food under the guise of caring about people's health, but really, who are they kidding? They are slagging off at anyone that does not fit their accepted aesthetic and the visuals in their ads clearly show they are more concerned with the way people look rather than their actual health. Wonder if they do a muffin top or cankle check when you apply for a job with them? The mind boggles.

Clearly, the slimy Sumo's believe that by displaying their fat hatred for people and promoting a society that revels in believing you are only healthy if you are thin (with not a fat ankle, love handle or man boob in sight), that you will buy their salad.

Ha! Hee! Ha Ha! Hee Hee! You must be kidding. I'll make my own damn salad or buy one straight from your competitor thanks stupid Sumo's. And if I want to wash it down with a chocolate milkshake that will go straight to my ankles I damn well will.

Post Script @ 1.55pm Tuesday November 16th

When I learned of this campaign late yesterday, little did I know in under 24 hours it would emerge to national status and involve television ads.  I have thought long and hard about posting these ads to Beautiful You, because, put plainly, they are vile.  Not really in keeping with my vibe here. 

I've decided however that if people such as myself don't speak against this sort of body hatred, then very little will change towards developing a world that appreciates people of all shapes and sizes.  For that to happen and people to hopefully join me, we need to know what we are up against.  So dear readers - here they are.  As if the website and visuals were not bad enough - these ads are now showing on national television.

Thankyou to FOX FM for running these ad's as a story on drive time news today.  My quote in the news piece was 'These ads should be offensive & insulting to all people. They are the worst type of body hatred advertising possible."

Katie Piper: A True Beauty

Every now and then I come across stories that impact me and make me think about my life in a new and inspired way.  The story of Katie Piper has touched me deeply and made me think about body image, self acceptance and the way I feel about how I look in new and reflective ways.

Katie was a model and television presenter whose entire life changed last year when aged 25, her ex-boyfriend raped her repeatedly in an 8 hour ordeal and then later arranged for a man to throw sulphuric acid in her face leaving her with horrific scars.  The clip below where Katie tells her story of learning to reclaim her life with a new face and her journey to understanding what true beauty really is, will take you 15 minutes to watch.  If you have ever had negative thoughts about the way you look or felt like you were not pretty enough or attractive enough - it might just be a life changing 15 minutes for you.


Katie Piper

Thanks Katie.  I sat on my couch last night watching your story on 60 Minutes with my husband and I cried my eyes out listening to your harrowing tale and how you are dealing with living in a world where people mock and turn away from you because of the way you look.

You're quite simply the most beautiful young woman I've ever seen.  Thank you for touching my life and sharing your story.  Your true beauty will live forever.

'For the Love of Warwick' with Sam Lehman

I was thrilled to recently be appointed to the board of The Warwick Foundation and my second Inspirational Interview is with the Foundations' founder, Sam Lehman.  Sam is a true inspiration and making a difference in the lives of young cancer sufferers all over Australia.  Thank you for being Beautiful You Sam.

For every new Beautiful You blog follower between now and November 22nd I will donate $5.00 to The Warwick Foundation.  We are starting at 25.  Send me broke lovelies!

Please tell me a little bit about why you started The Warwick Foundation? My brother Warwick died of cancer in 2005 at the age of 35.  He experienced many challenging issues during his illness.  I did a lot of research on young adults living with cancer and decided that with the love I have for my brother and with the facts that I learnt, I wanted to improve their situation and make a difference.

Can you tell Beautiful You readers about the main things The Warwick Foundation does? We connect young adults living with cancer around Australia to form a support network, provide luxury stays for members to relax and heal after treatment, provide resources and information that suits the needs of young adults living with cancer and create awareness through social networks and fundraising events.

Why is it so important for a Foundation to exist for young adults with cancer?  Survival rates for this age group have only improved by 1% in 30 years whilst children and the elderly survival rates have improved by a whopping 30%.  Some of the reasons for these disturbing statistic’s are late diagnosis, mis-diagnosis, lack of support networks, lack of clinical trials and lack of research into many cancers in this age group (18-44) such as melanoma, sarcoma, lymphomas and brain tumours.  Hospital environments do not currently meet the needs for this age group, making their confidence and morale low when trying to fight this insidious disease. Some of the gaps that need to be addressed and improved include fertility options, Centrelink access, childcare, feeling alone and very isolated, often not meeting anyone their age going through the cancer journey. They often don’t have sufficient health insurance,  face intimacy and relationship struggles because of treatments and its effects, as well as dealing with the enormity of a serious illness.  Some are living in regional areas with little support and resources and of course all this is happening while a young adult is being forced to prematurely face their own mortality.

You work for The Warwick Foundation full time for no salary which is amazing. Where do you think you get your community spirit and commitment from? I am very fulfilled knowing that our hard work is making a difference and it motivates me to keep working harder towards our goals in the future.

With such a busy life (including being a Mum) how do you find time for nurturing and balancing yourself? Family time is important to me as well as social life with friends.  I just try to keep my life as normal as possible. I still do things for myself like going for a run, a walk, play tennis and I even like to treat myself to a pedicure or a manicure now and then!

Tell Beautiful You readers about how they can become involved with The Warwick Foundation. Please visit our website at http://www.thewarwickfoundation.org.au/ and join up as a supporting member or you can also volunteer too.

Lastly, do you have a special message you would like to share a) with any young adult currently experiencing cancer and b) anyone who may be caring for a young adult with cancer? To any young adult living with cancer; You are not alone.  Try to stay positive and strong.  Reach out for support from friends and family and ask your doctors/social workers lots of questions.  This will help you feel empowered with information and the decision making through your journey. The Warwick Foundation now exists to connect you with others in your situation to help make your journey that little bit easier.  We have lots of goals for the future of the Foundation to make sure that your survival rates improve, so young adults diagnosed with cancer live longer, healthier and happier lives.

To a loved one/friend caring for a young adult diagnosed with cancer; Be strong and brave and be there to support and comfort your loved one in their times of need.  Try to treat your loved one normally.  Often this is what the young adult wants. If you struggle with your feelings/thoughts during this time, please go and see a counsellor as they will be able to help you to be the best support person you can be.

Sam is photographed throughout this interview with young cancer survivors at The Warwick Foundation Ball and third from the right at the 'Run Melbourne' charity fundraising event.

'Beautiful You' Blog Makeover

Hey Beautiful You!

If you are a return visitor or regular reader of Beautiful You you will have noticed my blog has undergone quite a radical makeover.  It's been something I have wanted to do since starting Beautiful You back in June this year, but being technically challenged to the extreme, I knew I could never do it on my own.  Thank you Design Girl.  There are still a few things I am tweaking and working with but I think we are almost there.

A few thoughts to share with you about the design....

You can clearly see I love the colour red, green, blue - oh yes - PINK.  The reason for this was, quite honestly, a total mystery to me until just recently.  I was not a particularly girly girl and I did not have one of those Mum's who dressed me in head to toe princess type gear.  A love of pink has been with me all my life however and a lovely Beautiful You reader recently sent me an email which helped me understand why.  Louise, who is a specialist in precious rocks and stones, emailed me telling me how much she loved my blog and informed me that the colour pink is related to someone's heart chakra and their personality.  People who are attracted to pink therefore wear their heart on their sleeve and how they feel in their heart is how they express themselves to everyone else.  What you see is what you get.

I don't mind admitting I got a bit teary when I read that email from Louise as I feel those words describe me perfectly and I very much wanted Beautiful You to be an extension of my true self.  There is no authenticity in me trying to encourage my readers to love and respect themselves for who they are if I don't do so myself and am not true to my own heart.  Thankyou, thankyou, Louise.

You will also notice I am building quite a lengthy list of blogs to profile here.  I have come across so many wonderful blogs by reading other blogs and I hope to do the same for you here.  If you write a blog that is about body image, self esteem, living your best life, size acceptance etc please email me at beautifulyoublog@gmail.com so I can check your good self out!  Please no weight loss or dieting blogs (not my bag) and if your blog is featured here and you would prefer it not to be - that's cool.  Just email.

Lastly I would like to finish with a very big THANKYOU to everyone who reads Beautiful You.  My readership is growing all the time and I am grateful to each and every one of you who drops by, comments, follows, subscribes and emails. 

I reserve a special thankyou to my fellow 'feminine feminist' Andrea Owen from Live Your Ideal Life for being the person who originally encouraged and inspired me to write my own blog.  Andrea and I have never met in person or even spoken over the phone - we're just Twitter buddies. When I put the thought out into the Universe about possibly writing a blog, Andrea came back to me with such positivity that she almost made me feel it was not acceptable that I wasn't writing already.  Such is the power of social media and indeed, Andrea herself.

About Beautiful You and Julie Parker

Welcome to 'Beautiful You!'

My name is Julie Parker and I blog here at 'Beautiful You' about body image, self esteem, eating disorders and self confidence with the aim of inspiring people (that's you!) to be their beautiful best.  I started 'Beautiful You' in May 2009 out of my passion to help create a society that recognises that beautiful, confident and brilliant people come in all different shapes, sizes and colours. 

I have worked in the body image and eating disorders field for over 10 years and regularly appear in media outlets throughout Australia.  I'm often referred to as a 'body image expert' which is very humbling, but if helping people to embrace and love their bodies makes me an 'expert' - then I guess I'll take it! 

I hope you find 'Beautiful You' a life affirming and inspirational space.  Thank you for reading.

You can contact me at beautifulyoublog@gmail.com

Contact Beautiful You

If would like to be in touch with me please email beautifulyoublog@gmail.com 

I am happy to both comment on and assist media outlets with issues such as body image, eating disorders, self esteem, size acceptance and related issues. 

I welcome readers feedback and questions and reply to all emails personally.

I also welcome hearing from people who may wish to guest blog at 'Beautiful You' or be interviewed for my 'Inspirational Interviews' series. 

Don't Optislim Your Hips Away

I was at the fish and chip shop last Sunday night.  On the menu - grilled fish, chippies and a greek salad.  Yum.  While waiting for my order I spied some mag's on a table.  I picked up a copy of 'Good Health' which I have heard of, but never read.  It looked good.  Headlines like "Helping Your Daughter Build Self Esteem" and  "Goal Setting for Women" caught my eye and so away I browsed.

I didn't get very far though as my eyes were inundated with ad after ad for diet and weight loss products.  Never had I seen such a concentration of them in all my life.  All the usual shockers jumped out at me, but it was this one that nearly sent me into a meltdown in front of the fresh fish counter.

Shame on you Optislim.  Shame.

If it's not bad enough that you produce a product that encourages people to replace two full meals a day with a powdered concoction claiming it is an "easy" way for them to lose weight - you now promote it with this horror ad.  You are making a gross generalisation that any woman that looks like the one looking in the mirror is either unhappy with her appearance or should be.  This is nothing more than an attempt at shaming women larger than a model size into thinking their body shape and size is unacceptable and that they have to do something to change it.  A perpetuation of of current society's obsession with the 'thin ideal' if ever I saw one.

Also - do you think it cute or sassy marketing to produce an ad that encourages women to aim for a body that does not have hips or a bum?  Is it your intention to send women hurtling into a mind set that sees them want to lose so much weight that they literally diet themselves to skeletal proportions?  Just stop and think for a moment about how dangerous, outrageously stupid and wrong that is.  If your defence is that you are only joking - if you could see the look on my face right now you would clearly see I'm not amused.  Again I say it.  Shame Optislim. Shame.

Shame also on you 'Good Health' for making this claim -  "Good Health will be different from any other (magazine) as every page will improve lives, bringing you the latest health news, views and breakthroughs" - and then cram your pages full of diet and weight loss ads.  Have you had your head buried in the sand somewhere that you don't know that fad diets and gimmicky weight loss products harm people's health rather than promote good health?  If you really want to do what you claim you do, then you won't publish dangerous and demeaning ads like this one.  Until you do, you can be assured the only thing I will find your magazine useful for is to wrap my fish and chips in.

Unravelling Anorexia with Emma Codrington

I'm delighted to present my first of a series of interviews on inspirational people.  My first is with artist Emma Codrington who has recovered from an eating disorder and has an exhibition showing in Adelaide this coming weekend.  I am sure you will agree Emma's work, some of which she has kindly permitted me to show you here, is divine.  Thanks for being Beautiful You Emma!

Julie: Hi Emma - Can you please provide me with a little information on yourself?
Emma: I am nearly 21 years old and live in Adelaide. I am only a couple of days away from completing a Bachelor of Graphic Design.  I am passionate, creative and live from the heart. I explore the world with an unbridled curiosity, with photography, writing and design being my mediums for expression.

Julie: You experienced an eating disorder as a teenager.  Can you tell me how this has shaped you to be the person you are today and how it influences your work?

Emma: I struggled with anorexia for about six years.  I experienced an intense struggle with my own self at a young age, where I wrestled with the very essence of my self esteem.  Coming through and out the other side has given me a resilience and sense of trust within myself.  This sense of self is always with me and positively affects every interaction I have in life. I believe this struggle has given me an unstoppable desire to create something powerful and beautiful with my life, now that I have the health and energy to equip me for it.

Julie: What was the most helpful part or thing in your recovery?

Emma: Creativity was the most helpful and influential tool in my recovery. When I was sick, I found creativity to be my only constant in a chronically unpredictable reality. Art and writing were healing, and somehow had the power to carry me as far away from the torment into a place of calm and possibility.  It kept me going; even at my lowest point.  I felt a desperate need to work on something productive, just to keep a sense of momentum. As I integrated myself back into life, creativity was just as valuable, as it become a means of self expression and helped me in creating a strong sense of identity.

Julie: Where do you get your inspiration from?

Emma: Ever since reintroducing myself into life, I have had a strong drive to embrace life and never take anything for granted.  I think my inspiration comes from experiencing the darkest point of my struggle; a point in time when I was balancing a fine line between life and death. I never want to go back there and so I am incredibly inspired to strive for challenge, connection and experience.  My art and creativity comes straight from the heart. Acting from my heart is the only way I can live. I wouldn’t feel right or true to myself if I didn’t approach everything in my life authentically this way. 

Julie: You have an exhibition coming up which is really exciting. Tell Beautiful You readers all about it and how they can attend.

Emma: Yes I do! 'Chrysalis...unravelling anorexia' offers an intimate journey through the depths of an eating disorder. 60 artworks document a raw and confronting portrayal of my own journey using a combination of whimsical photography and journal excerpts. Each of these stages involve the different emotions I experienced throughout my illness.  I decided to create an exhibition that could use my own experience and my art to generate awareness, compassion and a voice within the local Adelaide community and beyond.

Chrysalis is hosted by Intrinsic, a design studio in Adelaide (19 Chesser Street) and will opened this Friday 13th November by independent senator Nick Xenophon. It will be open to the public over next weekend, Saturday 14th and Sunday 15th November, 11am - 4pm.  Limited edition, hand signed prints of artworks will be available at the exhibition, with all profits being donated to ACEDA.  To download your own invitation and for further information, go to my website:

http://emmakatecreative.com/portfolio/exhibitions/chrysalis/

Julie: What role do you think art and creative therapies can play in helping someone recover from an eating disorder?

Emma: I believe that art and creative therapies can play a powerful role in self expression, articulation of emotions and indescribable feelings, as well functioning as as a calming, mindful and healing activity to bring
some peace to sufferers. 

Julie: Do you have any messages of support or inspiration to anyone reading who may be struggling with an eating disorder or negative body image?
Emma: For everyone tightly bound in their own chrysalis, or for those slowly unravelling it, I send you all of my love and care.  Since struggling with an eating disorder, I see the illness with a sufferer's eyes. I believe there is a degree of clarity to my perception which extends far beyond an empathy - I understand the debilitating heartache, the alluring intoxication – a kind of paradox where logic and illogic completely switch. When I was sick, I remember being so very entrenched in my way of life and my feelings - my eating disorder completely became my identity. Nowadays, I do feel so very far removed from that person I was. I am saying this because it's how I know that it is absolutely possible to beat this, no matter how impossible it seems to you now.  If you wish to connect, I am always up for a chat or an email emma@emmakatecreative.com

Life is worth the fight, and you are absolutely worth the fight... xxx

Teens Seek Cosmetic Surgery

It's a very sad day for me when I read this in the newspaper while having tea and toast for breakfast -

"Teens as young as 13 are going under the surgeon's knife for liposuction."

It makes my mind reel in horror to think of such things.  I know having counselled young people for low self esteem and poor body image they can be debilitating emotional and psychological factors to overcome.  The 'answers' as to how to help a young person who has negative feelings about their body can be complex, but surgery as the answer?  No.

The surgeon in the news story, Dr Bruce Fox, goes on to report that he has performed liposuction on 16 and 17 year old girls who supposedly have genetic fat deposits that they could not remove through dieting or exercise -

"Their mothers, many of whom I have done liposuction on before, will bring them in because they are distressed at school because of it."

The issue deepens.

I am at a loss to understand how any mother of a teenage daughter could possibly think that having life threatening surgery was an acceptable thing to do in these circumstances.  The absolute tragic case of 26 year old Lauren James dying from liposuction should surely act as enough of a warning that cosmetic surgery is not something to be trifled with and can not only go terribly wrong, leaving someone disfigured for life, but potentially take a life as well.  Surely that cannot be worth the risk to remove at such a tender age what surely must be normal body growth.  It infuriates me truthfully that any parent would even consider the option and any surgeon actually do it.  There is no common sense prevailing here at all.

I wanted to finish today's post with some advice to any parent who has a teenager requesting to have vanity based cosmetic surgery.  I hope it is helpful for any parent finding themselves needing to talk to their teenager about this issue.

• If your teenager states they want to have cosmetic surgery, ensure that you calmly talk through their feelings and concerns.  Do not dismiss their feelings or turn away from them.
• If it emerges, (as in the cases reported by Dr Fox above), that your teenager is distressed about the way they look due to teasing or bullying at school, delve as deeply as you can into this issue.  If the teasing can be stopped, it is likely this will go a long way to helping your teenager feel better.  
• Do not be afraid to inform your teen's school of any reported teasing and bullying and request they do whatever is necessary to stop it. Peer body bashing of this nature is unacceptable and should go against any school's policies about having respect for others.
• Help your teenager to build resilience against bullies by seeking out ways to improve their confidence, communicate in challenging situations and be assertive.
• Pay attention to your teenager's eating and exercise patterns.  These things are inextricably linked to body image.  Excessive exercise, requests to go on a special diet, refusing to eat with the family and calorie counting are all potential signs of an even deeper issue such as an eating disorder
• If your teen expresses feelings of intense loneliness, depression, anxiety and an inability to love and respect themself seek professional help for them immediately.  Your GP is a good place to start for ongoing referrals.
• Find ways every day to show and tell your teenager that you love, honour and respect them for who they are as a young person and that our value as people goes much deeper than what we see with our eyes.
• If you are struggling with your own body image seek supportive help that will undoubtedly benefit both you and your teenager.  If you don't have positive feelings about yourself it is highly unlikely that your teenager will be able to either.  By working on feeling more positive about yourself, your teen will immeasurably benefit as well.
• Always remember that any desire to have cosmetic surgery by a young person is masking much deeper troubles and feelings that are unlikely to be fixed with an invasive procedure.  A surgery such as liposuction is not worth the risking of your teenagers life when there are proven psychological treatments for such issues that can have lasting positive affects in helping someone develop their personal right to confidence and self esteem.

Marie Claire Mischief

Marie Claire.   Marie Claire.   What's going on here?

Supposedly, Marie Claire Magazine "wants to know which of these women appeals to you most" in a competition whereby the 'sexiest' woman will be announced in their January edition.  No names are given. Backgrounds. Life achievements. Community giving. Career highlights.  Just a row of women in their undies hoping to be voted for.

I think competitions like this are damaging to women's self esteem and I would have hoped that Marie Claire as a supposed magazine that covers a variety of women's issues would know better.  What is the real purpose in getting women to compare body shapes and pit them against one another?  Who wins here really?  Is it their intention with our eye being drawn from left to right in a reading pattern, to focus on the curvier women on the end and vote for them?  Could the poor woman who is the thinnest potentially be 'skinny bashed' with lots of comments that people voting do not find her attractive or sexy?  If a curvier woman does get the sexy crown will that mean that Marie Claire will consistently, every single month and edition, feature fashion spreads with greater body diversity?

I, for one, won't be voting.  I think all these women visually are lovely in their own way but what makes someone sexy goes a great deal futher for me than what can be seen with the eye.  If you are witty and funny I'm going to think you're pretty hot.  Doesn't really matter to me what sort of package you come in.

What do you think 'Beautiful You' readers?  Do you think these sort of competitions set women up against one another and promote a culture of comparison, or do you think them a good idea showcasing body diversity?  Love your thoughts.

Kate Winslet: A Body Image Warrior

In our celebrity saturated world it can be hard sometimes not to get sucked into stories about Brad, Angelina, Jen, etc.  One celebrity I actually seek news out on however is Kate Winslet.  Love, love her.

Not only do I think Kate is a fantastic actress, but I appreciate her as a fantastic human being for consistently sending out positive body image messages and remaining true to herself. 

Kate has won a libel case today against a tabloid newspaper that reported there was no way she could have her current body shape by only exercising for 20 minutes a day at home as she has stated she does.  In stating why she did it Kate said "I was particularly upset to be accused of lying about my exercise regime and felt that I had a responsibility to request an apology in order to demonstrate my commitment to the views that I have always expressed about body issues, including diet and exercise. I strongly believe that women should be encouraged to accept themselves as they are, so to suggest that I was lying was an unacceptable accusation of hypocrisy."

This is of course not the first time Kate has pushed back against horrid tabloid reporting that perpetuates a thin culture, suing Grazia Magazine for publishing a story that she went to a diet doctor, and expressing dissatisfaction at this GQ magazine cover which was photoshopped to oblivion.  Of the cover Kate stated - "The retouching is excessive. I do not look like that and more importantly I don't desire to look like that...they've reduced the size of my legs by about a third. For my money it looks pretty good the way it was taken."

Bravissimo Kate. Bravissimo.  I think you're amazing for not lying down and letting this sort of reporting go unchecked.  In standing up for yourself in this positive, life affirming way you help women the world over.  For that 'Beautiful You' salutes you.

Win A Ticket to Miss Blog!

Hey 'Beautiful You' readers - It's my first competition! 

I am fortunate enough to have a ticket to give away to MISSBLOG - Online Diva's very first women's blogger conference. Here's the deal...

"Hosted on Saturday 21st of November in Sydney, this is an event not to be missed. Throughout the day-long conference, you'll learn how and why to blog, meet and learn from celebrity bloggers, get all the first-hand tips and tricks towards taking your blog to the next level and the skills and know-how to enhance your online business.  Throughout the day there'll be six awesome and inspiring guest speakers from within the Online Diva community who will present workshops starting from the fundamentals of blogging through to how a blog can be used as a prolific business platform.  Drinks will be held after the conference in the glamorous Ivy Bar from 4pm till 5pm." 

For further information go the Online Diva's website.

A ticket to this blogging event is worth $149. Wow! 

To win the ticket here's what you need to do -

1. Become a follower of Beautiful You

2. Finish this sentence "I Am Beautiful..."

3. Email your answer by close of business Friday 13th November to beautifulyoublog@gmail.com

It's that easy! I promise to post the winning entry and include a link back to your blog.  Unfortunately with only one ticket up for grabs I can of course only choose one winner.  I will also be there on the day so will be a great chance for me to meet the winner and a 'Beautiful You' reader.

Good Luck!

13th November 2009 - We have a winner!

Congratulations to Kirsty from Hamperific who has won the ticket to Miss Blog!  Congratulations Kirsty and thank you for your winning entry....

'I am beautiful when I try to be the best person possible."

Such a simple but eloquent answer.  Thanks for entering Kirsty and I hope you have a wonderful time at Miss Blog.  By the way - your blog is terrific.  Check it out Beautiful You readers at http://www.hamperific.blogspot.com/

Jockeys Starving for Success

It's Melbourne Cup day today making Melbourne horse racing, marquee, hat, fascinator and fashion city. 

There is usually one star of the carnival and this year that appears to be Michelle Payne, pictured.  In the very male dominated sport that is jockeying, Michelle has been chosen to ride some high profile and very favoured horses in some of the country's richest horse races.  Michelle's rise to fame is made more special by the fact that she has endured her fair share of life's challenges which you can read about here.

All the feel good stories about Michelle however, have not been able to calm some very real fears I have for her.  They have arisen from a piece on Michelle published in the Herald Sun that went into detail about the extreme lengths she was going to be a certain weight for the race she was riding in.  Michelle "is prepared to take her weight battle to the wire, even if she has to sweat that last kilogram off at the racetrack sauna three hours before the race" and "Payne has barely eaten, but has walked, run, swum and ridden herself ragged."

The newspaper also published Michelle's diary (not available online) which consisted of 1 1/4 cups of muesli, 1 boiled egg, 1 piece of fish, 2 small tins of tuna, 1 serve of brown rice, 2 serves of vegetables and 1 caffeine drink.  Some people may think for an elite athlete in training, this sort of food consumption would be acceptable in a day.  Problem is, leading up to a race day, this is what Michelle eats in 1 week.  Read over the food again and take it in.  1 weeks worth.  On two of the days, Michelle ate nothing but 1/4 of a cup of dry muesli.  On another she ate nothing.  All while doing hours and hours of running, swimming, interval training and horse racing.

How is the racing fraternity permitting this to happen?  Simple.  The lighter the jockey, the faster a horse is able to run, win and make money.  As Matthew Tiemeyer states: "Because lighter jockeys get more rides, their pay is tied directly to their weight. So jockeys will do most anything -- stimulant drugs, exercise in plastic suits, long periods in saunas, and the old standby, purging (called "flipping" among jockeys). Many race tracks actually have "heaving bowls" installed in bathroom stalls to accommodate the 30% of jockeys who purge to make or maintain weight.  The health consequences are staggering and life-threatening. Jockeys who stay dehydrated in order to avoid water weight can push their liver and kidneys to failure. It also can cause heart arrhythmias that can be fatal."

Sports and activities such as ballet and gymnastics have been highly criticised for the  role that body shape, size and weight in those disciplines can and does contribute to the development of eating disorders.  In many instances this is certainly warranted, but the thing that strikes me as more outrageous in the case of jockeys is that eating disorder behaviours are openly encouraged.  Flipping bowls to accommodate for purging?  That's certainly not keeping things secret.  The racing fraternity is encouraging jockeys to engage in behaviours that promote or sustain the development of an eating disorder and is risking their lives in doing so.  How ironic that the industry is then upheld as a beacon of all that is fine, glamorous and elite when this sort of grubby and exploitative practice goes on. 

The racing industry needs to be called into serious question as to why they are encouraging their athletes to develop mental and physical illnesses.  I don't care about the argument that this is about the comfort of the horses and for them not to carry someone too 'heavy.'  If that were the case then only those people who were naturally petite or light and did not have to go to extremes to dramatically alter their body weight and shape, would participate in the sport.  Pushing jockey's like Michelle Payne into near starvation to be deemed acceptable to race is negligent.  If the industry can't manage to do that - then at least increase the weights jockey's are required to be for varying divisions.  It's very, very clear that where they are right now is simply not realistic and attainable for even the lightest of adults.