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A three-year attitudinal research projects suggest many women exposed to our patriarchal, celebrity-obsessed, appearance-oriented culture will rarely adopt long-term health and fitness behaviors that bring them satisfaction and heightened self-esteem. On the contrary, such a culture often creates resignation, how self-esteem despair.

In-depth interview of 45 women and short interviews of 340 others, both men and women, revealed a critical step toward adopting and maintaining a healthy lifestyle was accomplished when women transferred authority over their bodies from an external agency to themselves. External agencies varied from parental authority, husbands, boyfriends, physicians and clergy to messages promoted by the fitness industry, the media, celebrity images and general hype.

I began to look at the fitness movement from the standpoint of scripted Hollywood messages, a glut of exercise videos with questionable role models and TV show pushing ineffective fitness products. Sadly, a new contagion of hype and competitive promotion was pushing fitness instructors. Much of our work was only making hard-core enthusiasts obsessive and narcissistic. It didn't seem to be reaching or motivating countless women.

Breaking Cultural Norms

When a woman has been treaded as an object, never given the recognition of being a unique, autonomous, effective person, the split within her own psyche can be pathological, according to Jessica Benjamin, author of Bonds of Love (Patheon Books, $16). But is it pathology when the entire feminine element within a culture is dominated and undervalued? Are women just responding to a cultural norm?

I interviewed women along every stage of the health/fitness continuum. I was seeking a broad view of women's health. As a journalist, I could no longer do cover stories for the manufactured fitness "leaders" and siliconed, surgerized celebrities that preached body obsession. Also, I grew disgusted with the continued bias and discrimination in women's medical research and treatment. I finally realized both ends of the spectrum contain the elements of disempowered lives.

According to national surveys, more than 80% of the American population do not practice lifestyle behaviors they know they should. Most national surveys indicate "lack of time" or "inconvenience" as top reasons for non-adherence. However, standard exercise questionnaires are not objective--they are replace with a male-as-normative, athlete-as-warrior bias that there is one way to achieve health and fitness. They also assume social life is orderly and rational, according to Joyce McCarl Neilsen. I think of the single mother with excessive demands, complexities and responsibilities she copes with every day--not to mention the hostile social context in which she lives.

The question I posed to women in an interview process focused on the following issues. (Note: Specific breakdown question for exercise, nutrition, stress management, spiritual well-being, emotional belonging were offered.)

* How do they take care of themselves?

* What value do they place of themselves?

* Where did they place the authority for their bodies and health?

* Have they made a significant shift toward adopting or departing from healthy habits?

* For those who achieved a turn-around in sickness or unhealthy behaviors, what, steps were taken toward mental, physical, emotional and/or spiritual well-being.

* What tools or everyday practices do they use?

* How do they monitor their health?

Releasing Judgment

In 90% of the in-depth interviews (and noted in 287 out of the 340 shorter interviews), judgment was a central theme. Interviewees talked about the humiliation and self-consciousness they experienced in most health club settings. Much of their exercise experience was grounded in memories of early failures during P.E. classes--not being picked for teams and doing poorly on nationally standard physical fitness tests.

Weight and Body Image

Of the 45 in-depth interviews, every woman reported a history of anger and depression over weight and body image with varying degrees of professional counseling. Women reported feeling low self-esteem, failure, guilt and "habitual conflict with food." At least 80% of the women practiced restricted eating and denied their biological need to eat in order to "look good." Several women admitted never getting control of eating disorders or binge behaviors despite knowing what they were doing was seriously damaging to their health.

Physical Activity in General

Depression and anger over "not being in control" of their lives seemed to prompt more unhealthy behavior in at least 65% of the respondents. Women said they handled anger and depression by smoking, overeating, losing their appetite or sleep and calling friends. Only 12% reported taking walks when upset.

# posted by Medical Information : 3:23 AM