Tuesday, November 29, 2011

How She Got That Body

Victoria's Secret Angel Adriana Lima: it's no day at the beach

Time for that semi-annual peep show—um, fashion show—in which Victoria's Secret models strut the runways, tonight at 10 p.m. on network TV. And my guess is that the gem-encrusted bra Miranda Kerr will don (said to be worth $2.5 million) will not really be the focus of most eyes, male and female, during the program. Hey, I'm a fan of lingerie myself. But it's not really about the lingerie, is it?
It's about those impossible bodies, lithe and full-breasted at the same time, and about the fact that we're allowed to stare at them with impunity, pretending it's about fashion. This time around, however, I'll be thinking about the tidbit I read recently that outlined how exactly those bodies are...well, made doesn't seem quite the word. Achieved? And this part ain't pretty.
Victoria's Secret Angel (as they call them) Adriana Lima revealed last month to the London Telegraph exactly what she did to get runway-worthy:
—starting in August, she worked out with a personal trainer every day of the week
—for the three weeks before the show, she pushed it up to two workouts a day
—she met with a nutritionist who measured her muscle mass, fat ratio, and levels of water retention, and prescribed a regimen of vitamins, supplements, and protein shakes. She also started drinking a gallon of water a day.
—for 9 days before the show she drank only protein shakes (lots of powdered egg was involved)—no solid foods at all.
—Two days before the show: she stopped the gallon-of-water business and just "drank normally."
—Twelve hours before the show: she stopped drinking anything at all. (Presumably that means she took in no nutrients of any description, since her diet was completely liquid by that point.)
It makes for painful reading. But it's also educational reading, because it's proof that few people can attain that kind of "perfect" body without extreme, almost super-human effort.  And keep in mind that these women are preternaturally physically gifted to begin with; many bodies will never look like that no matter how many gallons of water go splashing down.
I actually think this news report represents progress, because it begins to dispell the notion that bodies like those of the Angels—or name your svelte model or actress here—are either naturally occurring or easily attained. It's a much-needed corrective to those uber-annoying model lies of the past: "Oh, I just eat anything I want to! And I hate working out!" Those lies only contribute to more self-flagellation on the part of their credulous audience (i.e., women with "average" bodies).
But bottom line: Why do we insist that these naturally gorgeous girls starve themselves down to some strange and unnatural shape? Why can't we enjoy their pre-two-workouts-a-day/pre-liquid-diet beauty? A question for our age, apparently.

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