Happiness comes in all shapes, sizes and ages, says Dr Linda Papadopoulos
Fabafterfifty: Body Image
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Interview with Dr Linda Papadopoulos Nature takes its course, and we should not be thinking of ageing being the worst thing ever. In today’s society, far too much emphasis is often placed on how we look – we are bombarded with images suggesting that to be valued you need to appear young and pretty. How often do we convince ourselves that our lives will be transformed if we are thinner, prettier, have better skin, fewer wrinkles? Body image and ageing I asked Dr Linda Papadopoulos for her thoughts on body image and ageing. Firstly, says Linda, we should not be thinking of ageing as being a problem. Being less beautiful should not equal lower self esteem. Worrying about how we look is such a waste of energy. We should be embracing the stage we are at. To be attractive to others you need to be the happiest, healthiest you –...
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To have plastic surgery or not, that is the question….
Article by Anne Elliott I am often asked what I think about using cosmetic surgery or supplements. My view on both of these things is quite straightforward. They are best used conservatively and at an appropriate time. For example, if you eat a good enough diet you shouldn’t really need supplements unless it is at specific time in your life when you need more than you can get in your daily diet i.e. folic acid during pregnancy or calcium during menopause. As to cosmetic surgery I think it also has a place, but it can be easily abused or used instead of trying to follow a good diet and exercise regime. Vulnerable to body image during menopause We are all vulnerable to body image at all times in our life and the pressure to look young and fit is immense. During menopause we are particularly vulnerable as it is a...
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Is it our duty to cover up wrinkly upper arms and crepey cleavage? One reader’s thoughts….
Article by Moy McGowan When an article on this site about ways to dress to cover crepey cleavage was picked up on twitter, one reader, Moy, was quick to respond- and I asked her to share her thoughts on the topic to promote discussion –and healthy debate! Women over 50: your wrinkly upper arms and crepe-y cleavages are disgusting. You should be ashamed to let anyone see them. It’s your duty to cover them up. Offensive? Absolutely. This is the unspoken notion behind the apparent consensus that women over a certain age should conceal the features that society has decreed are no longer beautiful. I get annoyed with articles which attempt to help us feel better about ourselves by advising us how to dress to hide our supposed flappy, wrinkly bits. While I will defend every woman’s right to dress in any way that makes her feel fantastic, I increasingly...
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3 Steps to Pain-Free Weight Loss and Healthy Body Image
Article by Laura Fenamore What’s more painful than chronic physical pain? The pain that lives inside of us, that’s what. Can you imagine being 100 pounds overweight and living with all of the shame that goes along with that? Imagine the inability to buy a dress or the fear that goes with flying on an airplane at that size. Now, can you imagine losing all that weight and still coming up short? Still feeling deep inside that you are not good enough? Never believing for more than a few moments at a time, that you are beautiful and valuable? Body image is how we see ourselves from the inside out, and losing weight doesn’t necessarily change this view in any real way. Interestingly, there are very few of us who don’t have a distortion in our “internal mirror.” Like the reflections in a funhouse, our image is out of whack....
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Do you agree that women are most confident about their bodies at the age of 52?
Article by Fabafterfifty Women are the most confident about their bodies aged exactly 52 and two months, according to a new study. A poll of 3,000 adult women by myspecialk.co.uk found this was the age at which women said they felt most confident about their bodies, inside and out. It means 52 year olds such as actress Emma Thompson, TV presenter Lorraine Kelly and The Duchess of York Sarah Ferguson may currently be feeling better about their looks and body than they did when they were younger. Speaking as someone who is 52 years and 3 months old, I can honestly say I am far more comfortable within myself than when I was younger- although if I’m totally honest, I was probably more confident about my body 10 years ago – a little too much ‘good living’ and French wine have had an effect on my waistline! You only have...
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The ‘Duct Tape Dummy’ woman takes about ‘Mary Queen of Frocks’ and clothes for curvy women
Interview by Fabafterfifty Penelope Else is finding fame as the ‘Duct Tape Dummy Woman’ on Mary Queen of Frocks. We caught up with Penny for her thoughts and insights on issues raised by Mary Portas’ latest TV series What prompted you to get involved in Mary Portas’ programme? A friend sent me the link, and I was excited that someone with some fashion retail clout was inviting me to get involved in what I interpreted as being a fashion revolution. I’m trained in pattern-cutting and draping on the stand (amateur, not professional!), and was getting more and more into designing my own clothes. I’d had visions of debating with professional designers, poring over fashion sketches, analyzing fit & fabric – really getting into the nub. What do you feel about the choice of clothes for women in our age group generally? Laughable! We are concerned with issues of fit, skin-exposure...
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Helen Mirren voted ‘best body’ in her 60s.
Article by Fabafterfifty Good news for the over 50s as Helen Mirren at 66 comes top in a poll conducted by L.A. Fitness for having the ‘best body’, beating Cheyl Cole, Kelly Brook and Elle MacPherson (who at 48 came second). Flying the flag for women over 50 as we refuse to become invisible, it’s great to see that a real woman with curves who does not hide her age was voted in to the top spot. We all applauded Helen Mirren when THAT photo of her in THAT bikini made headlines for showing that bikinis were not exclusively for the young, and that women with body confidence can wear them at any age ( I was recently on the French Riviera, where a friend’s mother wore hers proudly at 82- and looked great!). We also warmed to Helen when she confessed to having held her tummy in for the...
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Menopausal Wobble – a poem
Poem by Lesley- Anne Hornbogen This menopausal midriff has a life and structure of its own It wobbles and grows inch by inch indicative of passing years Gone are the days of cinched in waists, see through crop tops et al Suck in as much as I try – It’s not apparently shy! It protrudes in its own particular way Infuriatingly bold and wide There isn’t much this wobble won’t fight Aerobics, stretches, elastane pants and tights I could get upset, shout and cry Plead with all – it’s just a lie! Don’t ask me how, when or why This menopausal wobble came by At the end of the day I’ve learnt to accept It’s just another phase I’ve slowly come to realise I’m growing older, wiser and wider! No matter how I protest to all, It’s clear we’ll never part In fact my trusted menopausal wobble You’ve been with...
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New study on Mid-Life Mirror Angst- is this a new syndrome?
Article by Fabafterfifty Women over 50 and body image is a topic we have frequently discussed on Fabafterfifty. A new study finds that middle aged women dislike what they see in the mirror four times more than teenage girls! Until now teenage girls were typically the group with the most physical hang-ups but, according to new research, it is actually 40 and 50-plus year old women who are the most disenchanted with their bodies and suffering from a negative self image. The latest findings from the Invisible Women Study, by online retailer isme.com, reveals that middle-aged women dislike what they see in the mirror four times more than teenage girls. A meagre nine per cent of women over-50 say they feel proud of what they see in the mirror – a startling figure when compared with the 42 per cent of 16-19-year-olds and 43 per cent of twenty-somethings who are...
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‘Killing Us Softly’ the media and women’s confidence
Article by Fabafterfifty Women’s self confidence midlife and how it is affected by images portrayed in the media is a topic we have covered previously . It is not new. We are constantly bombarded with unrealistic images which no woman could actually attain. Jean Kilbourne has been campaigning on this issue for decades. In her words she describes the portrayal of unrealistic images of women in the media as ‘Killing Us Softly’. Her thought provoking video is not to be missed. As real women over 50 we can walk tall, be strong and be fabulous!
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