Do women feel pressured into losing weight quickly after giving birth?

Yes

7 of 9

by Eoin O' Sullivan

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I can only speak as a casual observer on the sidelines, since my sex relegates me from giving a 'personally experienced' point of view. I think it depends on the woman and her priorities, but in general there is alot of pressure on women to look good, buy the latest fashions and now get in shape as soon as possible after giving birth. The culprit is of course celebrity trend setters.

While it may be viable and necessary for top celebrities to look their best, this is untenable for a full time or working mother. Women as unecessary slaves and victims of this trend. It is a vicious cycle of envy and competition, setting goals that seem to become social norms over night. I can't understand this. Women putting unecessary pressure on themselves by worshipping and buying into this celebriy lifestyle. Isn't life complicated and interesting enough? The judgemental eye of the fellow woman is all seeing.

I hope in the near future that some celebrity becomes aware enough to break this ridicilous cycle by letting it all hang out after giving birth and putting an end to this nonsense. Maybe this will happen on Oscar night when some presenter utters those magic words 'who are you wearing' and the celebrity says 'I neither wear animals or people and no I haven't been in the gym workout like a lunatic, I'ev been at home looking after my newborn like nature intended'. A punch to the nose is optional.

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for freedom of choice and if any woman freely wants to get in shape as quickly as possible after giving birth I say more power to you. I just don't think someone should feel obgligated to conform to a peer imposed judgemental regiem all for the sake of appearances. That's as far from personal choice as you can get. You may as well ask someone else to do your thinking for you. Be careful who you choose.

After nine months of carrying a child and bringing life into this world and the added pressure of sleepless nights etc, seeking the body beautiful seems frivilous and since most people loath the chore of going to the gym under ideal conditions, it must seem anything but appealing after labour. If anything it should be 'well done, here pig out on anything you like for the next nine months, you deserve it!'. Burn those celebrity magazines, they trive on selling ideals and dreams 99% of us will never attain and why should a minority dictate to the majority how to live?

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