So, parents should remember that if they make comments on weight, talk a lot about dieting or have unhealthy eating habits, their children may pick up the message that to be accepted or desirable, it is necessary to have a certain weight or shape. The post-feminist years have not erased the pressure American women feel to look as good as the models they see on TV and other mass media, notes Edna Rawling, UC professor of women's studies and a psychologist. Women are always encouraged to internalize the notion that they're only as good as their appearance. This notion really gives you a limited view of who you are and what you can accomplish. It's a positive thing that we have more emphasis on exercise and athletics these days, but I think women are often encouraged to do it for the wrong reasons.
Women often do it to fit some cultural ideal, rather than for enjoyment or health.
It's a hidden way our society oppresses women and keeps them from achieving all that they could achieve. I don't see things getting better. Look at the focus on Oprah Winfrey, who is one of the most successful women in the world, but a lot of the attention is on her weight. I don't know of any woman that is not affected by this pressure. There's even a magazine, Mode, that is a plus size fashion magazine.