Begrudgingly at first, I toyed with social networking, but now I am firmly swept up in the rampant craze. I have used every facebook application under the sun, but even I was a little shocked at how popular the celebrity look-alike generator was.
It's just a bit of harmless fun, but for me the facebook app. sums up our obsession with the world of celebs. I also found myself wondering how my yo-yo dieting pal would feel about being compared to Posh Spice, would this serve as a compliment or simply reinforce her insecurities?
Everywhere we turn there are images of some famous whippet or other, and I for one am tired of being bombarded with pictures of these uber-skinny celebrities. All too often, size 6 waifs are promoted as our role models, and the perceived message (whether intentional or not) is ‘judge yourself or society will do the judging for you.’
Very few women or men, for that matter, are perfectly content with their appearance. In any one group of individuals you will probably find that the combined opinions of the group mean every single part of their bodies is considered flawed. There are changes we can make to improve our confidence and health. Making steps to achieve a healthier and fitter body should be applauded. However, if you don’t have the self-belief and confidence to make changes for yourself, and you are doing it to look like a celeb, the chances are you will never really achieve what you want.
Striving to emulate Cheryl Cole is probably outside the grips of reality for most of us, yet when we see her in a glossy magazine there is often a stab of envy. Naively perhaps, I was flabbergasted to realise the volume of celebrity look-alike plastic surgery options available...ordinary people spending thousands of dollars trying to become a mirror of someone they have never even met...
Is celeb land really as glamorous as it looks? Cheryl Cole’s husband has strayed numerous times and he is just one of a string of men who seems to find being faithful to their beautiful wives an expectation too far. Being beautiful, slim and famous didn’t prevent these women from having their hearts broken.
I am no longer looking to TV for my role model, everything I need; everything I can be is within me! You are your own role model. Your own mind is the only thing that ever holds you back. If you want to drop a dress size or improve your health you have to believe in yourself and your own capacity. Changing your image and increasing your self-confidence, cannot be learned from copying a famous actress. To be happy and to make changes, you must want to do it for yourself. Throw away the magazines, stop day-dreaming about someone else’s life. Your dreams and hopes should only involve you and living in the present moment.
To chat to Catherine, please email nutritionist.matthews@gmail.com