Yesterday Atkins Nutritionals Inc., the weight loss company, announced that Alyssa Milano is its new spokeswoman.
If we take her inaugural blog post at face value, it’s rather endearing. There’s an emphasis on healthy eating, learning about nutrition and body positivity.
“The human body is utterly amazing, and I’m so proud of all I have done and achieved with mine — the best thing was having my incredible babies. So I want to take care of my body the best way I know how — by making smart choices,” she writes.
Her goals are to learn about the best way to nourish her family and herself (and OK, she wants to shed those pesky last 10 pounds).
More:Alyssa Milano shares intimate, important breastfeeding snapshot
We are told that the majority of diets fail. Yet we are also told that excess weight — left unchecked — may lead to a whole host of health ailments.
Ha-ha-ha-ha… sob.
So where does that leave us, the consumer? Stuck between a rock and a scrumptious burrito, I guess.
Here’s the thing: I don’t think that means we should stop striving for a healthy life, feeding our body with things that are good for it, being active and mindful.
And Alyssa Milano may be just the right person to lead us there, with her charm and likability.
Milano is no stranger to fat-shaming, and it makes me hopeful that, as an Atkins ambassador, she’ll be mindful of her responsibility to those looking to make healthier lifestyle choices. Responding to some pretty horrible comments about her weight made by Jay Mohr back in 2013, Milano tweeted:
.@jaymohr37 So sorry you felt the need to publicly fat-shame me. Be well and God Bless. Please send my love to your beautiful wife.
— Alyssa Milano (@Alyssa_Milano) December 26, 2013
More: Alyssa Milano responds to Jay Mohr’s fat-shaming
A great analogy, explained by Ragen Chastain of the blog Dances with Fat, goes like this: “Almost everyone who attempts weight loss fails. Yet doctors keep prescribing the same things and blaming the vast majority of people for ‘not trying hard’ enough or ‘not doing it right.’ Can you imagine if Viagra only worked 5% of the time and we blamed 95% of the guys for just not trying hard enough? It’s completely ridiculous.”
So maybe we need to reframe what it is we think weight loss will achieve. In fact, plenty of studies show that attempting weight loss to get healthier may not even be possible.
Yet the reality is that celebrities will continue to be there, endorsing those companies shilling weight loss. My hope is that Milano will inspire people to get more involved in their health, to be proud of their achievements and to strive for ways to keep it healthy and active.
More: Alyssa Milano posts supercute breastfeeding photo
Leave a Comment