She’s loved and admired for her athletic achievements, and her athletic body is envied by women and desired by men. But does Jessica Ennis like what she sees when she looks in the mirror?
Back in January,
FMS reported how the pre-Olympic Jessica had issues with her own appearance (see
Jessica, You’re Gorgeous). Did our assurances help her overcome these issues? It seems not. And neither has the fact that post-Olympic polls revealed that a majority of women would like a body like hers. And the fact that she has recently been voted 'Best Celebrity Body' in another poll made no difference to her own body image either.
I don’t think I look good and it amazes me when girls write to me and say, ‘Ooh, I wish I had a six-pack like yours’, or ‘You’ve got an amazing figure’. Really? Do they think that?
She says
I’ve got way more muscles than I’d ideally like to have, adding that she makes a point of covering up her arms when she goes out because they look ‘butch’.
But on the other hand, Jessica has also said recently that
There's a kind of perfect figure that's put out in magazines but it's not realistic. If sportswomen are put out there a bit more, it creates a real healthy body image for young girls to aspire to. Agreed, Jessica, agreed. What’s wrong with your body being that image then?
Clearly athletic women are positive role models, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that these women will feel their own bodies are beautiful.
Now, I’d always thought (or perhaps hoped is a better word) that athletic or muscular women were immune from this kind of issue. This assumption that they were happy with their bodies was a major part of their appeal to me because confidence is sexy. To now discover I was wrong is, quite frankly, a bit of a blow.
And not just to me.
The Ennis Effect, which we recently flagged up on this blog, is not going to be helped by the role model herself telling everyone that a body like hers is not something she would aspire to if she’d had the choice. If that isn't a confusing message for women, I don't know what is.
However, help is at hand from another Olympic champion, currently in the news for her appearances on
Strictly Come Dancing (the UK equivalent to Dancing with the Stars, as I believe it is called Stateside).
Victoria Pendleton has revealed she hates the fact that she’s lost weight on the show. Despite weight loss being seen by most as a benefit of taking part, the Olympian has admitted she’s gutted that her body is changing.
It’s not just that she’s losing weight, either. It’s what she’s losing as a result of that weight loss that is really bothering Victoria:
The 32-year-old said that she doesn’t like her new thin thighs and disappearing six-pack. I’ve lost a lot of muscle mass. I’ve been going to the gym three times a week for 15 years and lifting heavy weights and now I haven’t got time to do that.
When I look down at my legs now I feel very sad about it. I put in all those hours to get them bigger and now they’re shrinking in front of my eyes. It honestly makes me feel very depressed.
Who would have thought it? All along it was Victoria, not Jessica, who we should have been backing. Both women may be unhappy with their bodies now, but for very different reasons, and for the female muscle head, Victoria’s is most definitely the
right reason.
So, what should I do now? Should I vote to keep Victoria on the show so that she continues to get media coverage and the chance to wax lyrical about how much better it was when she had some muscle, or should I not vote for her so she can get back into the gym and get the muscle back?
I'm confused!
