Do We Have Realistic Body Standards?

I do not think Christy Brinkley is a realistic expectation to have unless you are wealthy so you have a personal trainer, a personal chef and a personal stylist.

I have none of those. And thus do not have a flat tummy. I am 52 and I also have a crazy thyroid. Yes, weight loss is not easy. Oh well, where is my Blue Bell???

I had a long answer typed out, but decided that I probably over-shared. Some people probably have realistic body images, but as a society we don't for many reasons.

Body issues are so complicated.

I have very solid abs, hidden behind my small beer belly. Would I like to lose the belly, sure, it is as easy as cutting out a good chunk of my carbs but to me the muscle structure is what is important.

I think we have horrid body standards but not about fat or skinny, we are not a healthy country. So what if someone is skinny, if they have a pathetic muscle structure they are going to have tons of health issues as they get older. Someone who is overweight yet fit will probably be fine.

At 50 you shouldn't be worried about flat abs, you should be asking yourself are you as healthy as you could be. I try, try, try, to be as healthy as I could be because I don't want to just live a long life I want to live a quality life. I have joint issues that make that harder on me than most. So I kind of makes me sad, and perhaps a bit disgusted, when I hear people say it is so hard which physically there is no reason they don't move more than they do.

No, she is not a realistic example, but this has nothing to do with age. Teens are expected to be slim and tall like Bella Hadid, and women in their 20s-30s are expected to look like a Sports Illustrated model. Women in their 40s should look like Jennifer Aniston and even seniors are expected to look ageless like Jane Fonda or Helen Mirren in her bikini. If we're not, then we're "out of shape", "a fatty", "lazy," or "neglecting ourselves," they say. You can be within your appropriate weight range and still have a flabby belly, and you can even be underweight and have a swollen stomach that makes you look pregnant (I see it on the beach all the time, and these are very young girls, so I doubt they are pregnant, just not toned). You can even be underweight and have a flabbier belly than a thick or voluptuous woman.

By the way, Christy has had a lot of surgery and has admitted to it. She also uses hair extensions. Jane Fonda has also had a lot of surgery, and so have many of the other models and celebrities we hold up as our standard of beauty. Of course if we mortals had access to personal stylists, Spanx, custom-made clothes, makeup artist, hair stylists, and unlimited plastic surgery, we can also look like chiseled beauties. I am willing to bet most of us would look as good or even better than some of the women that men drool over, because I have seen those makeover shows and have thought to myself "wow, she is beautiful and could beat any woman on the runway these days" after someone helped the lady find the right hair color, makeup, and clothing for her figure.

Anyway, I have met some mortals who have some great figures, but they also spend 2-3 hours in the gym daily, and have very strict diets. Not everyone has the time, some mothers have jobs, or young children to tend to, would you have the time to dedicate to it? You can also hire a personal trainer, and they can help you get some meals set up, but again, that takes money and time, which you may not have. Rather than becoming the next female bodybuilding competition winner, I think women should focus on maintaining a healthy weight, healthy eating habits, and practice some amount of exercise...even walking counts. If you're healthy, or doing all you can do to be healthy given your health conditions, you should feel accomplished, whether that means you have a six-pack and ripped arms or not.

I think there are two sets of questions here.

1) Can you get a flat stomach without surgery and a lot of money to pay a trainer or watch your kids while you work out. Or provide surgery. I have no idea what Christy Brinkley has had done or not done. But she has options others don't have. It's her body, she can do with it what she wants. Maybe she has genes you don't have.

2) Is a flat stomach the ideal? Who says? Where did we get that idea? What Hollywood ideals have been foisted on us, what fashion industry standards have we lived with for so long that we think that's "normal" and we are "defective"?? What is this idea doing to women all over the country, and to our daughters? What is it telling our young (and old) men about how to value women? What does it say when we feel pressured to change our bodies to meet another's standard of us? I met a woman at the gym recently - she joined our strength class. She got a free training session, as all new gym members do. The male trainer told her she needed to lose weight and be thinner so her husband didn't leave her. He did it twice. Yes really. She walked away from him.

I think what's inside is more important - do you have some muscle strength, strong bones, clear arteries, healthy digestion?

Seeing as no woman in my family has had a flat belly at 50, it's no surprise to me that I don't have one either.
It's possible for some people - for others not so much.
My aunt had 8 kids.
Her stretch marks had stretch marks.

Really? Is a FAMOUS MODEL a realistic body image?

I know a few woman that have fabulous bodies that are over 50. The one thing they all have in common is that they don't eat bad carbs (white sugar and flour). To bad there is not an easier way.

Personally I don't think that Christie Brinkley is a realistic anything for anyone. She is exceptionally beautiful, has a lovely smile, and she's just an overall attractive human being with amazing hair. She's also very wealthy and has the means to have personal chefs, trainers, stylists, and assistants, although they certainly only enhance the natural beauty that she has. I could have a million chefs and trainers and I'd never even remotely resemble her.

So, no, that's not the image to shoot for.

We ordinary mortals who have kids, who do laundry, who shop and make meals, who have jobs, who mop floors, who clean up spills, who pay bills, should have realistic goals.

We should be healthy. We should try to eat real food, not processed foods. In my opinion, we don't have to rule out any one food (except in the case of actual allergies or medical conditions of course), such as sugar or carbs. However, sugar has its place, like in the occasional dessert, not in seasoning packets intended for tacos and salad dressings, and soups, and convenience suppers, and boxed mixes, and flavored waters. Carbs have their place, like in sprouted grain breads, brown rice, and whole grain foods. The problem is when someone has a toaster pastry or waffle for breakfast, a sandwich for lunch, and a dinner that includes corn bread or dumplings or some casserole topped with biscuits.

A healthy weight, some exercise like walking, an appropriate body fat measurement, a good attitude towards food as fuel not emotional support, and the knowledge that pregnancy and breastfeeding and child-rearing and aging inevitably cause changes - changes that aren't a source of shame but a source of joy - are what we should be pursuing.

Yes. I think flat is realistic but not sure no extra skin is. For any woman who had children, there was likely some impact that doesn't have to do with being overweight. I am somewhat on the opposite side of the body image controversy. I don't believe in shaming anyone but end of the day, many people are overweight. Some very overweight. That is not a good thing. It's unhealthy. It increases medical costs. Why do we want to make it ok? Because it's easier than people losing weight? My daughter and I were at a restaurant a few weeks ago that also has a big ice cream business. A man and woman near us had enormous cups of ice cream. They were overweight. We both asked why they had to have such big ice creams. Looking around they were not the only ones. Yet we are bad if we raise eyebrows? i think we're getting too politically correct.

Per my surgeon who recently removed my gallbladder, no not without surgery. I have a pretty bad case of diastasis recti after my 3 kids and no amount of exercising or dieting will fix it to the point that I will ever have a flat stomach. That coupled with all of the stretch marks that bring with them extra skin I got because I didn't get those good genes that kept them from happening means it will just never happen.
If you are lucky enough to be born with the right genes and have the money to pay a personal trainer and someone to make your carefully planned meals or are willing to have surgery then yes, you can have it too. But for those of us who don't..yeah right...not going to happen!

If you have the funds to eat a perfect diet and hire a personal trainer, and the time to work out for hours several times a week, sure.
I like certain foods that aren't "good," and I'm not willing to give them up. I have a job, a houseful of pets, a family, and hobbies. I'm not willing to take time away from those things to go to the gym.
I have a decent looking body. I'm in decent health. My husband wants to jump my bones when he sees me naked. I can live with that.

America has made thin in and fat out in so many ways. The image of a pencil thin woman is not the world trend. If a girl is normal in size the thinks at an early age that she has to be very little to be accepted or appreciated like a trophy wife. There is more to a woman than looks, brains and common sense are very important as well as being social and being confident.

A flat belly is probably doable after 50. Most people do not have the time or money to put into looking like a model. Women do their best to look their best at any age and to wear clothes that are flattering.

When a woman has a baby her body changes and so does the muscular makeup. Things stretch and go almost back to normal. Genetics play a large part in how you look and also eating and exercising.

To look at a magazine and wish to I look like that is nice it should not be the only thing that makes you feel like a woman. Beauty comes from within. How do you feel about yourself, how to you carry yourself also play into how look. I will get off my soapbox now.

the other S.

Unless you spend hours working out on your core every single day I don't think it is possible. If you've carried a baby then your stomach muscles are stretched and it will take an immense amount of work to get them semi flat.

If you were in ballet or dance and worked daily on your core muscles growing up you might have the basic core strength to have a flat stomach now. It depends on so many things.

I weigh anywhere between 113-115 lbs. and I exercise a lot. No, I don't have flat abs...
Your weight shifts around after menopause or just after getting older. No, I don't wear a bikini, but I look pretty good in a "tummy control" one piece!
About Christy Brinkley...I read an article a while back about how and why she quit modeling years ago...she said she was tired of trying to hold her stomach in! They photoshop those pictures anyway.
Don't have unrealistic goals....I've learned that my body looks fine the way it is...but I do pick out clothes that camouflage.

Yes it is doable. Realistic? I don't know. It depends on your personal goals.

I know who I am, how I am and I do practice eating right (moderation), drinking tons of water and exercise.

If you are comfortable in your body... That's important.

If starving yourself to attain what won't happen, then accept who you are. It's ok! I know beautiful women of all sizes.

It's not all about the flat belly! I do strive to maintain my appearance because that's important to me personally. I have more energy, motivation and confidence when I am happy with my body.

no we do not have realistic standards. flat belly after 50 depends on genetics and metabolic rate of each person. don't know who that is and i don't want anyone elses body image. i want my image and none other.(fat gut and all)

I don't know about 50....but it is after 40, if you want one and have the genetics stacked in your favor.

We eat healthy (watch our sugar intake and eat healthy fats), I take two exercise classes a week when I can remember to get there and well there it is....but I also have a thin body type, ectomorph I believe is the term....and I am very tall.

I worked very hard for two years to get the baby weight off and once I got back to my pre baby weight it has pretty much stayed there.

Some days I swell/bloat and it isn't as flat....and I certainly don't have a six pack but it is even with my pants.

Christy Brinkly really isn't a good choice to look at because money can buy you a lot...agelessness is one of them...