Madison blogs - How we put together a Body Issue

So here I am, about to start trying to write yet another column on body image. I have “been here” so many times over the years and still find it the most difficult, and sometimes even painful, topic to talk about. You can’t win with body image – my day job guarantees that! No matter what angle I take or what argument I present, there will always be someone who finds fault between my lines.

Interestingly, I’ve often found it easier when I expose parts of my own personal journey. Possibly because self-esteem and body image are subjects that require not only empathy, but experience. Working
in magazines since I was a teenager has definitely shaped how I feel about my body, but becoming pregnant turned animosity into amazement and certainly moulding the esteem of two little girls has given me purpose.

All of these watersheds combine to add texture and sensitivity to my understanding on this, the most complex of issues. Over the years, my hunger for answers and change has increased – it has made me read more, ask more questions and, ultimately, tread an alternative editorial line when it comes to creating special issues such as this one.

So how do you put together a Body Issue that doesn’t discriminate? Or generalise? It. Is. Not. Easy. In the same way that I firmly believe you can’t stereotype a woman by who she is or what she does, you similarly will never be able to satisfy every shape, every experience and every opinion in just one issue.

So at madison, we decided to come up with a few rules when it comes to discussing and depicting all things body.

1. Aim to consistently show women of all shapes and ages. Yes, we will have pages and pages of impossibly beautiful models (always have and always will), but we will work very hard to bring you all kinds of women throughout every issue of the year.
2. We won’t publish diets. It has been a conscious decision from launch to focus on exercise and nutrition as opposed to calorie counting. We don’t believe that’s our role. If you need that kind of information, we would prefer you did it in conjunction with a trained professional.
3. We care about how you feel and work really hard at keeping ahead of the curve when it comes to the latest information, science and emotional arguments on body image, self-esteem and health. We read and listen to all of your emails, letters and phone calls and publish stories to answer your questions.

But our most important body rule is the one you can’t see. It’s what you hear every time you read our pages. It’s the tone and heartbeat of the magazine and it wants you to know this: love your body. Be kinder to yourself. Aim to lead a life where health comes first. Understand that men just don’t see the flaws that you think they do. Realise that children are sponges – what they see is what they learn – and it’s your job (and ours) to protect them. Stop judging other women. Stop judging yourself. Don’t allow a dress size to rule your life. Celebrate difference and find peace in individuality. And whatever the forces at play externally – media, size 0, red carpet, fad diets – the only way to win an internal struggle with self-image is to fight it on your own. This means setting your own rules, accepting your own standards and finally
learning to stand in front of the mirror. Smiling.