The Daily Cow

I was shopping with my mother yesterday evening for clothes to take back home to Berkeley. Yes, I will admit it: clothes here are infinitely cheaper than they are back in Berkeley. Want anything?

I was passing a shelf full of underwear, and generally, the packages are attached to pictures of scantily-clad men (showing off the results of gym) and women (showing off the results of anorexia). And, of course, there is underwear for kids too, boys specifically. But I was shocked to see that the kids were, well, scantily clad also, and they're... well, cut.

OK, to be fair, the boy was actually really skinny, and so he seemed cut, six-pack and all. But then I remembered a few weeks ago, when I was still rooming in Jinghao's house, glancing at the TV screen while his mom and sister were watching, and there were previews for a talent show. And there was this Chinese kid, who was well-built and muscular, flexing. He couldn't have been more than 10 years old or so. What are the Chinese doing over there? :P

This troubles me a lot, however, because it means that the media portrayal of bodily images affects not just anorexic girls, but kids of 10 years and younger. I remember myself being 10 and being troubled by the way I looked. Who's to say that people suffering from food disorders today did not have the seed planted when they were really young? And although it's another matter altogether that it's always good to start keeping fit young, these kids aren't really keeping fit, are they? They're just ... trophy kids, if you'll excuse the term. Looking built and being fit are sometimes mutually exclusive.

Addendum: OK, fine, I'm jealous as well. These kids achieved in 10 years what I couldn't achieve in 20. I wonder if they can give me some tips. >_>"