9781422288467

movement. Camryn Manheim is a plus-size woman working in an industry that applauds anorexic thinness, but she found her niche and learned that she has much to contribute to this world. And the world is better for it. But the world might never have known this talented actress or her pas- sionate advocacy on behalf of those with disabilities. As a teenager or young adult, Camryn Manheim could have looked in the mirror and decided, as many of us do, that she was “too big” or “too ugly” to make it in this world, especially as an actress in Hollywood, the land of pretty people. Thankfully, she didn’t. She saw beyond the image in the mirror to the gifted, strong, passionate woman she was. Her journey of self-acceptance allowed her ultimately to pursue her dreams and impact those around her, and those around the world, in ways she might never have imagined—in much more important ways than being just another pretty face on the tele- vision screen. What was the key? She realized she had something worthwhile to offer, even if her body type didn’t match the cultural image of a movie star. She saw herself as worthwhile and significant just the way she was.

Media Messages and Big Fat Lies Have you ever wished you could be someone else? Have you ever looked into the mirror and thought “if only”: if only I had thicker hair; if only I had a smaller nose; if only I had clear skin, or less freckles, or a thinner

face . Or have you looked at another person and thought, I wish I was as smart and athletic as he is, or, If I grew up in her family, I could be somebody, too . If you’re like most of us, you have. We’ve all wished to be someone else at some time in our lives. Sometimes we long to be different because of hardships we face at home or the legitimate desire to do greater good in this world. Many of us, however, are dissatisfied with ourselves because we’ve fallen prey to media messages that define importance and value as belonging only to ultrathin, ultrarich, ultrasuccessful, airbrushed beauties.

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