Kim Cattrall's Diet & Exercise Bring Body Love & Self Respect

Kim Cattrall admits that she is always on a diet and has been her whole life. This admission comes with her promotion for a low fat spread I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter.

“This generation of women that I’m in, we have been brought up with Jane Fonda workout tapes and fresh air is good for you and exercise every day and drink eight cups of water and it’s paid off at this time of my life.”

Cattrall admits that maintaining her weight becomes more difficult with age, but the knowledge of the battle inspires her to fight harder.

“I don’t do it for a guy. I do it for me. It’s about taking care of yourself.”

Cattrall’s words sum up the attitude generally of many European women — French, Italian, Scandinavian, Spanish and more. A recent study did confirm that French men are aggressive with their partners about the need to maintain a healthy, slim figure.

The Brits are more like American women, led this morning by Jezebel’s comments on Cattrall.

On one hand, it’s big of her to admit that she restricts her eating in order to achieve the physique Hollywood demands rather than saying that it’s all some magical yoga. On the other hand: sad. Cake’s wonderful.

Jezebel sends confusing messages to American women 18-35 about diet and exercise, because they have multiple writers.

On Saturday we agreed with Jezebel that — while we’re holding our breath on the news that Crystal Renn is a size 2 — we support her in her own personal goals.

Renn swears that she’s eating healthy and exercising a lot, and that her body weight fluctuates as it always does.

Crystal Renn, November 2, 2010. Photos by Dave Hogan/Getty Images EuropeAt Anne of Carversville, we agree with Cattrall. I personally agree with Cattrall that weight management is a constant battle, and I’m not doing it for Hollywood or men either. I do care about my physical looks and how my clothes fit.

For me at 5’8”, trying to maintain an 8-10 size is the goal. That puts me under a BMI of 25, which is impossible for me to maintain without vigorous, daily exercise.  When I lost weight years ago, I realized — like Cattrell — that I will never be able to eat what I want.

Like the Sex and the City star, I love food also. But I love my health and self-image even more.

The good news at Jezebel is that several commenters took issue with the writers that there’s something sad about avoiding cake to maintain one’s figure. Morning Gloria suggests that a woman would only maintain her health for Hollywood’s sake. External cultural forces demand that we be healthy and not ourselves, writes MOrning Gloria. 

I disagree completely, because the science around healthy eating and weight maintenance is too clear. While Morning Gloria suggests that the self-realized woman eats what she wants, science shows us the physical deterioration of our brain’s critical thinking capacity on our typical fast-food diet.

French and Italian woman do say gotcha at this point. From a holistic point of view, they admit to saying no to cake most days and having a conscious relationship with the food they eat.

Kim Cattrall posed as Diana in Tom Hunter recreation of Titian’s Diana and Actaeon.Given America’s obesity epidemic which is threatening the future of our children’s quality of life, I will follow the science of information, as well as the fact that I must face myself in the mirror every morning.

In spite of cake being good, I love myself far more for knowing that — like Kim Cattrall — I have won another day in the battle of the bulge.  My personal story of how I reclaimed myself spirit, self and figure from a place of great negativity and bad health is told in our Superyoung channel.

I’m a bit slow in the postings because our web traffic is becoming extrordinary, and I can’t keep up. My quick read of Jezebel’s comment caused me to pause and say “no, you’re wrong”. Why is it that American women don’t respect ourselves enough to say “no” as other women do.

We’re not the only multitasking women in the world. That’s our excuse, but French and Scandinavian women, Brazilian women, work also. They are mothers, too.  I have always believed that America’s obesity problem is strongly related to our Puritanical ambivalence about sensuality and physicality.

We loathe our bodies in the inner recesses of our very religious minds. And so we don’t honor them. Additionally, American culture says women are washed up at about 28. European women say they are sexy and full of vitality at 45.

I believe this is the other key reason why American women don’t care about a long-term commitment to self wellness. Why bother? When you follow Kim Cattrall’s line of thinking — that YOU matter, forget religion, politics and culture — nourishing the woman in the mirror with loving self-discipline is a positive experience.

How sad that Jezebel suggests an American woman only cares for her health and wellbeing to meet an external body standard.

Self love — not sugar-saturated cake — is far more wonderful in the long run. Occasional celebrations are good for the soul. Cake on demand is not. That’s our body love message, and we’re sticking to it. Anne