Zoe Saldana's Weight Revealed On Allure Cover, Sociologist Says Could Encourage 'Disordered Eating'
News outlets are ripping into Allure magazine today following the release of its June 2013 cover, which features the beautiful actress Zoe Saldana and describes her as "115 Pounds of Grit And Heartache."
The problem? Reports, including Yahoo's omg!, say that revealing Saldana's weight on the cover was an "unnecessary step back" in the progress that has been made in the way women are portrayed in magazines. In recent years, mainstream media has shied away from weight and measurements in an attempt to embrace body acceptance and foster self-esteem in impressionable teens and young adults.
Harvard sociologist Hilary Levey Friedman said that the Allure cover sends a message that "you need to be thin and strong. This only puts more demands on women and can lead to varied types of disordered eating."
As The Huffington Post notes, most magazines only list the weight of their cover girls when it's an inspiring weight loss story (i.e. pregnancy, surgery). But in this case, it's difficult to tell what the beauty magazine meant to accomplish by broadcasting Saldana's weight.
The Allure story on Saldana has yet to be released, but if the uproar surrounding just the cover is any indication, the June issue will be flying off of newsstands. And, perhaps, that was the point.