I've found myself paying closer attention to the commercials seen on TV, especially the weight loss ads (probably because of my own weight issues). What kind of message is the media portraying when they show an already VERY thin girl/woman losing more weight and being able to wear the "skinny" pants? I'm not talking about the before and after photos you see on Nutra-System or ads like that. I'm talking about the Wal-Mart (most recent one I've seen) showing a girl that is probably a size 6 (on a heavy day) eating smarter (and cheaper, I guess) so she can lost those two inches that will put her in a size 4! (It actually shows her slender physique in a pair of jeans and she pulls them away from her waist a few inches to show she's lost weight). Yes, I openly admit I have skinny envy, but I also think of my little girl and the subtle messages she will endure during her growing years. I tell her frequently that she is beautiful and loved, but I worry that the pressure from peers will be a louder voice than my own. The commercials really bother me and leave me with a feeling that, where the media is concerned, you can never lose enough weight. The pressure is almost always directed at women. Is it men behind these ads? I think so. Why do I care? Because they tell me I should (yes....and the skinny envy).