Youth Obsession

I just read an article in Yahoo News! which claims that Youthfulness is an American Obsession.  True, according to mass media, It is a common sentiment in a society where many of us strive to look and feel decades younger — to prove to ourselves and the world that we are healthier and more vital than our parents were at our age. We’ve all heard it: 60 is the new 50, the new 40 and so on. The anti-aging industry, aimed at the baby boomers, is a multi-billion dollar business that continues to grow.  Many professionals in mainstream medicine and elsewhere worry that we’re becoming too focused on treatments with short-term benefits that have potentially dangerous side effects and scant, if any, evidence that they’ll help in the long run. In doing so, they wonder if some people are actually jeopardizing their chance at a long, healthy life, both physically and emotionally.  It is true, we are bombarded with infomercials, ads and magazine articles on staying young and vibrant.  But what’s new?  Ever since I thumbed through my first “Seventeen”magazine as a young, impressionable teenage girl, I have been inundated with products, diets and clothes that promised me wonderful rewards.  Over the years, I have been tempted by many of these items, tried some and been disappointed by most until one day I finally realized that this was as good as I get. At this point, I began to focus on the real me; the inner me.  Finally making peace with myself those many years ago has helped to define the me I am today; the me that I am proud of.  I have become my own best friend and I enjoy spending time with myself. Read more »