Women's mags are biggest fail of all

If a woman puts on weight, there's probably a brief moment of contemplating topping yourself before searching the shops for the "bigger" size of the same number.

THERE was a discussion on the radio yesterday morning nutting out all the things women apparently do wrong when it comes to fashion.

It is a lengthy and somewhat misogynistic list, including visible bra straps, skirts too short and tights used as trousers.

Magazines perpetuate this standard, with "rights" and "wrongs" gleefully catalogued whenever the rich and famous step out on the red carpet in some spectacular outfit.

We live in a generation where the word "fail" has become a noun, dished out savagely after a single glance up and down.

It's a bizarrely one-sided deal, and somewhat bought into by women.

It seems women have to appear perfect and men don't.

If a guy puts on weight, he buys a larger pair of jeans - with the label announcing the size - and makes use of the other notches in the belt.

If a woman puts on weight, there's probably a brief moment of contemplating topping yourself before searching the shops for the "bigger" size of the same number.

It often makes me wonder if there's a fortune to be made in labelling larger sizes as size 12.

Men do care, in a disgruntled sort of way, if they put on weight, but also seem to accept it as the prerogative of growing older and wiser.

The coining of a new phrase, the "Dad bod", is intended to be forgiving to men. It's an affectionate expression for a man who, while reasonably in shape, has allowed some softness to invade.

Flawless figures in men are rare, usually limited to All Blacks and models, and that's reasonable, because few of us get paid to work out.

But this excuse isn't applied to women.

If you buy into what beauty magazines tell you, women aren't supposed to grow old - or change shape, for that matter.

I believe if you want to obey that biological imperative to fight the ageing process, put that effort to good use and concentrate on your health.

If you make it to old age, you'll enjoy it a lot more if you don't have a failing circulatory system or bad lungs.