Jennifer Love Hewitt, popular actress and star of the CBS show Ghost Whisperer, has become the subject of harsh criticism these past few weeks. While vacationing in Hawaii with her fiancé Ross McCall, the size 2 actress was photographed in a bikini, and when the turned up on the internet, the actress was soon ridiculed for being fat.

A short while ago, I wrote an article for Associated Content titled “Are We Too Diet Obsessed During the Holidays?” I criticized the media’s fixation with weight and body image, and suggested that our cultural obsession with overly thin models and actresses sometimes warps our own thinking, and encourages us to go on unhealthy diets.

The recent bikini photos of a size 2 Jennifer Love Hewitt show a healthy, real model with a curvy shape, not an airbrushed fantasy of what a star should look like. Yes, when photographed from the rear (so to speak) in a bikini, Jennifer Love Hewitt has some figure flaws, and her body seems to have some problem areas. But what real woman, of any age, doesn’t have a few figure flaws? These imperfections make us human. Despite these perceived flaws, she is a lovely young blessed with good health and a strong, healthy, and curvy body.

Unfortunately, this hasn’t been the media’s perception of Jennifer Love Hewitt. She has been cruelly taunted online, her body in those bikini photos studied closely for every flaw. She has been vilified for being a real woman, with a perfectly acceptable real body.

As I wrote earlier, this is sad and scary. Many young girls (and adult women) follow Jennifer Love Hewitt’s career, and some look up to her as a role model. It is disturbing to think that some women who emulate her will take in all the media criticism of her body, and begin to punish their own bodies with extreme diets and exercise, in order to starve away their own natural curves.

As we watch what is happening to Jennifer Love Hewitt in the media, we need to ask ourselves this question: If a size 2 good enough, or thin enough, where does that leave those who are a size 12 or a size 14? (which is stated to be the average size of women today).

Especially during the holidays, when there is so much anxiety over food, diets and holiday eating, this current controversy is very damaging to women. It will be a tragedy if the criticism of Jennifer Love Hewitt touches off a mass panic about women, weight, and body image.

If any good comes out of this controversy, Jennifer Love Hewitt can be a role model, as she stands her ground and speaks out against the criticism of her body. Hewitt is fighting back, saying that as a healthy size 2, she is not fat. It is refreshing to see that she is comfortable with her body and her curves. Hopefully, this will start a dialogue about body image, and there will be a backlash against those who have tried to embarrass her.

On the bright side, it was nice to see celebrities like Eva Mendes, Anne Hathaway, Kate Walsh, and Julianne Moore, come out in support of Jennifer Love Hewitt. All of these actresses believe in a healthy body image, and they defend the idea that it’s okay for women to be curvy. Let’s hope that Hewitt doesn’t succumb to all the media pressure to be overly thin. She’s standing her ground now, but how will this recent humiliation ultimately affect her, both personally and in her career? Only time will tell.

I hope that she doesn’t go on a strict diet in response to the recent media circus about her weight. I hope Jennifer Love Hewitt stays strong in the face of all the negativity, and realizes she is a strong, beautiful and healthy woman, just as she is.

“Hands-Up-To-The-Sky” – Ricardo Kaka Biography Kaka Biography ? Introduction

I’m writing this Kaka biography a few weeks after the 2006/2007 Champions League final, a final ending with a happy result, 2-1 for the Brazilian’s team, AC Milan against England’s Liverpool.

I must say, as impressive as Filippo Inzaghi (who scored both AC Milan’s goals) was, my eyes were focused on the Brazilian Kaka throughout the entire match. His passes, his dribblings, his speed and his vision on the pitch were honey to my eyes.

I decided to write this Kaka biography not because the Brazilian needs it, but because I want you to find out who the real Ricardo Kaka is, how he rose up the ladders of his career before being a super star and what exactly does that “hands-up-to-the-sky” kaka celebration mean.

Kaka Biography ? Early Career

After spending his early days at different youth clubs around his home town of Brasilia and Sao Paulo, Kaka was eventually offered a professional contract at a very tender age: seventeen.

Since Kaka played great soccer for Sao Paulo’s youth teams, the reserve team and the Brazilian U-17 national squad, he immediately attracted the eyes of several European clubs, the one coming forward first being Turkish side Gaziantepspor.

Sao Paulo agreed to sell Kaka, for a sum of $1.5m, a sum that, if you think of the player’s market value now, would seem like peanuts. Still, the sum was quite big for the Turkish side, especially for a 17-year old footballer, Kaka?s young age giving them no guarantees that he will turn out to play great soccer regularly on professional level.

Kaka Biography ? Swimming Pool Incident Sao Paulo FC

In his first season as a professional player for Sao Paulo, Kaka didn’t play for the Brazilian team, but he used this time to accommodate himself with his new colleagues and the hardships of professional soccer in Brazil.

He was probably going to get his debut that season still, but an unfortunate swimming pool incident almost ended his career as a footballer, Kaka fracturing his spine in September 2000. Not only did he risk his future, but this fracture almost cost him his life and he was in real danger of being paralyzed for the rest of his life.

Miraculously, Kaka made a full recovery and came back to training after his full strength came back to him. From that day forward, Kaka found faith in God and some of his profits as a professional footballer always go to the Church, as a small gesture of thanking God for saving his life and his career. The famous Kaka celebration, after he scores a goal, is related to that incident, as each time, he thanks God for allowing him to play soccer and be there on the pitch.

Kaka Biography ? Attracting the European Giants

After fully recovering from his horrible fracture, Kaka was finally given a chance to play for Sao Paulo, in January 2001 and he didn’t disappoint, scoring no less than 12 goals in 27 appearances that season. This guaranteed him a solid first team place for the 2001-2002 season, in which he scored another 10 goals in 22 matches and whenever a young Brazilian soccer player performs that well, he’s bound to get a few calls from some major European clubs.

One of these clubs would be AC Milan, one of Italy’s most important teams and Kaka signed without blinking, eager to start a European career.

You probably know the story from here. Kaka is currently in his fourth season with Milan, whom he won the Serie A championship with once, the Italian Super Cup once, and the UEFA Champions League a few weeks ago (he also played another Champions League final in the 2004-2005 season, but lost it to Liverpool in what is considered one of the most beautiful finals of the tournament). He became an indispensable player for AC Milan but also for Brazil.

As a Brazil soccer player, Kaka scored 31 goals in 52 matches so far and gave out numerous perfect assists in his role as an attacking midfielder. Having the young midfielder in the squad, Brazil football became even more technical and quick (if that was even possible) and they’re considered amongst the main favorites for the following international tournaments.

Niv Orlian is the author and the owner of a website that provides information on various topics related to soccer such as the history of soccer, rules, , real time news, statistics, and training guides.

Virtual Tour Melbourne