Self magazine’s latest weight loss secret: Photoshop

Self magazine was once one of my favorite periodicals, especially back in my days of being a fitness instructor. But it will be a long time before I can happily purchase this magazine again.

According to Jezebel, pop star Kelly Clarkson is on the cover of the September issue of Self and the magazine production team did for more than the usual touching up to Clarkson’s photo. Clarkson has put on some weight over the past year, which the media won’t shut up about unfortunately, but Self editors Photoshopped the cover image to slim her down.

If the folks in charge at Self were so bothered with Clarkson’s body, it’s puzzling why they asked her to be on the cover in the first place, as Margaret Hartmann writes in the Jezebel post.

Hartmann also points out why Clarkson should be applauded:
When the press goes after celebrities for gaining weight many apologize to the public, like Oprah Winfrey or Kirstie Alley, or frantically exercise and appear on the cover of Us flaunting their slimmed down selves like Jennifer Love Hewitt. So far Clarkson has only declared that she’s OK with her body and backed her statements up by performing in clothing that exposes her figure, rather than hiding under billowy outfits. Of course, now Clarkson has appeared with a newly-slim body on the cover of Self, but it’s a decision the editors made for her, rather than a message she wanted to put out herself.

In the Self magazine article Clarkson talks about her weight and how she’s happy with her body as is. Too bad Self magazine isn’t.