Wrong message

IN this day and age when so much airtime and ink are devoted to stories pondering why so many young girls are having issues with body image and eating disorders, maybe The Times’ own writers need to take a closer look at the message they’re sending.

In the Feb. 10 Calendar section, a front-page article on the new Vanity Fair Hollywood issue [“Nude Photos That Are Truly Revealing,” by Robin Abcarian] showed a picture of bone-thin Keira Knightley and Scarlett Johansson with her ribs clearly visible. And yet, in the body of the article, Johansson was referred to as “baby chubby.”

On Page 2, an article about the Grammy after-parties [“ ‘Her’ Party, Without the Crying,” by Elizabeth Snead] commented that Britney Spears was “not quite back to her touring weight, judging by the black floaty cloak layered over her black mini.”

In neither case did these cracks have a whole lot to do with what the stories were ostensibly about. And as the father of a teenage girl, I was amazed to notice that both of their articles were written by women. Maybe this has something to do with why 6-year-olds are standing in front of the mirror asking “Am I too fat?”

STU KRIEGER

Los Angeles