Samantha Clowe Dies After Dieting For Wedding Day. Can We Blame Bridal Magazines And Reality TV? And Latina Moms? Please?

An English woman has died after placing herself on a strict diet in order to lose weight in time for her wedding. Samantha Clowe, 34, was consuming a mere 500 calories a day in order to get “respect at work” and to avoid being a “fat bride.” Doctors are still unsure as to what exactly caused Clowe’s death but believe the otherwise healthy young woman may have died as a result of cardiac arrhythmia.

A spokesperson for the diet plan Clowe had been following, called LighterLife, issued the following statement:

We were very sad to hear the news about Samantha. LighterLife is a clinically monitored programme and has helped 150,000 people lose weight effectively and safely during the past 12 years. When she died she was still clinically obese.

Um. Ok?

Whether or not Clowe died as a result of her extreme reduction in caloric intake, her story resonates with a lot of other women who feel the need to lose weight for their “big day.” Latinas, obviously, are by no means exempt, having to face their own fair share of well-intentioned “wedding day advice” from friends and family members - and magazines and TV shows and self-help books. In fact, we’d argue that Latinas in the U.S, because of the unique cultural and societal divide we often find ourselves living in (Ed. note: I know, I know: “BUT I DON’T FEEL PRESSURE! I’M FINE! WHY YOU ALWAYS TALKIN’ ‘BOUT BODIES?” Ok, good for you. I’m not talking about you then.) You have to be thin. And toned! But curvy. And womanly. You have to be demure. But sexy! Anímate! Pero no tanto, mija.

A search on weddings for Latinas brings up mostly articles about dresses, weight loss and cake. Uh. No pressure! Oh, and also: “NUDE LATINAS, Melisa, Wedding Flowers.” Because, lest we forget, we’re spicy.

There are countless fitness programs and televisions series aimed specifically at brides who are trying to lose weight in anticipation for their wedding day - like Buff Brides, a show that berates women into losing pounds before slipping into a wedding gown. And take a look at this HIGHLARIOUS Slim Fast ad:

Ha! It’s a good thing no one gives a shit if the groom is portly.

We hope that, if anything comes of Clowe’s fairly sensationalized story, it’s that women considering taking drastic measures to lose weight in order to attain some sort of idealized image of a bride take time to pause and think about the impact this will have on their bodies. Instead of going the stereotypical route of starving oneself for one’s wedding and then “letting one’s self go” once settled into married life why not, you know. Practice moderation? Trust that the person marrying you probably likes your body just fine? Know that, even if he doesn’t, statistics show you’ll be stuck with it longer than you’re stuck with him?

Click Below for Photos of Samantha

Woman dies after following diet to avoid being ‘fat bride’ [Telegraph]