Hollywood NOW is a proud supporter of Darryl Roberts’ new documentary, “America the Beautiful 2: The Thin Commandments”  This important film exposes the myths and facts about America’s current obesity crises, as well as our obsession with dieting. Roberts challenges us all to question if we are missing the mark in the fight against obesity and if our pursuit of thinness is causing collateral damage in the process.

Following the Premier, Eating Disorder expert, Carolyn Costin will join Darryl Roberts for a  Q&A panel. From different vantage points, Costin and Roberts uncover the dark side of America’s expanding waistline, dieting epidemic and “obesity industry” which some estimate will cost $315 billion this year (nearly 3% of the U.S. economy).
 
LOS ANGELES PREMIER

NOW Foundation’s Love Your Body Campaign Launches Let’s Talk About It: A Video Project for NEDAwareness Week

In support of National Eating Disorders Awareness Week, taking place Feb. 20-26, 2011, the National Organization for Women Foundation’s Love Your Body campaign is encouraging women to speak up and speak out about body image — on camera. A unique video campaign, Let’s Talk About It provides a space for women and girls to talk about struggles and success with body image.

“The airbrushed body type portrayed as ideal is naturally possessed by less than five percent of women, so if anyone should feel bad about the pervasiveness of eating disorders and low self-esteem in women and girls, it’s advertisers and the media,” says NOW Foundation Education Vice President Erin Matson. “Let’s talk about why it’s so important to put an end to this madness with the most powerful tool we have: Our own stories.”

For more than a decade, NOW Foundation’s Love Your Body Campaign has been calling out the fashion, cosmetics and advertising industries for promoting unrealistic images of women. The campaign encourages women and girls to celebrate their bodies and reject the impossibly unhealthy measuring stick displayed on billboards, magazines and screens.

“NOW Foundation is partnering with the National Eating Disorders Association this week because we know that impossible ideals are strongly connected with eating disorders,” says Matson. “Having overcome anorexia myself, it’s deeply important to me that we do everything we can to stop other women and girls from having to go through what I did.”

Ford models Kate Dillon, Amy Lemons and Crystal Renn are intimately familiar with the struggles related to body image. In an industry that covets skinny and rewards thinness with multi-million dollar contracts, these trailblazers are changing the modeling industry just by being who they are.

“Women and girls spend far too much time and energy worrying about their physical appearances when they have so much more to give to the world — I look forward to seeing what we can accomplish as we overcome this unnecessary diversion,” said model Kate Dillon.

Dillon, Lemons, and Renn are lending their stories and voices to help launch the Let’s Talk About It project, along with actor Lynn Chen, editor Lisa Lee, model and Hollywood NOW President Chenese Lewis, author Nancy Redd, activist Shelby Knox and editor Sunny Gold.

“I encourage everyone to make a video and post it online,” said Matson. “Your voice might be the one that reaches a girl or woman who is struggling with her self-image. And together, the more videos we create, the more we become part of the solution.”

http://loveyourbody.nowfoundation.org/letstalk

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Here is my video, special thanks to Michael Anthony Hermogeno, for helping me out!

To view more videos visit  http://loveyourbody.nowfoundation.org/letstalk

XOXO

2010 began with Chenese as the newly elected President of the Hollywood Chapter of the National Organization for Women (Hollywood NOW) and she participated as a panelist at the Social Justice Summit at California State University, Fullerton.

PLUS Model Radio celebrated its second anniversary and continues to be the #1 podcast for plus size women! A few of the notable guests in 2010 included MTV’s Twitter Jockey Gabi Gregg, Kim Coles, and top plus models such as Ashley Graham, Julie Henderson, Lizzie Miller, and Joanne Borgella. Leading plus size retailers broke exclusive news first on PLUS Model Radio including Lane Bryant’s participation in “Fashion Night Out” by their Director of Business Management Kathleen Quickert, and Torrid’s Marketing Representative Becky Meza announced Torrid’s first model search in Puerto Rico! Chenese took PLUS Model Radio on the road for the first time to the Essence Music Festival in New Orleans where she interviewed some of the biggest names in entertainment including Gladys Knight, Sherri Shepard, MC Lyte, Kirk Franklin and many more!

Binge Eating Disorder Association (BEDA) announced Chenese the official spokesperson, joining the effort to increase awareness around unrealistic “body-perfect” ideals, binge eating disorder and several associated conditions, including compulsive and emotional eating, and food addiction. As BEDA’s spokesperson Chenese serves as a positive role model for the members, help to bring awareness to the organization, and help to educate the public about the disorder.

Chenese graced the covers of Daily Venus Diva Magazine who called her “a key individual in the plus community” and Gemini Magazine who referred to her as “A Positive Power House”. She broke plus industry size barriers with PLUS Model Magazine by modeling for a Valentine’s Day editorial featuring Cacique Intimates lingerie by Lane Bryant. Ms Lewis ripped the runway in a celebrity fashion show for charity, Celebrity Catwalk, which raises funds and awareness for the National Animal Rescue.

Along with Reah Norman and Marlene Hoffman, Chenese produced Curvy Network, a plus size industry networking event held in Los Angeles. This year Ms Lewis was sought out to be a celebrity host and consultant for numerous events for plus size women across the country, in cities including Hollywood, Las Vegas, Dallas, and New Orleans. She also moderated “The State of the Curvy Community” panel discussion at Full Figured Fashion Week(end)™ Los Angeles.

Chenese Lewis Productions, LLC was a recipient of the Vertical Response 500 Award for being one of the top 500 small businesses recognized for high customer engagement rates in email marketing. Chenese’s blog was recognized as one of the Top 40 Plus Size Fashion Blogs on the web in 2010 by HalloweenCostumes.net

This year marked the 5th anniversary of Hollywood NOW’s Love Your Body Day. America’s Next Top Model Whitney Thompson severed as the celebrity host of this year’s festivities and helped create a major media buzz surrounding the event due to the Love Your Body campaign, where she and Chenese posed nude together. The photographs were featured in top entertainment blogs including CBS News, People Magazine, AOL Stylelist, NY Daily News, Perez Hilton, iVillage, as well as internationally in numerous blogs around the world. In addition the ladies were featured on television shows such as E! News and EXTRA.

Following the buzz created by posing nude for the Hollywood NOW Love Your Body campaign, Chenese cross promoted the Love Your Body campaign with the NOH8 Campaign by posing for a NOH8 photo with celebrity photographer Adam Bouska. Chenese was interviewed about the photoshoot for the National Examiner, which made the front page!

The 2010 Love Your Body campaign gained international attention and magnified her role as a leading positive body image advocate, this year Chenese was a quoted expert in USA Today, The National Examiner, and Northwestern University’s Medill Reports. She was also asked to sit on the Celebrity Board of the non-profit organization Fed Up, Inc.

Chenese ended the year on a festive note by appearing in Mariah Carey’s “Oh Santa” music video and commercial for Mariah’s new fragrance Lollipop Bling!

Exciting things are already scheduled for 2011, make sure you visit www.cheneselewis.com to stay up to date!

Join us for a weekend of fun and empowerment promoting positive body image!

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2010 7-10PM
LOVE YOUR BODY DAY LAUNCH PARTY
HOSTED BY TOMIKO FRASER’S GODDESS GATHERING

RSVP HERE
Read More About Tomiko and the Goddess Gathering Here: Tomiko Fraser’s Goddess Gathering Sponsor Love Your Body Day!

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2010 12-4PM

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2010 8PM
Cathy Lewis Universal Comedy presents:
The Love Your Body Day Comedy Show

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2010 1:00 – 3:30 PM
Body Image Panel Discussion:
Plummer Park – Great Hall
7377 Santa Monica Blvd.
West Hollywood, CA 90046
Reception Immediately Following Panel Discussion

Free Onsite parking in two lots: off Santa Monica Blvd and off Fountain Avenue
Free street parking on surrounding streets.

Panelist share their personal and professional experiences with eating disorders, body image issues, and size discrimination. Discussion will include personal stories and resources for support and how to take action.

Hope To See You All There!!!!!!
XOXO
Chenese

Hello Everyone!

I know you are familiar with my Love Your Body campaign for Hollywood NOW, but besides promoting positive body image our chapter has other key issues like promoting diversity and ending racism, stopping violence against women, as well as marriage equality. I am proud to announce that Hollywood NOW is a sponsor of the Los Angeles premiere of March On and excited to see the president of our sister chapter Pacific Shore NOW, Zoe Nicholson featured in the film!

If you are in the area, please come out and support, click here to RSVP on Facebook
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March On begins and ends with 2009 National Equality March.The real story centers around the five featured families.

Why did they take time off work, spend money and travel to Washington DC? What were their hopes and how did it change their lives?

March On offers the stories of two moms who made a road trip to states where there is marriage equality and started a website~AreWeMarried.Com, a married lesbian couple from California who are one of the 18,000 allowed to marry before Prop 8, a New York gay couple who have been together 32 years and wrestled with religious bigotry, a man who served in the Navy for 5 years and was dismissed under Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, and a life long activist who has traveled this road for over 40 years.

You will see Lady Gaga, Lt. Dan Choi, Michelle Clunie, Cleve Jones, Staceyann Chin and Cynthia Nixon. You will see the queer youth who led the march, visit the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and sit on the grass in front of Congress but, more importantly, you will meet people who are courageous and inspiring, who came to
Washington DC, October 11, 2009 to demonstrate that they believe in Equality.

Their stories are the reason we march. March On.

Hello Everybody,

This year the official Hollywood NOW Love Your Body Day pics got so much press and attention, it has really created a buzz around the upcoming event! If you haven’t seen the pics already, check them out here as well as a few links to press below! Also check out Whitney Thompson’s website and blog at www.shopsupermodel.com

Whitney Thompson and Chenese Lewis for Hollywood NOW Love Your Body Day. Credits: Photographer Inez Lewis, Hair Stylist Jo Williams, Make Up Artist Jeanna Sabatino for Image Cosmetics.

Press:

http://stylenews.peoplestylewatch.com/2010/08/26/antm-winner-whitney-thompson-bares-all-in-the-name-of-love/

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504763_162-20014516-10391704.html

http://cocoperez.com/2010-08-23-top-model-winner-wants-you-to-love-your-body

http://www.stylelist.com/2010/08/24/whitney-thompson-nude-defends-tyra-banks/

http://www.ivillage.com/naked-photo-everyone-s-talking-about/4-a-260073

http://www.nydailynews.com/lifestyle/2010/08/24/2010-08-24_americas_next_top_model_winner_whitney_thompson_bares_it_all_to_promote_love_you.html

http://www.fameblab.com/article/americas-next-top-model-s-whitney-thompson-gets-naked-love-day

Whitney Thompson and Chenese Lewis on E! News Daily

 

International Press:

UK:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1305494/Americas-Next-Top-Model-plus-size-winner-flaunts-curves-naked-ad-campaign.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

Mexico:

http://www.terra.com.co/mujer/articulo/html/mur5588-una-gordita-logra-hacerse-campo-en-el-mundo-de-la-moda.htm

http://de10.com.mx/9252.html

http://ecodiario.eleconomista.es/gente-estilo/noticias/2398935/08/10/Whitney-Thompson-se-desnuda-para-reivindicar-la-belleza-XL.html

Israel:

http://www.raysegev.com/index.php/love-your-body-day/

http://www.mako.co.il/women-fitness/Article-dced4db1693aa21006.htm&sCh=3d385dd2dd5d4110&pId=1252482108

Finland:

http://www.seiska.fi/viihdeuutiset/_a118447/huippumalli+haussa+voittaja+kaulailee+naista+alastomana++kuvat/

Netherland:

http://www.fashionnewz.nl/artikel_8719_foto-winnares-americas-next-top-model-uit-de-kleren.html

http://www.ad.nl/ad/nl/1003/You/article/detail/507385/2010/08/24/Plus-size-America-s-Next-Top-Model-naakt-in-campagne.dhtml

Norway:
http://www.seher.no/849623/top-model-vinner-kaster-klaerne

Slovakia:
http://www.aktuality.sk/clanok/171121/zeny-su-krasne-tucne-i-vychrtle/

Sweeden:
http://www.expressen.se/noje/extra/1.2110968/har-poserar-america-s-next-top-model-vinnaren-naken

Vietnam:
http://www32.24h.com.vn/thoi-trang/anh-khoa-than-gay-soc-cua-mau-beo-c78a319705.html

Greece:
http://www.isthmos.gr/article.php?news_id=19652

Found a great article I didnt post? Let me know!

Hello Everybody!

If you didn’t already know, Tomiko Fraser’s Goddess Gathering is an official sponsor of Hollywood NOW Love Your Body Day. The Goddesses will be sprinkling their love and positive energy through out the entire weekend of festivities!

XOXO
Chenese

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

5th Annual Hollywood NOW Love Your Body Day Announces Whitney Thompson as 2010 Celebrity Host

The Hollywood Chapter of the National Organization for Women kicks off Love Your Body celebration October 22^nd through October 24^th

Los Angeles, CA (July 8, 2010) - Hollywood NOW, the local chapter of the 44-year-old national organization working to bring women and men into full equality, has announced Whitney Thompson as the 2010 celebrity host of Hollywood NOW’s Love Your Body Day.

Produced by Chenese Lewis Productions, LLC and co-sponsored by the city of West Hollywood, Love Your Body Day is an annual event where women of all sizes come together to celebrate a day of self-acceptance to promote positive body image. The celebration has expanded to a weekend full of events, which includes a launch party, festival, comedy show, and body image panel discussion. The Love Your Body community celebration will unfold October 22-24, 2010 in West Hollywood.

Whitney Thompson will host the festival which will take place Saturday, October 23^rd at West Hollywood Park Auditorium from 12-4 pm. Admission is free and open to the community. West Hollywood Auditorium is located at 647 N. San Vicente in West Hollywood. The festival will include performances by various singers, actors, dancers, and spoken word artists. The pinnacle of the festivities is the “real women” fashion show where models will be flaunting the styles of various plus-size designers and retailers.

For complete schedule of events or to get involved visit the event website at www.loveyourbodyday.com

About Whitney Thompson

Whitney Thompson is the first-ever full figured model to win America’s Next Top Model and a 2010 ambassador for the National Eating Disorder Association. Since winning the reality competition she has landed major campaigns with Forever 21, Saks Fifth Avenue, Torrid, and Converse. She is also an entrepreneur and has launched her own jewelry and candle line called Supermodel. Whitney is currently signed with Wilhelmina Models.

About Hollywood NOW

Hollywood NOW is a local chapter of the National Organization for Women. The National Organization for Women (NOW) is the largest organization of feminist activists in the United States. NOW has 500,000 contributing members and 550 chapters in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Since its founding in 1966, NOW’s goal has been to take action to bring about equality for all women. NOW works to eliminate discrimination and harassment in the workplace, schools, the justice system, and all other sectors of society; secure abortion, birth control and reproductive rights for all women; end all forms of violence against women; eradicate racism, sexism and homophobia; and promote equality and justice in our society.

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www.loveyourbodyday.com

www.hollywood-now.org