Serena Williams bares all for ESPN's body issue

October 7, 11:09 AMBoston Fitness ExaminerSarah Dussault

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Serena Williams is 1 of 6 ESPN's body issue cover athletes (ESPN)

ESPN attempts to grab readers using sex appeal including a nude Serena Williams in it's debut edition of "The Body Issue."  The Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue is a part of magazine history, a status symbol for models and a highly publicized event for the sports magazine.  Previously unrivaled, ESPN Magazine's Body Issue will feature six different covers all featuring well known athletes like Serena Williams with lesser known ones like Sarah Reinertsen, naked (or barely clothed).

While many have wondered where the correlation was between models in bathing suits and sports, ESPN may be on to something here. 

First, the people used are not size zero female models.  ESPN uses professional athletes including Serena Williams, Dwight Howard, Adrian Peterson, Olympic hurdler Lolo Johnson, pro surfer Claire Bevilacqua , triathlete Sarah Reinertsen, NASCAR driver Carl Edwards, and MMA fighter Gina Carano.  Four of the covers have been leaked on the internet, although the issue doesn't hit stands until Friday.  

It's almost like a muscle magazine pictorial.  Serena Williams is not a little girl.  She is one of the strongest looking women I have ever seen!  The men are obviously jacked beyond belief, lathered in grease or something, and the other two females have amazing figures with sexy muscle definition.  Self confidence and loving the body you've got is a recent movement that is gaining momentum.  France wants to put warning labels on photoshopped images in magazine, and Germany is no longer using models in it's fashion magazine but rather real people! 

Now, ESPN is encouraging Americans to accept and love themselves in a meatier fashion.  Losing weight is difficult for Americans but lifting weights and creating muscle definition is an activity that if performed properly will provide results.  When a teenage girl looks at the cover featuring Gina Carano, she may say, "Wow look at her abs!  If I do martial arts, I can look like that!?" 

That's a great spin on the perception of perfection rather than, "Wow, look at her abs, if I don't eat for a week, I might have a chance to look like her."  

What do you think?