I'm sure you have also heard of the "plus sized" model, Lizzi Miller who posed naked, with no photo shop. Again, this women is NOT fat by any means - she is beautiful, - tall, leggy, and very much a "normal" person. I do not think that this should have even made NATIONAL news because she "bigger" then the "average" model.
I just don't understand what is going on - we want the children of today, girls and boys, to grow up with a positive self image. We don't want them to think that because they are bigger then their friends that makes them less beautiful or even fat for that matter. We want the kids of today to be happy with who they are but to be health at the same time.
I can tell you as a small child I was on the little side but about 3rd grade I started gaining weight, I started to be on the "bigger" side of the class - it hurt my confidence, my pride, it made me very self conscience about who I was. It didn't help that my family would say things - as in I was getting bigger, that I shouldn't eat so much, that I needed to loose weight. I was still a child, this isn't something you can necessarily tell a child - it's something you have to proactively change without them necessarily noticing what you're doing. As a child I'm pretty sure that if my diet had more veggies and fruits and less pizza, spaghetti, and fast food it would have been different. BUT because of my family telling me this for so many years I still, to this day, have a HUGE complex about what I look like compared to my friends. I hate looking a them, seeing how "skinny" they are and then looking at myself and seeing that I am not. I have become more proactive about myself - I lost over 50 pounds but I know I still have more to go BUT when you are low on funds it's hard to shop healthy or join the gym or join a weight loss group (what I did to loose the 50 pounds). I hate that I have such low confidence in myself at times BUT it's hard because it was pounded into my head at such a young age that you are not beautiful unless you are skinny. It's hard to pick up the phone to talk to my dad and one of the first things he asks is if I've lost any more weight, if I've gained any back, if I'm still working out. That's not what I want to hear when I live SOOOO far away from him, but at the same time that was how he was raised and I know he's not doing it to be mean but it's still hard to listen to ALL.THE.TIME! BUT for now I'm happy with me, I'm going to continue to walk, to eat right, and enjoy life. I know that I am happy and I will continue to be that way but I'm going to work to stay happy!
*This was close to my "bigger" weight
* This is me now - happy, "smaller"
Anyway, if you have children I ask of you to HELP them in a positive way to look past what society has put out there for us. To show them that no matter what size, color, figure, etc.. you are you are beautiful. IF you feel that you need to step in and change something about your child then do it without words - do it with examples. Change how the FAMILY eats, talk walks or bike rides together, get them involved in sports. IF you say something to them at a small age it can hurt them and it can cause major problem just not right then but for the rest of their lives. Help them see that society has put a "weight limit" on the people we see on TV and this is not normal. I just hope that people out their realize we are hurting ourselves by doing this. Maybe one day "normal" people will be back in the ads and on TV and not people that society feels should be "normal".
I'm sorry about this rant and rave but it's really been bothering me since it's been in the media a lot more. If you want - share with me how you were raised - did you have any issues with weight, did your family ever flat out tell you if you were "fat" or to "skinny". How did you cope with this?
Thanks to everyone for listening and I hope you all have a great Thursday! Come back for Fingerprint Friday!
Love,
KJ
When I first saw that photo I was shocked. Like anyone is to belive that someone is that skinny. I love the natural photos of her. She is beautiful.
ReplyDeleteI was raised fine on food until I became pregnant and depressed at 16. It has been a battle for me ever since. I was under weight when I got pregnant then gained 60 pds & worked at a job sitting on my butt 10 hrs. a day not to mention high school during the day. Needless to say my daughter is going to be 10 next month. I'd say its time to shed the baby weight.