From this article , they quote a statistic that 50% of the 10,000 girls/young women polled by ELLEgirl, would rather be run over by a truck than be fat.
Poor body image, self-loathing, and a perception that the most horrible thing that could happen to us is being fat, run rampant in our society. And although men and boys are feeling the weight of this (no pun intended), the fact is that women and girls are the ones who are hardest hit.
It is time to love ourselves. Not in 20lbs, but right now: AS WE ARE.
Although our girls are heavily influenced by media, they are also influenced by the women they see every day. You may not be a mother or an aunt, a teacher or a counselor. You may not think you have any influence over young women whatsoever, but let me tell you - you do.
Growing up, I quietly watched the women around me. I learned to flirt, speak up, change my posture, style my hair, and match my clothes from women I've never met. I would see someone in a store or on the street and I would watch her and take my cues from her. And one great huge thing I learned was that no matter how pretty a woman was, she always got the most attention by putting herself down. The thinnest woman would declare “oh, I am such a pig!” and a cackling of “no you’re not, you’re perfect! I’m the fat one!” would follow from her group. She would complain about her perfectly coiffed hair and her well-made up face, and her self-esteem army would come out en masse to reassure her of her outward beauty.
I soaked it all in and learned to master it. The problem is that after 20 years of saying it, you realize that you also believe it. And when you believe it, you live it. And when you live it, you teach it. And here we are with a new generation of women who don’t believe they are good enough, as they are.
This isn’t to say it is your fault that young women everywhere want to be dead before they are fat. But I want you to understand the impact of each choice we make on the world around us. Every day that you feel better about yourself, your life gets better. And even if you aren’t in the same home as a young woman who will be influenced by you, somewhere, there is a young woman who will look at you and mimic your confidence. And once she does, she will begin to live it.
Love yourself today for yourself. Accept yourself as you are RIGHT NOW! And know that you are doing it for every woman, everywhere.
It’s time to speak out and love ourselves as we are. Keep reading and being inspired by women who have moved on from their image and onto their substance.
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Trudi Evans |
| About the author: |
| Trudi Evans is the publisher of As We Are Magazine and an active member of the board of directors for the Eating Disorders Action Group. Her interests range from politics and writing to environmentalism and mixed-berry cobblers. She resides in Nova Scotia with her spouse Rob, their son Sam, and Sam’s cat Hero. |
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