Dove Beauty Campaign!

I know that this is old news, but I was outside of the country when the Dove beauty campaign began.  When I returned from Paraguay, I was so moved at the commercials that I viewed promoting real beauty.  There mantra is to help free the next generation from beauty stereotypes, and to help girls worldwide to see a different kind of beauty then the media portrays.  They have powerful ads and messages that they are sending out, and I think it is great!

Dad's and Mom's can help!

It is amazing how influential parents can be in helping to build self-esteem and confidence within their children.  It should start at an early age.  Most often the girls that have eating disorders are the one's with low self-esteem.  So to help prevent this from happening parents should readily give praise.  Father's should tell their daughters frequently that they look pretty; mothers should avoid talking about their own weight issues or diet plans.  These are some of the simple ways that parents can help to combat the lack of self-confidence young women have during those adolescent years.  

Media Spurs Unhealthy Body Images

I read an article the other day from CNN that was entitled, "Media May Feed Weight Problems of Teen-Aged Girls."  The article discussed how the media is greatly influencing teen-age body image by what they see on television, in movies, or in magazines.  What girls are bombarded with day in and day out are these well dressed and unusually thin people.  It is no wonder that so many girls and women feel this need to be picture perfect, and will go about doing it in unhealthy ways. It is an almost impossible task to be model thin since the average American model is 5 foot ten, and 107 pounds; whereas an average North American woman is 5 foot four and 143 pounds.  

Love yourself so that you can love others-

When I asked my friend Dave what it was that he found attractive in girls; he didn't give me the answer that I expected.  He didn't say that it was her hair, her eyes, her smile, or her body.   He said, "I like a girl who is confident."  When we talked further on this topic, I was taken back by his thoughts.  Dave said, "It doesn't matter if a girl is a size 0 or a size 12:  if she is confident in her own skin, that is what makes her beautiful."  All I can add is that I most certainly agree with you David!

Why do women feel inadequate?

It seems that the more I talk to other women, the more I realize just how alike we really are.  Now I know this is no new concept or anything, but it just surprises me how similarly we think, we feel, and act.  It comes as no surprise that there is a stark contrast between men and women, but I must confess that one thing I admire about the men in my life is that they don't compare themselves to others and they really seem to be content with what they have: physically, mentally, intellectually etc.  Women, on the other hand, feel this constant need to be perfect in whatever task or endeavor they may be asked to do.  Not only in that, but the desire to be smart, and pretty, and skinny, and kind, and talented.  It just seems like the list could go on and on.  Now I know it is important that we are constantly trying to improve and make progress in our individual lives, but I feel that we as women are just too hard on ourselves.  I love what President Uchtdorf, the second counselor of the presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, said this in regards to women,"To me it appears that our splendid sisters sometimes undervalue their abilities—they focus on what is lacking or imperfect rather than what has been accomplished and who they really are.  Perhaps you recognize this trait in someone you know really well.The good news is that this also points to an admirable quality: the innate desire to please the Lord to the best of your ability."

"Perfect Girls, Starving Daughters"

So I came across this book entitled "Perfect Girls, Starving Daughter," by Courtney E. Martin that discusses the frightening new normalcy for girls to hate their bodies.  I was quite intrigued with the title of this book, and that got me looking into the contents of it even further.  I haven't read the whole book yet, but I think that Courtney Martin is able to shed some light on a troubling trend that seems to affect many if not most all young girls to some degree.  It is a book filled with information from expert psychologist, as well as interviews from hundreds of young girls with some form of an eating disorder.  It is a wake up call to many people that dissatisfaction with their bodies is an epidemic that is troubles girls everywhere and of every ethnicity.  We can no longer claim ignorance to this sickness that affects the mother, the daughter, the sister,  the friend.  I am sure all of us know someone in our lives that has been affected by anorexia or bulimia.  These are the girls that are crying out for help; they are the girls that are striving for a perfection that is near impossible to achieve.  Now I am not talking about ambitious young women who are striving to meet their aspirations and dreams.  I am talking about those who are sacrificing themselves, their health, and their happiness to be something they are not.  It is time we have the mentality to love our bodies, imperfections and all, and help those around us do the same! 

What is the issue?

Do you personally know someone that struggles with an eating disorder? Have you ever felt dissatisfied with your body? If you have answered "yes" to any of these questions- you are not alone. Some of these statistics show how much of a problem exists with unhealthy body image:

• Almost 54 percent of American girls and women aged 12 to 23 years old are unhappy with their bodies
  
  
• One-third of high school students thought they were overweight when they were not
  
  
• Roughly 75 percent of girls as young as 9 years old have dieted from 2 to 5 times in a given year
  
  
• At any given time, 5 to 10 million women and girls have eating disorders that harm their health, including anorexia nervosa and bulimia
• 
  

Do these numbers shock you as much as they do me? What is the cause of such dissatisfaction, especially among young women, with their bodies? Could it be the media? We might just be standing in the grocery store check-out line, flipping through the pages of "People" magazine- or maybe we are sitting down after a long day at school or work to watch our favorite tv show; whatever the case, chances are that we have already been flooded by images and photos of thin and beautiful women. We are exposed to seeing these skinny figures day in and day out on billboards, in ads, or on television; it is no wonder then, that our young girls and really all women everywhere start to feel that in order to be "beautiful" you have to be thin.
My goal is to build more awareness of this issue: many women have an unhealthy perception of their body that does impact how they think, how they feel, and how they act. Maybe we know a sister, a daughter or a friend who suffers with this, but we can help. It is time that we make the women in our lives feel BEAUTIFUL!