The issue of body image is in our face all of the time. If it's not the people around you making comparisons, then it is in the media. And not everything you see is the real deal, which makes it harder when you are comparing yourself with something that is not real.
It goes even deeper than this when you look at the thought process of society. Why do we look at someone, see a slim body, and award them with praise similar to that given when someone is brave or honesty?
What does a slim body mean? It does not necessarily mean that the person is living a healthy lifestyle, or does exercise to be slim. The same can be said for someone who is over-weight. Can you you look at an over-weight person and say with certainty that they do not exercise or eat a healthy diet? I think not, yet that is the instant assumption most people make.
Marguerite Gilbertson was 18 in 2011 when she was awarded the Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest award available. Her project "Free 2 be Me" was recognised for focusing on body image, peer pressure and the impact of negative media messages. She had experienced first hand an eating disorder, and wanted to help girls raise their self-esteem, and teach them that the media's version of beauty was not healthy.
"My main goal is to have girls look at their bodies and say, 'I'm healthy, I'm happy and I'm me.' A lot of girls don't," she said.
You can read the entire article here. It is worth spending time to read it.
The pressure on people to fit into a pre-conceived mould is unrealistic. Should we not be praising people for things like kindness, courage and integrity? Maybe it is too much to expect that people look beyond the shell of a person, to see the real efforts and traits of that person.
Linking up, as usual with Where's My Glow?
and Life with Twins & A Drama Queen
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| image source |
What does a slim body mean? It does not necessarily mean that the person is living a healthy lifestyle, or does exercise to be slim. The same can be said for someone who is over-weight. Can you you look at an over-weight person and say with certainty that they do not exercise or eat a healthy diet? I think not, yet that is the instant assumption most people make.
Marguerite Gilbertson was 18 in 2011 when she was awarded the Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest award available. Her project "Free 2 be Me" was recognised for focusing on body image, peer pressure and the impact of negative media messages. She had experienced first hand an eating disorder, and wanted to help girls raise their self-esteem, and teach them that the media's version of beauty was not healthy.
"My main goal is to have girls look at their bodies and say, 'I'm healthy, I'm happy and I'm me.' A lot of girls don't," she said.
You can read the entire article here. It is worth spending time to read it.
The pressure on people to fit into a pre-conceived mould is unrealistic. Should we not be praising people for things like kindness, courage and integrity? Maybe it is too much to expect that people look beyond the shell of a person, to see the real efforts and traits of that person.
Linking up, as usual with Where's My Glow?
and Life with Twins & A Drama Queen
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Near hear! This topic is everywhere at the moment! Even I have blogged it!
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