I may have mentioned before that I have decided to start using my blog as more of an outlet as well as an update of my life. Why separate the two? When both deal with the every day out comings of who I am and who I am becoming.
Last weekend I mentioned I went to a conference and loved it. One of the sessions I attended was a discussion on girls and body image. During the session I found myself looking around the room worried that people were staring at my "roll" and while she was talking about all the crazy crash diets she went on, I started to think that those things might work for me. Of course it is crazy and I would never do anything like only eating a grapefruit for every meal and working out for 5 hours a day, but the thoughts of becoming smaller and looking like a "model" always enter my mind.
I have never mentioned anything about body image before because it is always said to me that I can't have body image issues because I am not obese or overweight. I struggle with those comments because there are women of every size and age that experience body image difficulties. These days even 5 year olds are expressing that something makes them fat or they need to go on a diet. There are many speculations and ideas of how this is happening, but all that matters is that it is happening and if their thoughts are continued to be ignored they may grow up with more severe body image issues.
The reason why I decided to bring this up is because if anyone comes across this I want them to know that a lot of women can and do have body image issues, and it is okay to accept that and talk about it to someone who will listen. Recently I have wanted to start exercising and eating better. A lot of reasons is to just be healthier and feel better about myself and who I am. I would like to have a healthy life, and the exercise can help me with some of my stress. However, when I mention this to others they sometimes assume that I have an eating disorder or will create one. Some even assume that I don't enjoy what I am doing. I find this unfair. Yes, I have some issues with my body, but my reasons are not the same as someone else.
I think it has to be accepted that a women of any size can have problems with their body...if we choose to ignore it or blow it off as a woman looking for compliments it only fuels the fire for those who are truly struggling and asking for help or just trying to talk about it out loud to process what is going on. Sometimes a person just needs validation that what they are feeling is true and okay. They need a safe place to go and I encourage people to find that safe place and that safe person.
1 comment:
Amber - I always love your blogs and I really appreciate how open you are and honest. I think every girl is really down on their body weight. No matter what the size. Its hard because of the media and society. Its so sad that it starts so young at like 5 years old. I witnessed it back in like 1998 when I was working with kids. Its bad. And I remember being in like 5th grade and people calling me fat. And I look back at pictures of me then and I was such a cutie pie - Not chunky or fat at all. But it devestated me. I was just reading an article on Barbie dolls that sort of deals with this...
http://www.christian-mommies.com/ages/tweens-and-teenagers/poor-barbie/
Anyways, please don't think I have been ignoring your blogs. I do read them. I have just had major drama in my life for like 2 months now. So, I still love and adore you. And I still can't wait for us to catch up.
Carrie
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