Barely Moving

This evening I had an experience I wanted to share with you readers. A few weeks ago I read an article that said women who tend to read magazine articles, especially fitness and fashion magazines, have increased rates of body dismorphia as well as increased rates of eating disorders. I have always thought this. It makes sense right? The more one sees unrealistic images of women, the more one feels they must look that same way.

So there I was, at the gym doing some cardio. I looked over my right shoulder and saw the thinnest girl I have seen in a long time. She looked liked the little engine that could as she pushed herself on the elliptical machine. Her rib cage stuck out as if she were a skeleton. Her hair was dull and lacked color. Her thighs were trying so hard to push the pedals further. Clearly, she was struggling. She was pushing herself past the point of health and onto boarder-line death. I can not explain to you how much my heart hurt for her. Any without fail, there she was flipping through a fashion magazine as she exercised herself to death. I could see every vein in her arms. She had no muscle; she could not lift weights even if she wanted to. This young girl worked off the nutrients she so very much needed. All I could think about was the magazine she was holding. I wanted to yell out, STOP! Those women, in that ad are not real. They actually do have cellulite and stomach roles when they sit down. You will never be like them because they do not exist in real life...real life...the one you will lose if you continue to hurt yourself like this! 

In Europe, cigarette boxes come with warnings on them that get the message across that the product will kill you. Magazines should do the same if they insist on publishing underweight models.

I stumbled across an interesting blog this evening. blog.FABRICA

Check this out. The latest post gives praise to acclaimed photographer, Lauren Greenfield's work on eating disorders. The film is called THIN.

Click it, check it out! Greenfield's work is amazing. I encourage you to read up on her. Make sure you check out Girl Culture as well. The way she sees the life of young women, through her own lens, is outstanding. Her work is breathtaking and powerful.

"I count him braver who overcomes his desires than him who conquers his enemies; for the hardest victory is over self."
-Aristotle

If you don't stand for something you might fall for anything.

Carry Their Burden

"Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier."

-Mother Teresa

Sometimes I feel I have become numb to the way media portray women. Sometimes, as I’m sure many women do, I find myself overwhelmed by the images I am constantly bombarded with. I turn on the T.V. and there’s America’s Next Top Model. I stand in line at the store, and there is Kate Moss on the cover of Vogue. I turn my radio on and all I hear are plastic surgery ads. Granted, living in Orange County California does not help! But there are moments, I find myself surrendering. I say to myself, I will never look like that and I start to hate myself for it. I begin to think that because I don’t look like these frail women with flawless skin, I am not good enough. How pathetic.
How has society allowed this to get to this point?

Really, the entire subject can be so exhausting. I have friends who have lost many nights of sleep stressing about how fat they looked in a picture. There comes a moment, and I hope you find it soon, just as I have, when you can no longer fight the battle. You begin to accept yourself for the way you are, not the way you wished you were. I hope and I pray you find this acceptance. Otherwise you will wear yourself down and waste precious moments of your life.

As I mentioned from the start, I am an avid magazine reader. I love them. But I have come to a point in my life where I can be grateful, thankful and appreciative of the body I have. I look at these magazine ads and admire the perfection of these women, but I know it is a picture of desire, not reality. I guess as you get older reality becomes more attractive than desire.
As adult women we need to realize that young girls carry this burden of perfection on a daily basis. As mothers, you need to do everything in your power to instill POSITIVE reinforcement in your daughter’s life. Different is beautiful and we must stress that in everyway possible. Girls are going to face advertisement after advertisement. They are fighting to fit in, fighting to be liked, loved and accepted, and fighting to be attractive in the eyes of their peers. Understand how heavy that burden is.
Because most of us are older women, removed from adolescence, it’s hard to relive the pressures, but I assure you they are OVERWHELMING.

The Dove Campaign for Real Beauty has an amazing website for self-esteem. It’s called the Girls Only Interactive Self Esteem Zone. Check it out. The video wont post in this blog post for some reason. However I have posted the link for it below. It's called Amy

Amy

-Kate

Love Those Freckels

Love Those Freckels Ladies

If you do nothing else today, turn to a women in your life, your daughter, your mother, your niece, sister...it doesn't matter who. It could be a complete stranger. Turn to that woman and admire something about her physical appearance. Next time you look into the mirror, stop before you criticize yourself. Don't lift up your shirt and look at your stomach. Don't turn to see if your butt got bigger. Don't suck in your gut. Look at yourself, praise yourself, be thankful for all that you have, all that you've achieved, all that you can accomplish. Self-love will create a feeling of beauty stronger than any diet pill. Surround yourself with positive images. Instead of hanging the size zero model on you fridge, hang this picture. Monitor the images you take in, the time you spend critiquing yourself and the manner in which you do so. Stay positive. -Enjoy who you are.

Killer Body

Time and time again, women are targeted by the fashion world to be thin...thinner...the thinnest. But at what price?

Nike ad: If You Let Me Play (1995)

This video is an excellent example of why you should get your daughters involved in sports.

I am not my hair
I am not this skin
I am not your expectations no no
I am not my hair
I am not this skin
I am a soul that lives within
-India.Arie.

Make Me Who I Should Be

Hello Adoring Bloggers,

The film below is one of the first ones featured by the Dove Campaign for Real Beauty and I guarantee it will amaze you. So enjoy!







I have recently discovered a new favorite magazine of mine. REDBOOK
I can't explain how impressed I am with it. I picked up October's issue last week and as I was flipping through it, I saw advertisement after advertisement that reinforced positive self-image for women. The magazine has a realistic, womanly feel to it. The women in this magazine look healthy. What a great feeling!! Pick up a copy!!!

They have plus size model advertisements!! [Gasp!]
They have a page titled "What to Do This Month," filled with great books to read, inspirational movies to see, and great music to listen to. It's not all about weight loss and make-up application. Shocked aren't you?!?!?
Are you ready for the real shocker? They even advertise Milano cookies!!!!
Dove advertises for its hair care line, stating "Make yours the hair you love." Wonderful right? And believe it or not, the woman on the page could be you or me!!! Excellent!
It also features great ads by Curvation, Playtex, and Got Milk. So props to Editor-in-Chief, Stacy Morrison and Hearst Corp. for putting out such an amazing magazine!!! Well done!!

Here's the Got Milk ad.

"I really do believe that every one of us can change the world. If enough people do this, we will change the face of the planet."

a Dove film - Girl's self-esteem

The first time I watched this film, I cried. The second time I watched this film, I cried. Even today, I cry. Please, allow this film to hit home. Allow it to pull at your heart strings. For a moment, imagine what it's like to grow up in a world dominated by the message that you are not good enough.


The most important point I will make throughout this blog is as follows:
GET YOUR DAUGHTER INVOLVED IN A SPORT.
Sports have SO MUCH VALUE!!!!! I can not stress this enough. All my life I have been a soccer player. Through coaching and competing, I have learned the value of my body and my health. I have learned that my size is a beautiful thing. That my height (5'8) is a powerful asset to my life. I have learned the importance of proper nutrition, before and after competition. Throughout the crucial development years of my life, I was surrounded by a team, a peer group that did not define themselves by their weight, their wealth, or their popularity. Instead, we were young women who defined ourselves by how fast we could run, how many passes we could make, and how well we could get up when we were knocked down.
But be warned, some sports are good for your self-esteem, others, the ones that require you to be a certain image or weight, can be damaging. Take dancing or gymnastics for instance. These sports, although beautiful and very challenging, create an environment that constantly stresses thinness. These athletes are constantly being judged on their appearance and without strong, positive self-image, young girls may develop body dysmorphic disorder.
I'm not saying steer away from these sports, (because honestly, if I could go back and do it all over again, I would be a dancer!) I am saying proceed with caution. If you do get your daughter involved in any type of competition that is constantly critiquing appearance, make sure their self-image is in check.

I wish to persuade women to endeavor to acquire strength both mind and body.
-Mary Wollstonecraft, 1792

Without athletics, young women have nothing more to admire than the front pages of fashion magazines and the latest reality television show. Sports offer a way for girls to endure the obstacles of adolescence in a much more positive and healthy way. Girls in sports are often emotionally healthy. They see their bodies as functional tools rather than just eye candy. Their size represents an advantage and is something to take pride in. Athletic training teaches young women how to maintain discipline, which overflows into all areas of their lives. They learn to win and to lose, both graciously. Through sports young girls learn to handle stress and pressure while cooperating with other individuals.

“If people found us attractive, great, but more important we were natural, we were down to earth, we were just like every girl in the stands watching…We were proud of our accomplishments and our muscles, and people were drawn to that.” -Julie Foudy, former 1999 Women’s World Cup Champion.

Also, I recommend the following books for more on this topic.
Built to Win By: Leslie Heywood and Shari L. Dworkin
Raising Our Athletic Daughters By: Jean Zimmerman and Gil Reavill

Your Thoughts Become Your Words, Your Words Become Your Actions

If we begin to teach girls, at a young age, the value of loving themselves, I truly believe we can significantly lower eating disorder rates. According to About.com and the University of Maryland Medical Center, over the past 40 years, anorexia incidences in young women have tripled (University of Maryland Medical Center, 2004).

As mothers, big sisters, female educators, an all women alike, take a moment to recognize the next time you ridicule a certain part of your body. Are you in front of your daughter? Your niece? Your girlfriend? We have to start to realize that our thoughts become our words, our words become our actions, and our actions greatly affect those who look up to us.

Let’s talk health. I am a true believer in good health. So, as much as I preach about loving yourself, love handles and all, I will also stress proper health and I feel this message should be relayed to any and all young women possible. Fitness is important, not to be able to fit in a size two pair of jeans, but because the longer you live, the more positive impact you can have on this world. So if you do it for nothing else, do it for the fact that the more years you are here, the more you leave behind. I am NOT talking body building, six-pack abs, cut arms and zero percent body fat. I am talking about having a healthy heart, good blood pressure, low cholesterol. I am talking about being able to enjoy the simple and beautiful pleasure in life. Be healthy enough to take a walk around your neighborhood, enough to play with your children in the yard, healthy enough to feel good. FEEL GOOD. These are the simple joys in life and health, no matter how much you shouldn’t obsess about it, should be a priority for you. Staying healthy is one of the strongest ways to show self-love and it is the easiest way to build confidence.

For women, confidence can do a number of important things. Loving yourself first allows you to love others better. In the October issue of REDBOOK magazine there is an amazing story on domestic violence. I will be the first to say that instilling confidence and positive self-image in women can help prevent domestic violence. Confidence could save your life. Allow me to explain. (Please do not interpret this as, any woman in an abusive relationship has low self-confidence) A woman who loves who she is and values her body, her life, and her existence, is not going to allow a man into her life who doesn’t value her body, her life and her existence. It’s as simple as that. If you love yourself first, you aren’t going to stick around with anyone who doesn’t at least match that love; if not love you even more. So teach your daughters to love who they are, what they have offer this world, and what they have the potential to become. In doing this, you are preventing the very thing that leads three U.S. women to be killed by current or former partners every day.

"If you aren't good at loving yourself, you will have a difficult time loving anyone, since you'll resent the time and energy you give another person that you aren't even giving to yourself."

-Barbara De Angelis

I'LL FIT INTO THESE JEANS IF IT KILLS ME...and it will.

2 Uruguayan Sisters, Both Models, Die

Ana Carolina Reston.
Only 21 years old. "Take care for your children because their loss is irreparable," Reston's mother..."

Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Ford Models

Questions answered by Ford Models President John Caplan.

Q: Why do Ford and other agencies put commercial interests above the health of teenage models? Why encourage a fifteen year-old girl to diet down to a size zero when, as an adult, you know that such behavior is unhealthy, even dangerous? Do you think that adults should take some responsibility for the choices made by kids, and that it is irresponsible to encourage teenage models to over-diet?

A: Parents, teachers, agents, and clients all share responsibility for the health and well-being of models, particularly those that are underage. Ford doesn’t ever encourage models to “diet down to size zero.” That’s just not how Ford works.

This is just one of the questions asked..."That’s just not how Ford works." Then how exactly does Ford work? I say to you John Caplan, give me a list of the sizes of Ford's models and we'll see what models are dieting down to. Where's the real beauty?

Susan!

Continue to push youself to be healthy, mind, body and spirit. Health does not mean no body fat. Health is a complex idea, filled with emotional soundness and confidence. Do not be fooled by the media's definition of health.

For more and great information on the these topics, I can not stress enough how wonderful DOVE is. Go, explore, learn. Whether you are a young girl yourself, or a mother looking for answers, THE DOVE CAMPAIGN FOR REAL BEAUTY, is where you need to be. Get involved. Take a stand.

"People who say 'Yes' to life, there's something attractive about them, no matter what shape or age. It's a shame that Hollywood is responsible for handing down a certain, very limited version of what's attractive."

— Susan Sarandon

Thank you Maya

I love to see a young girl go out and grab the world by the lapels. Life's a bitch. You've got to go out and kick ass.

-Maya Angelou

I LOVE this quote.

I know it is a bit, in-your-face, but it holds so much power!!! Let me also mention that Dr. Angelou is one of my heroes. Her spirit is simply intoxicating.

This is my second post for today, because I didn't feel I gave you enough in the previous one.

According to Women's Realities, Women's Choices by Hunter College Women's Studies Collective, the conclusion found on women being whole is as follows:

"Women should not be reduced to the subordinate member of a relationship (wife x, mother y, secretary z) or a body part (breast, uterus, legs). This complex process implies, to many, a radical rethinking of what human beings are and what their society has made of them." page 43.

As raging-feminist as this sounds, I would not consider myself, by any means, a raging feminist. (Even though my brothers joke I am. Their theory is you shouldn't trust anything that bleeds for a week and doesn't die.) However, I strongly believe that todays women have more advantages, education and resources available to them than ever before. I believe that slowly women are redefining what leadership means in this country. Take Oprah Winfrey and Hillary Clinton for example, both are excellent examples of the way women are redefining our society. So we have no choice but to continue forward.
In my mind, forward is the Dove campaign. Forward involves schools across America implementing classes that teach the importance of self worth, confidence and positive body image. I feel this is as important as any health class (where teachers just beat around the bush when it comes unprotected, premarital sex, avoid STD talks, and never bring up oral sex, but that's an entire different subject). Courses that teach the importance of loving yourself should become a necessary part of education. So let's start a nation wide program called "Jane Doe" and make it a mandatory course, because let's face it, that's a parents job, but not everyone with kids is ready to be a parent. So let's do it!


Ok, that's all I have for today. I hope you are enjoying this, let me know your thoughts. I love to hear new ideas, stories of young girls, new good and bad advertisements and any magazines you feel are pushing the right idea as far as body image goes.

Goodnight and God Bless.
-Kate

Dove Onslaught

Please, Please, Please...watch this video. Dove has hit the nail on the head with this one. It is this type of campaign that really bring the message home. I would hate to hit you readers with all the good stuff right at the beginning, but this video is the latest from the Dove campaign for REAL beauty and it honestly took my breath away. It is creative, beautiful and the most realistic advertisement out there. So please, enjoy and think about what this means for the future women of our country.