This is my body image story…

I’d Really Appreciate Your Help with Something that’s VERY Important…

I’m writing a book and I NEED your stories to help parents and adults understand what to do and what NOT to do when it comes to girls and body image.  The more you share the more everybody benefits!

We all have stories from our childhood that are unforgettable, especially when they involve how we feel about our bodies and our self worth. Many of these “body image stories” involve events that we’ve held onto because they involve turning points, deep wounds, or profound AHA moments. We remember where we were, who we were with, and what was said.

Some stories are heart wrenching. I’ve heard many. They involve pain, ridicule, humiliation, teasing, and bullying. They happen in school–The teacher embarrassed you in front of the class because you were heavier than your other classmates. The gym teacher continually allowed you to be picked last even though he knew it got to you. The popular girls weren’t just mean, they were unforgiveable. They happen at home—Your parents told you they were taking you shopping but instead take you to weight watchers. Your siblings make jokes about your weight, size, or clothes. Your grandparents give you diet meals for your birthday or call you Roley Poley because they think it’s cute and funny. Or perhaps you, yourself, constantly say negative things about yourself and your looks, and have been on countless diets or have done countless surgeries to try to change your looks—and one time something really bad happened.

Others are heartwarming. They involve parents, teachers, and friends who say something inspirational that make us remember to love “the skin we’re in.” They show us and tell us we’re beautiful no matter what our size. They don’t let us hide—they build us up and make holes in what the media calls “ideal.” Who or what gave you the inner confidence to say and KNOW that you’re attractive, worthy, and amazing no matter what the Hollywood tried to tell us about looks? These stories may simply involve our own inner voice that reminds us that there is more than one kind of beautiful and real beauty comes in all shapes and sizes. Those are the stories we can all learn from each day. They are the stories that allow us to inspire parents to know what to do and what to say to a child who doesn’t fit today’s supermodel ideal.

Please share YOUR STORY so that we can all learn and grow. Let’s hear the good, the bad, the ugly and the beautiful…

Why all the hype over Mary Kate Olsen?

I know Mary Kate Olsen has been a favorite “thinspiration” model for so many hopeful wannarexics and pro-ana girls but I really don’t get it. Could someone please explain the fascination with this girl and her body? Can one get any thinner?  Or is that the point?

If you want to talk about thinness in America, this girl pops up everywhere. Girls comment on her bones, her style, her slight figure, and how much they want to look and be like her.  Huh?

I think I might die of excitement. Mary-Kate Olsen is on the March 2009 cover of Canadian Fashion magazine-– Mary Kate fansite

Mary kate olsen is my biggerst (or should i say smallest) thinspiration! whenever i feel like giving up and eating, i look at a picture of mary kate and realise that it is possible to look that good! She proofs that it is worth it!!– Pretty thin site

Is this really what girls want to look like?

Lord, help us all. Is this what obesity obsession has done to us?

What’s your weight secret?

Dr. Robyn Silverman

I’ve been talking to some women and girls lately about their “weight secret.” It started because, even though they say they were outraged by the flack Jessica Simpson is receiving over her recent weight gain, some say that would like to be thinner.

Here are a few of the latest weight secrets:

(1) “There are these girls in school who weigh, like, 85 pounds and my friends constantly say that they look like thy could just blow away. My weight secret is that if I could trade places with one of them, I’d do it.” — Jen, age 14

(2) “My friends talk about the Olsen twins like they’re gods. I don’t say anything but I think they look gross. Of course, this doesn’t mean that I wouldn’t mind being admired like them. ” Jackie, age 15

(3) “I tell people that I don’t give a crap what I look like but I look at every single part of my body at night and try to figure out how to make it look better.” –Dannie, age 13

What’s your weight secret?