Monday, August 8, 2011

**Day 220**

This article is so disturbing:


http://www.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/08/08/tweens.anorexia.parenting/index.html?eref=mrss_igoogle_cnn

But, sadly, I'm really not that shocked by it.  I remember the summer before my 4th grade year I started thinking I was fat.  I started puberty very early (started having to wear a bra at 9 years old, got my period at 10!) and put on a little weight - I was never a skinny kid, so the weight gain made me look chunky, and I knew it.  I was a competitive swimmer, but I felt I needed more exercise, and I remember I would do jumping jacks in my room at night when I was suppose to be in bed because I wanted to lose weight.  I didn't like my body, at all, and 30 years later I'm still dealing with this issue, but I know I need to set a better example for my girls.  And I need to pay attention to what they are looking at and listening to and how they are feeling about themselves, so they won't have to deal with the issues mentioned in the article.  I just want my girls to love themselves as they are - always!  But with living in the kind of world we live in I wonder if it's realistic to think that they can, or will.
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4 comments:

  1. AnonymousAugust 9, 2011 at 1:35 PM

    I also have a daughter, and part of me trying to lose some extra pounds and get myself healthy is so I can be a positive example for her. Girls these days have such poor examples of healthy, not to mention poor and unrealistic visions of beauty and weight. As a mom, I know I need to be the positive example in her life.

    Thanks for posting that article.
    Scarly from www.thinskinnedgirl.blogspot.com

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  2. ShannonAugust 9, 2011 at 6:32 PM

    Hi, Scarly. My eldest daughter is almost 11, and she has complained about feeling too fat. It's heartbreaking! I'm doing my best to get her through those feelings, and I do see a difference - thank goodness! But I know I'll always have to stay on top of it!

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  3. RochelleAugust 10, 2011 at 10:22 AM

    This is so sad - I had a very good friend that turned anorexic after her family (gasp!) made fun of her size.....it's a scary thing to watch someone waste away. Thanks for the post. I don't have children of my own, but I do have a 7 year old niece for whom I want to be a role model. It is scary to think that she is old enough to be possibly dealing with these issues too...
    http://buttfatblog.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  4. ShannonAugust 10, 2011 at 10:16 PM

    Hi, Rochelle. I can't imagine having to watch a loved one suffer from an eating disorder - that had to be very hard for you to watch. I hope your friend recovered.

    ReplyDelete

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