Discussion about girls and body image

[nunheadmum]

I think the gossip magazines are a big influence. I'd say that if you don't want your kids to get the message, don't buy the magazines that pedal it to get their readers! If you're interested in that kind of thing, you can't really blame the kids for picking up on the messages. And if you hide them, you'll only make them more desireable.

It all comes down to living the messages that we want our kids to get. And that can be hard at times as let's face it, the bad things are usually more attractive!

[gwod]

Dont be too alarmed though Fuschia, all four of my girls went through this stage when they were 4 or 5, It's when they start doing nutrition at school and messages about healthy foods and fatty foods are difficult for them to process. One of mine came home thinking cheese was bad because it was in the high fat section of the foodgroups. The fact that you are addressing her attitude to weight and fatness seriously as it arises can only be a good thing, probably even better than it not arising until she is a teen.

The words diet and fat are all over the place, and not always in an avoidable glossy mag context. My husband had to adjust his diet for medical reasons, our cat had to go on a diet, our younger babies were chubby and the older ones were outraged on their behalf when adults pointed it out - its important that we dont react too alarmingly when these flashwords come up - at 4 and 5 the kids are exploring which words have power what they really mean, which ones are loaded, and how to use them.

[treehugger]

For older girls (rather than the four year olds) the Olympics has created fantastic role models. Females who are applauded for the strength and capabilities of their bodies, their determination and their focus. This comapres so well to vacuous celebrities whose only value to the trashy magazines that cover them are their increasing/decreasing weight. It's important that we continue to use these role models to imspire our children. And it doesn't have to be team sports - what teenage girsl wouldn't enjoy zumba for example?

[MGolden]

Jessie Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> And not just a worry for girls. My 7 Yo boy is

> convinced he's fat.

I have two boys both of whom are sports mad and very very active but both worry about their weight at times. But they worry more about eating a healthy diet - like you Fuschia I tell them that a bit of unhealthy food does no one any harm occasionally. Everything in moderation. I think we have a society that encourages our children to obsess about weight and appearance.