You and I, and other women, also have other needs in order to feel acceptable and lovely, and self-esteem in a high need.
Over in the States at the moment there is a campaign by the name of Strong 4Life which promotes a healthy life style for kids. However .......
One of the ads that I've been sent shows a little girl who is, yes, plump. But she is not obese.
The photo shows a little girl who isn't overly happy. And I suspect it's not her size that makes her unhappy, it's the inappropriate attitude shown towards her by people all around her. I speak from experience; and I have photos taken during my childhood where I had the same facial expression. I was not only unhappy but I was desperately so. This sort of recent campaign does absolutely nothing to a vulnerable little girl who looks at the picture and then tells herself she has to diet in order to become acceptable. Most of us who are plus size have all been subjected to teasing and bullying not only during our childhood but adulthood too and we travelled the heart-wrenching diet journey that did nothing for our self-esteem or our weight. Telling a person they're fat as though it's the most horrible thing in the world will never affect a healthy feeling of self-worth or a healthy body and mind.
Attitudes and behaviour like this by others constitutes:
(a) abuse (visual, verbal and emotional),
(b) bullying and discrimination
(c) a lack of kindness and
(d) a lack of respect.
We all deserve respect, and children definitely need it. How can a little girl have a healthy self-esteem if it is inferred in advertisements such as this, that she is "unacceptable". Our kids need our encouragement and simple guidelines to follow in their lifestyle and to gain a healthy personal self-respect.
I've written about Marilyn Wann many times in my newsletters, and I've discovered that she is collecting photographs of girls (and boys) and women (and men) who all promote the "I Stand for ....." ideal. And I'd like to include one of her posters here (copyright to Marilyn Wann, of course). I love this photo - it shows someone who is cheeky, who is confident and someone who knows she is worthwhile and she intends the world to know it too!
The title of this blog is "we love beautiful clothes ......, and we love........."
What we are saying is:
"we love beautiful clothes ......
and we love beautiful people .......
no matter what age, size or shape"©
(Some of my followers may think this is a step away from my NoteBook© guidelines, but I feel strongly that this particular campaign, which I have no doubt will spread to other countries including Australia, should be confronted full-on. We also need professional to stand up on our behalf - those people who deal with us and treat us and who appreciate us for who we are. People who accept clients of all ages and all sizes and shapes. Those nutritionists, psychologists and those in the medical and health industries who deal with us and treat us and who accept that we're not all meant to be a size zero. Those professionals who in fact promote the theory that plus size people can be healthy.)
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