My Body

My body and I have had a love hate relationship over the past few years. I blame myself for all the hate. I have used my body to protest eating disorders. I know, I know…not one of my smartest ideas. I have seen so many people I love relate there worth based on how they look. In high school it was always a strive to be skinny with the “in” crowd. Even at that point there are girls facing huge issues with body image and what the media gives us as “pretty”.

I hate this, to the very core of my being I hate this. I hate it because its not realistic. I hate it because beauty comes in many forms. No one can be a duplicate of what we see as beauty nor should anyone want to be a duplicate. Everyone holds something special in who they are.

Now this brings me to living a healthy lifestyle. In the past I have even stayed away from that. I never ever want to worry about my body like I have seen people who are trying to keep at a certain size. I hate the idea of diets. I was on one at 17. I have seen my family go through diets. I have seen people addicted to working out and keeping in shape. I am nervous that my mentality will change and I will become addicted to staying in shape.

In the end I know this is only hurting me. The way that I have chosen to protest isn’t doing anything but hurting me. So here is the new game plan. Take care of myself so I can include that in whatever I pass onto teens in the future. Monitor what stereotypes I let in. Don’t listen to “guy talk” because most of the time that is not how they really feel. Learn to live for me and realize that I can’t control what others do and they have a eating disorder showing them how to eat with my body does nothing.

Dear Media,
I you are starting to come around in some areas but I would love it if you stopped creating an image that is impossible to attain. That image may be fake but it affects real people every day. Thank you to dove for starting the True Beauty project. We need more companies like you doing something so powerful.
Jenn