Tag Archives: body image

Learning to Love Your Body

We all know that motherhood comes with a price. Your body goes through a remarkable transformation as it prepares to grow another human being. If you are like most of us, you probably have a few battle scars to show for it. I’ve gotten used to my tiger stripes, but I still struggle with my post-pregnancy body. It’s been almost 5 years since I had Logan and I’m still not to my pre-pregnancy weight. I envy my friends who walk out of the hospital looking like a model in their size 2 jeans again. When I left the hospital I … Continue reading →

Do You Feel Beautiful When You Are Pregnant?

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Over the past few years, as many of my friends have gotten pregnant and had their own families, I’ve gotten to witness a wide variety of reactions to the changes that happen to a pregnant woman’s body. Some women embrace their new curves and flaunt them with fitted maternity clothes. These are the same women who eagerly take photos of their growing belly every week. Some avoid wearing maternity clothes until the last minute, wincing at their growing reflection in the mirror. You’ll be lucky to see their baby belly in their profile picture. Some hardly think twice about what … Continue reading →

Female Stars and Body Image

Don’t call actress Raven Symone fat. The TV star says she prefers to be considered “thick and fabulous.” Symone recently spoke out about her full figure during a Dove-sponsored self-esteem workshop specially designed for 11- and 12-year-old girls. The former “That’s So Raven” star’s goal at the New Jersey event was to boost the confidence levels of her young fans. The 23-year-old actress-singer, who’s been working on her fifth album, says she wants young girls to work on building their self-esteem and the reason she makes public appearances is to give them tools to defend themselves against “haters.” The former … Continue reading →

Do You Really Need to Lose Weight?

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You’ve met those people with overblown egos, right? Well, some of us have overblown self images too, the bad kind. Some of us have been focusing on that last five pounds for so many years that we don’t even realize that we just aren’t overweight. All too often, we compare ourselves with the emaciated models and celebrities we see in popular magazines and that skews our own reality of what is and is not overweight. Well, it is time we all had a reality check! The easiest way to see if you are actually overweight is to check your Body … Continue reading →

Body Image And Our Kids

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When I think about eating disorders, I think of teens and young women. The thought that elementary-aged kids are calling themselves fat, wanting to go on diets and counting grams of fat is something that I wasn’t aware of. Then yesterday I read a report that says eating disorders are no longer the domain of teens and young women. To say that I was disturbed would be an understatement. The report stated that preschool (!) girls are telling their moms they want to go on diets and six-year-old children are being diagnosed with anorexia. How sad that our young kids … Continue reading →

Helping A Person With Body Image Issues

Sometimes, it’s easier to see problems in our friends and family than it is to see them in ourselves. If you have a friend or loved one with a body image problem, there are a lot of things you can do to help. Watch for the warning signs of a serious body image problem. If a person is spending an hour a day (or more) talking about his “flaws”, that’s a major indicator of a serious problem. Also watch for a person changing their normal routine because of a supposed “flaw” — like a person who won’t go out for … Continue reading →

Boost Your Self Image

As many as six million people around the world may have what’s called BDD: body dysmorphic disorder. A person may be so preoccupied with perceived flaws in their appearance that it becomes an obsession and interferes with their daily lives. Even if your body image isn’t that bad, it may not be that good, either. Experts believe that up to eighty percent of all women are unhappy with their appearance in some way! Ready for a self image boost? Stop making up critical thoughts for other people. That lady you saw in the food store who looked at you and … Continue reading →

Ten Ways To Celebrate National Eating Disorder Awareness Week

Sign the Declaration of Independence from a Weight Obsessed World from the National Eating Disorders Association. Free yourself from the three Ds: Dieting, Drive for Thinness, and Dissatisfaction with your Body. Avoid making comments about body size or shape — for yourself and for other people! A person’s value is not determined by size or shape. Donate clothes that no longer fit comfortably to a local charity. Donate jeans that don’t fit comfortably to the Great Jeans Giveaway. Someone else will appreciate the gift of clothes, and you won’t have to feel bad about clothes that don’t fit. Start every … Continue reading →

National Eating Disorder Awareness Week

This week is National Eating Disorder Awareness Week. There are lots of ways you can get involved for the twentieth year of NEDAW! Be comfortable in your genes. Wear jeans that fit the REAL you. That’s the slogan for the Great Jeans Giveaway, an annual part of National Eating Disorder Awareness Week. Struggling against your natural (and genetically influenced) body size and shape can lead to unhealthy eating, poor body image, and sometimes serious eating disorders. NEDAW encourages you to donate old or new jeans that don’t comfortably fit and stick to the jeans that fit and make you feel … Continue reading →

Tyra’s New Body Image Campaign

In a previous blog I addressed former supermodel Tyra Banks’ recent weight gain. In a follow up blog I wrote about how the current talk-show host used her show as a platform to lash out at tabloid editors who dubbed her “Tyra Porkchop” and “America’s Next Top Waddle.” Did you see the show? I watched her rip into her critics and couldn’t help but cheer her on, though I did so in the confines of my own living room. Apparently, there were others out there that took their support for Tyra’s message a bit further. Producers of “The Tyra Banks … Continue reading →