Self-Esteem & Body Image

As a youth, I always struggled with positive body image and poor self-esteem. It may have been due to rapid vertical growth and not enough horizontal growth or it could have been due to been a victim of bullying throughout grade school. Whatever caused it, I did not seem my self as attractive until university. My confidence in my abilities grew and how I saw myself in the mirror grew too. My parents always stood by me and helped me to see myself in a brighter light but to get out from under my childhood comfort zone is what really did it.

As a Camp Director, I see many girls come in through the gate as timid, shy, nervous wrecks, some with diagnosed eating disorders, some with disordered eating practices, and some with media pressured eating concerns.  Body image today is focused on by many professionals but unfortunately the media does nothing to help. Every take a critical look at a magazine - say Vogue? What do you see? Gaunt, skinny, pale models with nothing but a skeleton holding onto the clothes on their back. Is this what we want for our kids? Girls and boys? Are we crazy to keep buying these rags? Of course we are, but some how that market still wins.

Nedic, National Eating Disorder Information Center, is hosting its body image conference this year in Toronto, Ontario. If you know of anyone who is suffering from a problem or you hold a position of authority at a youth or adult organization, I recommend that you attend this wonderful program.  I truly believe that the more people who are educated, the better off we will all be.  Along with Nedic, Dove Self-Esteem Fund is helping to sponsor this two day conference. I currently use the Dove Self-Esteem Fund program to educate my staff and campers on body image issues that arise. No matter who I am teaching whether it is 22 year old staff or 9 year old campers, at least one person will admit to having a low self-esteem and/or disordered eating. It never fails, year after year I find myself sitting in my cabin having a dietary and confidence talk with at least one member of our community.  When they leave camp, though their disorder is never fully cured, they have a realization that they do have the ability to try new things and that people come in a range of shapes and sizes.

Help us help others by avoiding the purchase of fashion magazines and supporting the designers who choose to use skinny, gaunt models. Encourage these designers and models to promote healthy lifestyles.