I found this video on youtube, although I am sure many people have it seen way before now, I wanted to share it again.






My reason is, I am the mother to 4 beautiful girls. No matter how many times they are told by myself or others how beautiful they are they still struggle with their appearance. Alexis, my 12 year old came home from school the other day and told me a boy called her Anorexic??? Now why would a 6th grade boy say something like that? Is is because society has put so much emphasis on outward beauty? I have heard girls as young as 4 years old say they were fat....come on! What does a young child know about that? Nothing...at least in a perfect world. It is very disturbing to me as a woman and a mother to see the unrealistic standard that society has set for what "beautiful" is suppose to look like.

Rail thin, unhealthy models on runways across the country is what woman young and old are trying to look like. The reality that no one is bothering to share is that the bodies and faces that grace the covers of millions of magazines are not perfect...they are airbrushed and photo shopped to death. The real person behind the photos look nothing like that in real life.

Body image is not just how we perceive our own physical appearance, but how we think others perceive us as well. In our society, the emphasis has been placed on well-toned, picture-perfect bodies. We are assaulted with this message through advertising, entertainment, fashion and other means.

Body image distortion is something that can affect both males and females, although it is more commonly found in women. Many women feel the need to be as thin as those gracing the television, movie or fashion industry, and will often look at themselves as overweight whether they are or not. Men, on the other hand, want to be perfectly sculpted, with strong, muscular bodies. But in terms of distorted body image cases, men typically have a more realistic outlook on their current state. Even so, for both sexes, the desire to have the perfect body can often lead to dangerous eating disorders like anorexia or bulimia.

Encourage your kids to love themselves!! Self esteem is such a great gift! Lead by example....

www.campaingforrealbeauty.com