Body shaming definition: Body shaming to me is when someone makes you feel about 2 feet tall and makes you hate your body. Body shaming is where someone makes comments about the way you look or makes comments about your body that make you feel terrible about yourself. Most time adults (usually, and normally directed towards young women) that "body shame" others, don't really understand what they were doing. They think that comments such as "you'd be so much prettier if you were skinnier" are motivation to loose weight, but instead those comments tear people down. This needs to be changed! A healthy body, and a healthy mind are connected!
The reason for this blog post:
I was out and about in public the other day, and I witnessed a mother making comments to her pre-teen daughter about her body. This mother basically called her pre-teen daughter fat. Which infurates me! This girl was no older than about 11 or 12. Yes, this girl was overweight for her age, but that's not the point. In my opinion, children, teenagers, women, men, boys, of all ages should be made to feel wonderful and beautiful no matter their size. My other issue is that yes, the girl that was the victim of body shaming, was overweight, but body shaming her is not the answer. If this mother continues to cut down her daughter and make comments about her size, that is not going to help, its only going to drive her to make more unhealthy choices! This girl is at one of the most important times in her life. That girl is at the age where she is learning about herself and who she wants to me. Kids these days are even meaner than they were when I was pre-teen. I am almost positive that if she is being picked on by her mother, kids at school are picking on her as well. She is just starting to make her mark on the world, and she shouldn't have to do it feeling bad about herself or her body!
My solution: Instead of cutting this girl down and making her feel bad about herself and her body, lets build this girl up! Why can't we give her positive attention and teach her healthy eating habits and teach her how to have a healthy lifestyle. Let's teach kids to be active, and find fun things to do to where they get physical activity and exercise. Let's teach them & love them. I can't help but wonder if this girl that I saw is overweight due to the emotions from the way her mother treats her. Lets Love on kids and teens and teach them to have healthy lifestyles rather than cutting them down and making them feel bad about their bodies. Lets treat them in a way that gives them confidence about themselves and their bodies. Adults need this too. Always remember Psalm 139:14 :I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
Last two major points:
1) Adults: lets remember that our bodies are a temple, so lets treat it as such. We should be the example for kids. We are constantly watched in this day and age with social media everywhere. If we try to make better choices and those watching us see it, then maybe they will be encourage to make better choices too!
2) God made you the way you are for a reason, but its ok to make healthy changes, but always remember he made you the way you are for a reason. If you want to make changes, do it for yourself, not for others.
Thank you for reading my rant!
