No wonder girls have such incorrect views on weight!

Happy October!

I hope this Month finds you well...looking forward to Thanksgiving and you are enjoying the lovely cooler, colourful days!

I must admit...mine is a bit of a 'shake your head' post today....I mean: I KNOW gossip magazines are really just that: gossip....but one article I was reading while slogging away on my cardio machine today at a gazillion miles per hour (perhaps slightly embellished) had my head spinning - and yes....I'm going off on a tangent here...but the ONLY time I resort to gossip magazines is to help me thru my cardio workout.

So...what article had me enraged? It was about poor old Jessica Simpson. Now..she isn't necessarily a public figure I overly admire....but she's cute...going thru life doing what works for her...and earning herself a few mansions along the way to put it mildly! We all know I would think that she recently gave birth to a baby...and now she is going through the challenge most of us have been through, of losing that darned baby-weight (personally...I often joke that nearly 16 years later, I'm still losing mine, lol!). Yes...she's become the latest Star to be the weight watchers spokesperson (I ask you: WHEN will WW use 'real' women?!). This has therefore put the poor is it chicken or is it fish? Star in the weight limelight. And here...finally...we get to my anger. The article centred around comments which people are saying about how large she is...how she resembles some wild animal and how she is a disgrace. I honestly had to pull myself back on my machine I was SO floored!

I have many questions (one of them being...did In Touch really have to put out such a nasty article?) and here are some of them.....and they keep growing:

Why do people focus so much on weight gain when it's a new Mom - or at all?
What gives these people the right or authority to pick holes in her?
Are these people fit, (doubt it), strong (can't imagine so), happy (nooooo way!!), successful (no comment) people who are full of authority? And if they were...they still would never have this 'authority' to judge?
Do these people have Mothers, Sisters, Wives or God forbid - Daughters of their own?
What message goes out there when someone is so slayed verbally for their weight, their image???

These are just a few of my questions.....

This is a new Mother going thru the challenges that come along with that in itself...she is being healthy, and is doing all of this in the public eye. For others to be so nasty...and to re-emphasize this terrible Issue that is out there with weight, image and mainly females..is just ludicrous. We all know daughters, nieces, friends of children who are lacking self-confidence. These girls STILL have this subject totally screwed up due to articles written like this...or tv shows with actresses who are 'perfect' and models who resemble sticks. No wonder they all wish to be thin, tiny, perfect. I s'pose the nasty kids (girls and boys) who bully the more overweight kids are the ones who grow up to sit down and take the time to write nasty comments about people. What's going to end this?

If you haven't watched Miss-Independence...the film which highlights all if these issues and more...watch it. Better yet get every male you know to do so too..take it to your schools. Talk to your kids about self image, self respect, empathy and respect of others. 

I had a female, young relative recently tell me all the girls (regardless of height, body shape, etc etc) want to be 120 pounds...even worse was they don't eat protein - COZ THEY DON'T WANT TO BE FAT!! I ask again...what's going on?

What can we do to rectify this? Hasn't anyone heard strong is the new sexy? If only these girls 'got it' while young that to be toned, fit, strong...makes you feel soooooo good! And...believe it or not...you get compliments! Your inner strength and confidence soars!

I still go back to these awful people making those comments about Jessica: somehow I don't believe 'winners', positive thinkers, great role models or self-fulfilled, HAPPY people would resort to this. Which..perhaps if they were more active and felt more confident in themselves, they would be making successes of themselves...instead of pulling others down.

Talk to your children.....educate your Daughters (no!!! 1000 calories a day is NOT enough!!!), get them fit...make them feel empowered and help the next generation realize its not about weight...it's how you feel inside..it's about being strong, healthy, happy and understanding that the sticks we see in Hollywood aren't right...the 'real' people such as Jessica are more like us and we can't fault someone for baby fat!

SHINE On...and help a young girl get the right message....