I’d Appreciate It if You Would Shut Up (because I’m trying to raise children with a healthy body image)

“I’m sick of being fat” is what she said. I knew she meant ‘I’m sick of feeling like crap’. You know the feeling – no energy, short of breath, can’t keep up with the kids kind of crap. But that’s not what she said. What she said was ‘I’m sick of being fat”.

Fat is essential for the body. It’s essential for survival. The fat in your body helps regulate and maintain body temperature. Fat is an important source of energy. It also helps your body to absorb nutrients such as fat-soluble vitamins. Without fat our bodies wouldn’t be able to absorb certain nutrients and they would exit our bodies without ever entering our bloodstream.

Having fat in your body is a good thing.

I understand in this weight-obsessed society we have come to equate the word fat with overweight and unhealthy.

People come in all shapes and sizes and I want my children to know this. Just because someone looks a certain way (that the media has deemed undesirable) doesn’t mean they are unhappy or unhealthy.

I don’t want my girls to grow up to feel ashamed of what they look like or what the scale tells them. I don’t want them counting calories or exercising to lose weight.

I want them to eat what makes their body’s feel good. I want them to be active because it’s normal and healthy and because they will feel better.

I don’t want them growing up fearing becoming “fat”.

I want my girls to know their self-worth goes beyond that tiny number stitched onto their favorite pair of blue jeans.

So instead, I ask you – why are you unhappy with yourself? Is it because you feel like crap? If it is, then yes, please change something! Your diet or activity level might be a good place to start if you feel that is something that would make you feel better. Because I want you to feel better.

But please do not tell me, in front of my young very impressionable children, that it is “fat” that is the problem.

Because you, my friend, are beautiful. My children know this to be true because they love you. Please don’t tear yourself down in front of my children. Because what they are hearing is “looking like someone that I love isn’t okay”, “looking like someone I love is bad”, “looking like someone I love is something I should fear”.

Please don’t let society’s warped sense of beauty continue to ruin our children’s self-esteem.

For the sake of our children, let’s be more conscious of the way we talk about ourselves in front of them. Because everything you are saying, they hear and it is shaping their own inner-voice. You have the power to help boost them up or tear them down.

Let your children see how beautiful you really are – tell yourself you are beautiful. Look in the mirror and say it. Make sure your children hear you. Because believe me, they hear you. Let your children know it’s okay to love themselves, just as they are.

Now that’s truly beautiful.