According to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD), 69% of 5th-12th grade girls reported that magazine pictures of women influenced their idea of a “perfect body”. But if that is not enough, they also state that over 80% of 10 year old girls are AFRAID of being “fat”. With today’s societal expectations skyrocketing for women all around the U.S. and the world, it is difficult for young girls to understand the concept of positive body image and to learn what it is to truly love themselves. It not only seems that the concept of “perfection” has become unattainable, but also the portrayal of women in today’s media does more harm than good. Self-image has always seemed to serve an advantage to the “pretty”
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Sex, puberty, and the struggles of body development tend to be unexplored territories for most young girls. Because of this, anorexia is the 3rd most common chronic illness among adolescents according the ANAD. Amanda Leigh Mascarellia conducted a study on more than 500 school girls between the ages of 15 and 20 in Fiji in 1995. Until this point, only one case of anorexia nervosa had ever been reported in this community. This community of people had never been exposed to Western media, as soon as they were, though, numbers soared. By 2007, 4 in 10 girls reported purging to lose weight. As parents grow more and more fond of sticking their iPad in front of their kid for entertainment, exposure to harsh anticipations of women in the media become ever-present. The empowerment for 3rd-6th grade girls I direct every summer is able to give each camper a copy of the American Girl Association’s Caring and Keeping of You. The book covers vital information for preteen girls and the proper ways to take care of their bodies. Countless amounts of parents have come back to me saying they had never covered that material with their children, and some were even upset with me for providing it. The sad thing is that most parents do not realize the necessity of educating their children on their own bodies. If a young girl starts her period and has no idea what is going on, how in the world is she expected to handle the situation, and how in the world is she not to be scarred by the experience? Similarly, when young girls begin to develop, they find it easiest to compare themselves to the others around them instead of actually knowing how to handle their bodies. In a study performed on two groups of 80 college-aged women, it was proven that accurate education of the female anatomy’s development increased body satisfaction rates (Scherr).
Sex, puberty, and the struggles of body development tend to be unexplored territories for most young girls. Because of this, anorexia is the 3rd most common chronic illness among adolescents according the ANAD. Amanda Leigh Mascarellia conducted a study on more than 500 school girls between the ages of 15 and 20 in Fiji in 1995. Until this point, only one case of anorexia nervosa had ever been reported in this community. This community of people had never been exposed to Western media, as soon as they were, though, numbers soared. By 2007, 4 in 10 girls reported purging to lose weight. As parents grow more and more fond of sticking their iPad in front of their kid for entertainment, exposure to harsh anticipations of women in the media become ever-present. The empowerment for 3rd-6th grade girls I direct every summer is able to give each camper a copy of the American Girl Association’s Caring and Keeping of You. The book covers vital information for preteen girls and the proper ways to take care of their bodies. Countless amounts of parents have come back to me saying they had never covered that material with their children, and some were even upset with me for providing it. The sad thing is that most parents do not realize the necessity of educating their children on their own bodies. If a young girl starts her period and has no idea what is going on, how in the world is she expected to handle the situation, and how in the world is she not to be scarred by the experience? Similarly, when young girls begin to develop, they find it easiest to compare themselves to the others around them instead of actually knowing how to handle their bodies. In a study performed on two groups of 80 college-aged women, it was proven that accurate education of the female anatomy’s development increased body satisfaction rates (Scherr).