I had intended to write about something completely different for today’s post, but then last night I saw something that – completely unexpectedly – made me burst into tears. So it seemed more important to talk about this, and wait for next week to bring up my original topic. Check this out:
It’s short, simple, and to the point, and was a complete punch to the gut for me. I wasn’t sure where the commercial was going at first, and then I couldn’t believe the immediate and very emotional reaction I had to the line, “Because she will never diet.” Just typing that made me teary all over again!
Why? Because this is the world I want to live in. Because I want girls (and boys) to grow up exactly this way, not caring about numbers, not stressing about yo-yoing, not fearing the roller coaster of weight loss and weight gain. Can you imagine it, a world where children grow up respecting and loving their bodies, instead of hating and fearing them?
All my life I have been conscious of my body – aware that it is not okay, that people don’t like to look at it, that I’m considered both less (smart, lovable) and more (lazy, gluttonous, stupid) because of it. Starting at about age 8, I can remember being hyper aware of how I was physically different, and how that wasn’t a good thing. I was smart and clever and funny, but at the end of the day, I felt I was one thing more than these: fat. (For the record, I always felt loved and supported by my family and close friends, which, sadly, is not reality for a lot of fat children. Thank you from the depths of my being, family and friends!)
Doesn’t it break your heart to think of a young girl feeling that way? Don’t you want to do everything in your power to prevent one more child growing up with those feelings? We can’t change our own childhoods, but we can change the childhoods of the young people in our lives.
So, back to the commercial. It’s part of a partnership between Multi-Grain Cheerios and Go Girls!™. a group mentoring program through Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada™. According to their website, Go Girls!™ is “for girls 12 to 14 years of age and focuses on physical activity, balanced eating, and self-esteem. The program goal is to positively shape the lives of girls by helping them build a confident self-image – setting them up for a healthy future.”
Yes, yes, all the yes to this! And unlike Special K, whose message of body love and acceptance is actually about selling their products which are intended to make your body smaller (and, therefore, more socially acceptable), the Cheerios message is not about diets. Check it out:
I believe all these things!
This is a message that everyone needs to hear. We are inundated with fat-shaming messages every day, in advertising, in images of headless fatties accompanying fear-mongering “health” reports on the news, even on our favorite television shows. As adults, we can (hopefully) examine these messages with a critical eye, but our children need our help. They need to be reminded of the messages above every day. They need to know that they are more than numbers on a scale or a BMI chart, that being smart, clever, funny, brave, and caring are worthy goals for their lives, not a dress size or thigh gap.
Will you help me spread this message? Will you share this with the people – and children – that you love? Together, we can make this world a loving, safe place for children of all shapes and sizes.
