Honestly, we wonder why young girls and even women develop eating disorders and obsessions with their appearances.
But you know what I see when I scroll through my Facebook feed and what I see on TV? I see women these young girls and other women are looking up to who're posting and sharing about always wanting to lose weight, sharing tips and "quick-fixes" for burning fat. Ironically, they are ridiculing themselves on their appearances while trying to make it seem like it's a joke: always wanting to look better.
Now, don't get me wrong: losing weight for health reasons is great.
It's when it becomes an obsession that it becomes dangerous—not only to you, but to those around you. Your daughters, nieces, sisters, cousins, friends—all of these girls and women are seeing these things that you share and post. And in their eyes, you're already beautiful, they don't see why you would do this.
What's even worse, is when these young girls and other women resemble you. You constantly tell them, "Oh, you're beautiful!" But then you turn around and constantly complain about how you need to lose weight, need to change your appearance and put yourself down; to those girls that resemble you, you're basically saying that they need to lose that weight or change their appearances, too. It may not seem that way to you, but it does to them.
Trust me.
Why can't our goals be about being healthy physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually?
Yes, sometimes being healthy physically leads to weight loss; but instead of obsessing over the weight loss itself, focus on just being healthy.
There's a reason we don't all look identical. We are not meant to be carbon copies of each other—all a certain size or skin tone or body type. Some people have larger frames, some people have smaller frames. Some people have more curves, some people have less. Some of us jiggle more than others, and that's okay. Some people can't lose weight, and some people can't gain weight.
Stop fat shaming ourselves, and stop thin shaming ourselves.
Let's start loving and taking care of ourselves.
Lead your daughters, nieces, sisters, friends, and any girls/women around you to view themselves the way God already views them: fearfully and wonderfully made, made in His image. And I'll tell you, God didn't make a mistake when he created any of us.
I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. - Psalms 139:14 (ESV)
