JOURNAL - The Fat Girl's Guide to Loving Your Body - entry 8

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Entry 8 - Role Model

Eek, I'm not sure I have an actual role model. I've had negative ones. My mum, bless her, has always been ashamed of her body and so I learned from her. 

Not body-wise, but as an inspiration to the way I live generally, I'd have to say HH The Dalai Lama inspires me. 

To live to help others - to always have compassion. Act with love first. 

I try to help my step-daughter. She's growing up in a world of altered images, a false reality. And there's so much pressure on her to look forever photo ready. 🙈 It makes it a tough battle! 
As much as I tell her she's amazing and lovely inside and out, there's a million images and opinions telling her the reverse. 
Her dad and I both reinforce "just be you" every time we see her, but it's hard for a teenager to fully embrace that concept. Peer pressure is extreme and she wants to 'fit in'. 
But I will continue to do all I can to ensure she's happy in herself. 

My step-son? Yeah, I try to support him too, it's just in another way as he has a very different personality. 

They both at least acknowledge their dad and I are weird and we're OK with that. 😏

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Negative Imaging

On the flipside of this, is the negative messaging we receive. 

Hubby actually complained when we saw an advert for a diet aid which showed a lady taking the tablets who was thin to begin with. It really wasn't a healthy message in the slightest! 

When one views adverts, there's very few fat people in them, unless it's for plus-size clothing. 
But then there's not many black people or disabled or LGBTQ+ etc. either. 
The hard, sad fact is that advertisers go for the largest market; predominantly the 2.4 children for certain products, or the young professional for others. 
Like most things, it's where the statisticians have indicated the money resides (*sigh*).
Is it right? No. It completely ignores minorities. And there should clearly be wider representation for all. 

Flipping through magazines, they're full of young, thin models. That's what the fashion industry uses. This is even worse than the advertisers though, as this stereotype is certainly not a key demographic. People buying the clothes are unlikely to fit that shape and size. 

TV shows and films - who are they funded by? 
Yeah, there's influences there too but more dictated where the money comes from. 

Diversity.
We've heard the word. We've possibly had lessons in it. 
Yet does it get applied? Nope, we're not quite there yet, huh? 
It's better than it used to be. But there's still muchly room for improvement.

Always in love and light,

TL