If you have a talk with your daughter and she looks in magazines to show you what she thinks is an ideal body type, make sure that you point out that A LOT of air brushing is done to those pictures. There was a huge article in 17 magazine that was highlighted on the Today Show. An actress, who has an amazing body, showed her photo with all of the mark-ups on what to change. They skimmed everything, lengthened her legs, darkened her jeans, enhanced her chest- you name it!
I went through the same thing. I was heavy as a child and once I hit 9th grade, I started with some very unhealthy eating habits. I still can hardly ever sit at a meal and enjoy myself without thinking about the calories, fat, or amount of exercise needed to get rid of the calories and fat. Unfortunately, I think it's something that most girls go through at that age. Make sure that you aren't making comments about your weight or appearence in front of her. You can tell her she's beautiful all day, but if you look good and are critical of yourself, your actions will speak louder than your words.
I would just say to tell her that it's natural to feel uncomfortable with her body at this point. Tell her that she's beautiful, healthy, and has a beautiful heart. She is having these feelings and will continue to, so I would just monitor her eating and exercising habits to make sure that nothing gets out of control. Also, don't get frustrated and tell her to stop saying things about her body. She'll continue to have these feelings whether she voices them to you or not. If she can't turn to you with her insecurities, then she might make some unwise decisions on her own. |