The news is filled with studies reporting that younger and younger girls are worried about being thin. Nevertheless, I was taken aback this morning when my sweet lovely daughter asked me if I thought she was "fat" to which I replied (once I recovered my composure) "Fat isn't a bad thing, honey, it just means you're growing big and strong."
When I heard I was having twin girls 'lo those many moons ago I figured one of my biggest challenges would be to teach them not to be obsessed with cultural messages about their worth measured by their looks. I knew I wanted them to be in sports, and remain free of as many main stream anti-women messages as I could muster. Girls in sports are less likely to drop out of school, more confident about their bodies, and more likely to experience business success.
But there are many elements of their lives I cannot control. They go to their Dad's house every other weekend and their older half sister is 10 going on 20. I wouldn't be surprised if she's already dieting. They head off to Kindergarten next year where they'll be around other kids with varying backgrounds. In other words, it's really only a matter of time before they are inundated with messages about weight and beauty. In the end, the most powerful message I can send my daughters is by being healthy and strong myself and by not participating in the usual self-reproach and diet discussions common around neighborhood kitchen tables everywhere.
