Healthy Eating Tips –

Body image issues are always complicated.

But, when they appear in extremely young girls, it becomes particularly worrying.

This crazy fad hurts women both mentally and physically, but I need you to know that we have the power to stop it.

I’m talking about a disturbing trend where women, mostly young girls, seek the elusive “thigh gap,” or a pronounced space between the thighs.

If you’ve ever come across this trend on social media sites like Pinterest, Tumblr or Instagram, you’ll know it is mostly extremely thin females who are promoted.

It’s clear, many of them have an eating disorder, yet they are being held up as the perfect body for the young women who repost their images.

Thigh Gap: the Real Facts You Need to Know

Unrealistic Goals

Despite what you read on these ‘pro thigh gap’ sites, you need to know the true facts about the amazing body you already have.

According to experts like doctor Vonda Wright (orthopedic surgeon), thigh gap is mostly to do with genetics.

This means even those who are very thin may not be able to achieve it.

Your thigh gap, or lack thereof, is mostly to do with the position of your hips and the way the femur is attached in the hip socket — turned in, out or straight — as well as if your hips are narrow or wide.

All of these factors are much more important than the amount of fat you carry on your body.

I realize DoctorsTV is far from the most scientific source we could look to, but if you watch this video you’ll see firsthand what I’m talking about demonstrated by the two women on the show.

Most Images Are Edited

Also, when you look at images on the internet, you need to constantly remind yourself that the images have very likely been Photoshopped.

This goes for images of celebrities, so-called before and after shots of weight loss success, as well as photos of catwalk models.

Since you can never be sure what images have been edited, and which haven’t, why set yourself a goal to achieve something that may not even be real?

Protect Your Mindset

A while back I talked about the effect Facebook has on our body image.

That wasn’t just my thoughts on the matter, either, it was the conclusion from surveys and other expert opinion.

As Dr. Steven Crawford, from The Center for Eating Disorders, says, it is the constant access we have to social sites like Facebook, that make it unique, and as a result, potentially problematic:

We live in a society where there is a pervasive and normalized discontent for our bodies. The concerns with Facebook and online social media sharing, however, are unique. There is immediate and constant access to it. Even when you are by yourself or home alone, you have hundreds of Facebook friends (and their photos) online. This can remind you of what you don’t like about your own body. Additionally, people seem more willing to post negative comments online when they might think twice about saying them in person.

The same is true if you are looking at images all day long of super skinny women — it will be no surprise if you become more and more discontented with how you look.

These images not only make you  feel inferior, but they soon begin to normalize in your mind a body type that is nothing close to normal.

We Need a Collective Attitude Shift!

Make goal your STRONG

You need to realize two things:

• Firstly, it is possible to change your own perceptions about body image.
• And secondly, you have the power to make a difference in the lives of other women.

Don’t underestimate the power you can have with the right attitude.

You can be a positive role model for the girls and women in your life.

You can show them by living it, that health and strength are much more desirable than waif thin.

If you have children (or want to have in the future), you owe it to them to get your mind sorted now.

Perhaps we cannot stop these harmful trends completely, but we can reduce the power they have by simply speaking out, and by refusing to use negative language about our own bodies, or about the bodies of other women.

It’s time we put a stop to the shaming of bodies that apparently don’t fit into societies idea of ‘perfect.’ – Click to Tweet

If you, or someone you love, struggles with body issues, here are some basic tips to help…

Ditch the Social Media

I imagine some of you will think this is far too drastic, but if this is something you struggle with, avoiding social media will certainly improve your frame of mind.

Social media sites are rife with images of food, people talking about what they ate, posting pictures of their meals and snacks, writing about how they’ve lost weight, or what exercise they are doing.

Then, there’s the constant stream of “look how great my life is,” or “don’t I look amazing” type posts, which make things very difficult for those with disordered body image.

If you find that kind of thing triggers your own negative thought process, then it’s not worth it to have a social media profile.

What’s the worst thing that can happen anyway?

Missing out on who’s dating who, or some other such gossip isn’t going to ruin your life — take it from someone who doesn’t have a personal Facebook profile, I function pretty well without it, believe it or not! 🙂

What Can Parents Do?

If you’re a parent worried about your daughter’s body image problems, here are a few things that can help…

Depending on your child’s age, you may be able to limit their use of social media sites, but for most, it is difficult to keep them away from negative media totally, so try to limit the ‘damage.’

1. Be a role model

What you do and what you say is extremely powerful.

So, show your kids what a healthy lifestyle looks like by eating well, having measured treats, and being active.

Try to make fitness a family activity. Maybe go biking together each week, or take a fitness class together.

This encourages a healthy attitude towards keeping fit that is open (rather than secretive/obsessive) and fun.

2. Use positive speech

Try not to use words like “skinny,” “thin,” or “fat.” Instead focus on words like “healthy,” “good foods,” or “nutrition.”

Also, celebrate the body you’ve been given, rather than constantly bringing it down with your words.

Be thankful for what you do have, and focus on making your body (and mind) stronger, not weaker.

3. Be open and approachable

If you don’t know what’s going on in your child’s life, and in the media as a whole, how can you expect to help them with the modern issues they face?

This is why having your own Facebook, Pinterest, Tumblr, and Instagram accounts can be a really good idea.

You want to keep the dialog open with your children, so try not to preach at them. Be conversational. Be approachable.

Help your children figure out what things are worth giving their attention to, and what things aren’t.

As teenagers they are still trying to figure out so much, but you can be a voice of reason in this crazy world.

Let them know that most of the images they see online are most likely Photoshopped, and therefore not a healthy goal for them to have.

Teach your girls that there is no cookie-cutter shape for beauty.

Some women have thigh gaps, some don’t. Neither is a sign of success or failure.

Thigh gap: “I’ve been trying to do just the opposite!”

I’ll leave you with what plus-size model Robyn Lawley had to say on the topic of achieving a thigh gap:

The truth is I couldn’t care less about needing a supposed “thigh gap.” It’s just another tool of manipulation that other people are trying to use to keep me from loving my body. Why would I want to starve and weaken my natural body size? I’m not saying women who have it naturally are unattractive. But I would have to change my entire frame just to achieve something that seems so trivial.

I’ve been trying to do just the opposite: I want my thighs to be bigger and stronger. I want to run faster and swim longer. I suppose we all just want different things, but women have enough pressure as it is without the added burden of achieving a “thigh gap.” The last thing I would want for my future daughter would be to starve herself because she thought a “thigh gap” was necessary to be deemed attractive.

I love that! Thank you Robyn.

Add your voice — I’d love to hear your tips for raising girls (and boys!) with a healthy body image?

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