Our children compare themselves to manufactured images. It is our job to deconstruct how they are made, by whom and to what purpose. They are as real as a cartoon sketch.

I spent some time researching the fashion industry fro a fictional piece. The dirty little secret then, and I witnessed it, was that most of these bone thin children were shooting heroin into the panty-line because it’s too darned painful to starve yourself to death.

I came away feeling that in this modern age we have no right to look back in horror at the idea of human sacrifice, the drowning of yesteryears vestal virgins, because we have our subtler methods. Everyone in the fashion industry insist on impossible standards and then stand around blandly watching children murdering themselves to be suitable cloths rack or a frozen image in their pictures. They tut-tut when these children suffer nervous break downs, or end up in rehab– How pathetic! How substandard! It is nothing short of evil…

Let those pretty children suffer and die on our mantle while we rake in the big bucks!

I think grown women need to do more than feed their children well and offer the “you’re terrific as you are” platitudes we hope will counteract billion dollar marketing efforts– we need to scoff at the false ’standard’ and react with hostility toward a rapacious industry that is so hostile toward our children.

TRex, its a blessing and a burden. Maybe, someday, but until then thanks for passing this on. My two are both Rowling fans, if JK said kids should do handstands, they’d do handstands by the dozens. Our household isn’t well-to-do enough to try to compete with the “GottaHaveIt”s of our world, so we make do with piano, dance, and reading past bedtime. Does wonders for the self-esteem, which seems to be the trick of the thing.

Parents, worried about what your kids are eating? Want to install healthy eating habits? Then stock the fridge and cupboard with healthy, fresh, organic and locally-grown foods. Make your meals and your snacks reflect your pursuit and DO NOT GIVE IN. You’ll be pleasantly surprised what kids will eat if they get hungry enough.

Diet is only one-half the battle – turn off the tv, the game console, the computer and kick them out of the house into the yard, the playground, the gym, anyplace that gets them off their arses. Once they hit the teen years, it’s probably too late, but get them in the habit when they’re younger and it lasts a good long time.

EPU coda: no one will notice and it doesn’t matter, sometimes I do something just for myself.

My late wife, Marion … in a previous marriage, had gone up to 75 kg. Woke up the morning after her 47th b’day, said, “I don’t like myself like this.” Her ex- was like umm, 25 stone, c. 300 lb., borderline diabetic, courting heart disease.

Marion started healthy dietary approach for both. John tried to undercut her every way: let’s go out to dinner, or, I brought home takeaway.

She kept to her regimen, too much, went down to 49 kg in 2 years. Up to 52, when separated. Later divorced. Bit of a nervous decline not long before I met her. Worked herself out of that mostly by then.

Marion looked like a real woman, not a stick figure, and was comfortable in her own skin. Not living up to anyone else’s ideal or image.

Even better, with personality and character. Could have been a good role model for ~celebrities~ and such. Between the Big C and ~medical science~ she finally understood there is always a time to let go. I miss her.

Moose, You have been noticed. I’m sorry for your loss. I hope you find another woman with personality and character when you are ready.

“I love you just the way you are. You are the most beautiful girl in the world. You don’t need diets, pills, miracle creams, injections, or surgery or any of that bulls*%t to be beautiful. You are perfect and I will always love you no matter what. Now kiss me and then finish your collard greens.”

Period. End of story.

What do you guys think?

I think that when they become 10yrs old, they will stop listening to you and start listening to their friends and the fashion industry, so you hafta make sure you convince them before they’re 10.

* The only thing that really affects their self confidence is real accomplishments.

My late wife, Marion … in a previous marriage, had gone up to 75 kg. Woke up the morning after her 47th b’day, said, “I don’t like myself like this.” Her ex- was like umm, 25 stone, c. 300 lb., borderline diabetic, courting heart disease.

Marion started healthy dietary approach for both. John tried to undercut her every way: let’s go out to dinner, or, I brought home takeaway.

She kept to her regimen, too much, went down to 49 kg in 2 years. Up to 52, when separated. Later divorced. Bit of a nervous decline not long before I met her. Worked herself out of that mostly by then.

Marion looked like a real woman, not a stick figure, and was comfortable in her own skin. Not living up to anyone else’s ideal or image.

Even better, with personality and character. Could have been a good role model for ~celebrities~ and such. Between the Big C and ~medical science~ she finally understood there is always a time to let go. I miss her.

The fantastic propaganda of corporate fast-food and prepared food vendors who advertise, convince and feed, not only America’s children but the whole family, the fattiest, caloriest, unhealthiest, nastiest tasty garbage that any culture has ever stuffed down their gullet. They might even be more successful than the stick-people culture.

Unhealthy obesity is a far greater problem in America, among the whole population, than the eating disorders of diet-obsessed girls.

While we all love our children (I hope) “just the way you are” saying its alright to be way-out-of-weight control seems little better than saying its alright that you’re not a 75lb swizzlestick.

We have to teach our children, and ourselves, to be the best we can be with what we have to work with.

…Part of the problem was related to cliques; she was letting one little monstrous drama queen get into her head and really mess with her. After we sat down a few times and dissected her social world — who’s the queen bee, who are the sycophants, who are the wave riders, so on — she finally began to see the peer pressure for what it was and started to change her mind about what she wanted to do with her life….

VERY useful strategy to be aware of. Thank you, Rayne. (I have an almost-5 year old to usher through all of this nonsense.)