Rant About The Media
Did you read the article in the New York times last week, “What’s Eating Our Kids? Fears About ‘Bad’ Foods”?
My first thought was, “Oh my gosh, am I creating an eating disorder in my children because I am feeding them – and teaching them about – healthy foods?” And then it hit me: “PLEEEEAAASE…give me a break, media. Don’t you get it? YOU are making us crazy!”
On the one hand, the media “feeds” us images upon images of the way girls and women (and boys and men) are “supposed to” look. Images that DO NOT represent a normal, healthy body. Images that make our daughters think they HAVE TO be thin to be acceptable. Images and messages that teach our daughters that THE MOST important thing about them is their appearance.
On another other hand, the food industry, via advertising and marketing, “feeds” us messages that tell us that if we just eat “this food” or “that food”, we will be happy or have fun or lose weight or be as beautiful as the model eating the food. (And these ads are not showing how fruits and veggies can help us feel vibrant and energetic, are they? They are somehow deluding us into believing that a 100 calorie snack, full of I’m-not-sure-what, will get us skinny and happy).
And on yet another hand, we are constantly hearing about our nation’s obesity epidemic, and how all this junk food is causing overweight, unhealthy children (and adults). And how we, as parents, should start feeding our kids healthy foods and teaching our kids nutrition in schools, etc etc etc.
And then THIS article, which tells us that our focus on teaching our kids about healthy eating may be contributing to eating disorders?
(Yes, this article had some good points: any OBSESSIVE focus is not healthy for body or mind)
But give me a break! It’s no wonder that we not only have millions of people suffering with full-fledged eating disorders, but millions and millions more struggling with “disordered eating.” We are being “fed” mixed messages everywhere we turn, but very often, parents are being blamed for “causing” these problems.
Excuse me, but every single parent I have ever met wants what’s best for her children, and is doing the best she can to weed out the crazy array of messages coming from every direction about how to feed her kids.
Let’s stop blaming the parents and start looking at creating a culture that celebrates women’s bodies; a culture that markets foods that are REAL and wholesome, rather than fake and addictive; a culture that helps girls and women “feed” themselves food and self-talk and self-care that are nourishing and health-enhancing; and a culture that supports parents in their efforts at raising their children, rather than undermining their efforts.
Yes, we as parents MUST be the “change we want to see in the world” and, specifically, in our children. We must role model acceptance of our bodies (even if they are not “perfect” – as if there was such a thing); self-care, self-love and self-nourishment; flexibility (yes, it’s ok to eat cake and onion rings sometimes!); joy and pleasure; and listening to our intuition regarding our hunger for food and our hunger for other forms of nourishment.
We must help our children weed out compelling and damaging media messages, and first, we have to figure them out for ourselves. What attitudes are you holding on to about your own eating and body? Can you take a step in the direction of self-acceptance and nourishment today?
Remember: Self-hate and self-criticism will NEVER create a healthy body and mind, the hallmarks of true wellbeing. It’s time to shift the tide, both culturally and in our own minds.
