Friday, October 5, 2012
Friday Fodder - Enough of the Body Image Wars
You know, I want my Friday Fodder to be fun, but there is something that is just eating me up these days and I have to get it off my chest, then I can move on. I hate saying it, but it's the body image wars. No, I'm not talking about how I feel about me and how I look. For the first time in my life, I'm ok with me. Sure, I'm not perfect and I have limitations, but I'm ok with that. The body image wars I'm talking about are the ones that people are fighting with each other.

Are you tall enough?

Are you "skinny"(<---most despised word ever) enough?

Are you full figured enough?

Are you muscular enough?

Are you fast enough?

This topic has irritated me before and I wrote about it here, but lately I've seen it popping up on Facebook again and then the Jennifer Livingston video popped up yesterday. Well, I am tired of it. I happen to love social media (mostly blogging and Facebook...I still need help with twitter, but I'm trying), however, the best way to get me to hide you from my feed is to talk about what physique is considered sexier than another. It's passive aggressive judgement when you hide behind a computer and make comments like that against another person based on looks. We are not what we look like and just because you type words on a computer, doesn't make them any less hurtful than if you said them to someone's face! If you like something someone else says or posts on Facebook, you do know other people can see it, right?

I work in the health/fitness industry, so I get the opportunity to meet and work with amazingly inspirational people! The best things I've learned since working in this field are that compassion, understanding and positive words can help someone else see how amazing they really are. None of us are perfect. We have genetics to deal with. We have stress to deal with. We have free will to deal with. Let's be honest, most of us weren't dealt the perfect hand at birth. Nobody needs to feel like less of a person because they don't fit into a mold that somebody else has deemed perfect.

I have two growing boys that I worry about everyday when they leave the house for school. We breed what we are and I'm seriously scared of what some people are teaching their children. We, as adults, have a responsibility to each other and our children to teach understanding, compassion and love for others without judgement of our outward appearances.

On a positive note, I want to give a HUGE shout out to Team Sutera and Heather (and her sister) who are running the Chicago Marathon this weekend! I have watched you all train and I am in awe over the passion and perseverance you have demonstrated. I hope it's an incredible event for you all!

I hope everyone else enjoys a beautiful fall weekend!

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posted by Sarena Shasteen - The Non-Dairy Queen @ 6:00 AM  
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Name:
Sarena Shasteen - The Non-Dairy Queen
Home: Atlanta, GA, United States
About Me: Lactose Challenged
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