I was at the store browsing jean pants when I found a size 0! I was thinking to myself, except for those who are genetically petit, who can fit in those. Next to me, was a 9 year-old girl, small structure and tall enough for her age complaining to her mother of having gained weight these past couple of days!!!! I looked at her, thinking she might be kidding, then I saw a sad look real genuin sad look. I was tempted to ask her about her ideal weight and what is it that she is so concerned, when her mom commented on her and reinforcing her idea by saying, “Don’t worry sweetheart, there is always diet for us, and we will run 2 miles more tomorrow!” Like mother like daughter I was thinking, when I looked at the mother a blond, upscale kind of a woman with her name brand sun glasses on top of her hair.
Alright, who am I kidding? I have been on diet half of my now life and could not reach te happiness I was looking for; regardless, how much I lost including my sanity:).To the point where I stopped and started to be happy to how I am, a avarage structure, middle-eastern woman whose main diet is consisted of carbs as rice and bread. Although, I had to add some activity in my schedual to balance what I take in and out. I realized that I do not EVER fit in a size 4 let alone 0, because I am not built for that frame. How can I teach that to my daughter, whose hitting adolescence and hard to deal with her emotions at time? I started by accepting and respecting who and what she wants to be; and emptied my pantry from junck food, makinf her aware of choices and consequences. And more importantly let her watch “13”. Anorexia, according to some research is closing up to 6 years of age. That is so scary. She is a seven grader now and has become vegetarian, except for our “Chelo Kebob”.
To be thin or not to be is a choice we make, and no matter what drastic measures we put ourselves through, often times it comes with not very pleasant consequences.
