Society needs healthy serving of reality

Editor's note: As part of InLife's Downsizing project, several members of Our Generation took a look at teens and weight-loss issues.

Teenagers today, particularly girls, face a quandary. While recent trends tell us to accept ourselves for who we are in mind, body and spirit, images in music, television and magazines have only heightened the desire to meet nearly impossible physical standards.

It's difficult, then, for those society deems "unfit" (pun intended) to be seen as anything but failures, both in their eyes and those of society. This scrutiny is both real and imagined. While unseen, internal pressures to adhere to the ideal are often enough to turn some to drastic measures such as anorexia or bulimia, the small day-to-day struggles faced by many teens are annoying enough. Have you ever gone shopping for a nice dress at the mall, searching for something reasonable in a size 14? Though it's not posted on their windows, some stores seem to have a policy that anyone wearing above a size 7 isn't worth the business.

Reports are released almost daily about teenagers and their unhealthy diets. Inadequate nutrition is blamed for widespread obesity. Yet little is done. Schools still serve pop and pizza daily, with few alternatives to grease-laden fare save the occasional bagel.

Why, then, can't we just be reasonable about all this? Obviously, few girls between the ages of 12 and 18 will look like Britney Spears -- nor do they all want to -- and such an expectation is completely unreasonable.

We can't instantly change this mindset, but being realistic in our actions can certainly help. We can encourage stores to carry average- and plus-sized clothing in junior styles. We can eat healthy food in the cafeteria, showing the school there is a market beyond vending machines.

And most importantly, we can strive to be who we are, size two, 12 or 22, and be proud of it.

Remember: Anyone prejudiced against you because of your appearance is too shallow to dig deeper.

Copyright 2001 Cowles Publishing Company
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