Data recently released by the Keep It Real campaign states that 80 percent of all 10-year old girls have gone on at least one diet at some point in their lives.
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The campaign was intended to get everyone from major magazines and media outlets to send a message to the mothers and fathers around the world. They want parents to think more about how their words and actions regarding perceived beauty affect a child’s view of themselves and others, according to CBS Seattle.
Additionally, the campaign is asking several well-known beauty magazines to publish at least one unaltered photo per month. They feel that the effort is necessary to reshape an unrealistic representation of women.
Research says:
“53 percent of 13-year-old girls are unhappy with their bodies, “That number increases to 78 percent by age 17.”
Research conducted by the National Eating Disorders Association concurs with what the Keep It Real campaign is saying. According to them, between 40 and 60 percent of children ages 6 to 12 are concerned about their weight or becoming too fat, and 70 percent would prefer to be thinner.
Aside from urging the media outlets and magazines to assume responsibility, experts agree that parents need to take a more proactive role in combating the issue.
Lynn Grefe, president and CEO of the National Eating Disorders Association, says:
“Parents need … to encourage healthy relationships with food, and make eating together a time of sharing, not a time of talking about grams or calories. We come in different shapes and sizes.”
In all seriousness, children of that age should never be using the phrase, “I’m on a diet.” They need to be taught how to eat healthy without varying their eating habits in an unsafe manner, and it always comes down to parenting. No matter how much children are learning from schools, television, etc. the biggest impression left upon them comes from the home and the parents who support them.
