WELLNESS

REAL PEOPLE: Find Out What Teens Had to Say About Body Image

bodyimageBeing back at school this fall is filled with old friends, new fashions, new classes, and new patterns.  Exciting stuff!  But it can also be an anxious time: “I haven’t seen XX all summer. Will we still be good friends?” or “What if I don’t have a class with any of my friends?” and the perennial favorite “Will I make the team / squad / grade this year?” These are all questions that everyone confronts, whether they want to admit it or not.

Here, at Glitter, we have been talking a lot about self esteem (see see our Body Image Survey below). Knowing that back to school season can make even the most confident person feel unsure and anxious, we decided to focus this issue’s health piece on the basics of returning to school.  Here are some tips on starting out the school year on the right foot:

*What if you don’t have a class with any of your friends? The universe just might be telling you something! Take a first step and introduce yourself to someone new. Look up from your phone (!) and talk to the people around you. So often we hide behind our texts and don’t realize how much more we can get from life by being in the present moment with the people around you. You’ll be surprised how much you will learn and the new friends you will make!

*What if you aren’t good friends with XX or ZZ?  Friendships are dynamic, meaning that they shift all the time. What feels like a slight to you may be nothing more than a misunderstanding. We are usually oblivious when we hurt someone else’s feelings. Start from that assumption and you will feel more confident about your friendships.

*Be sure to maintain a healthy eating regimen by eating regularly and healthfully. In other words, don’t skip meals and then fill up with French fries from the cafeteria! Keep healthy snacks like almonds in your backpack for those times when you need a pick-me-up. Get lots of exercise – even if it that just means walking briskly around the block a few times after school. Exercise helps release some of the negative energy we all pick up throughout the day.  Get rid of that energy however you can!

*Think about what kind of year you would like to have. Is there a team or squad you’d like to join? Ask about what it takes to make it past tryouts and then work hard to get to that point. Find someone on the team / squad and ask them for advice. You never know how valuable that information could be!

*Are you looking to achieve a certain GPA this year? Study and make it happen! Good GPAs don’t fall out of the sky (though wouldn’t that be fabulous?) so you will need to put in the hours. Put your phone on vibrate – well out of your reach, turn down the volume on our top ten music picks, and focus on your studies. There’s always time to turn it back up when you’re done!

Above all, take a deep breath and know that you can make choices this year: choices that will keep your head up and your mind focused. Be smart, be fabulous, be YOU!

Find out what #realpeople Glitter Readers had to say below regarding body image!
1. Are you overly concerned about your weight?
2. How do you and your friends talk about body and weight issues?
3. Do you feel self-conscious at school about your body? If yes, why?

Julia, Austria
1. Not really, I’ve always been slim but that doesn’t stop me from eating what I want to. I do lots of sport so that helps me stay in shape.
2. I try to comfort them if they have weight issues or if they feel self conscious about their body. Everybody’s beautiful in their own way; we shouldn’t judge people because of their body type.
3. I used to feel really insecure about my body when I was in middle school/secondary school but now I feel comfortable and confident with who I am.

Angela, CT
1. Not overly concerned but I do consider it enough to make sure I maintain a healthy weight.
2. We try to be realistic about our weight goals and what is healthy for our body type/height. I would like to say we strive to have a healthy and realistic body goal and overall have a confident body image of ourselves, despite what society thinks is beautiful. We discuss dieting and exercising together and do research – to ensure that we help each other look and feel good.
3. Not as much as I used to. I realize that no one is perfect and I love my body the way it is with the perfections and imperfections. I do not read magazines or watch TV as much as I used to which has helped divert my attention from Photoshopped bodies. I focus on what I like about myself and love myself. And the way I think about it – If no one likes how I look then that is their problem and not mine.

Allison, Pittsburgh
1. No. I mean I wish I had a flatter stomach, but I’m not too concerned.
2. We usually sit there and go “ugh I’m so fat!” Then we say “no you aren’t!” and then we proceed to eat whatever is in sight.
3. Sometimes I get self conscience in the locker room, seeing really skinny girls.

Debbie, NY
1. I’m not concerned with my weight.
2. My friends and I always talk about body issues whenever we are alone together. It’s a good feeling knowing you can get advice from your friends.
3. No I don’t feel self conscious about my body because I don’t let others people’s comments bring me down. I’m confident with the way I look.

Sarah, Austria
1. For me it’s not about my weight, I don’t even know how much I currently weigh. I work out and do ballet for example to work on my muscles, that’s what’s really important to me.
2. We don’t really talk about it a lot, but when friends do talk to me about it, I try to help them and give them tips.
3. Back in middle school I used to feel really self conscious about my body. I was the smallest and was really really thin so kids would always make fun of me. Now that I’m older I learned to accept my body the way it is and now I really like my body.

Debbie, NY
1. I’m not concerned with my weight.
2. My friends and I always talk about body issues whenever we are alone together. It’s a good feeling knowing you can get advice from your friends.
3. No I don’t feel self conscious about my body because I don’t let others people’s comments bring me down. I’m confident with the way I look.

Alexis, NY
1. Sometimes, but you just have to remember to be comfortable with who you are
2. If we’re not comfortable, we talk over how to lose the weight (if needed) and if we want to, then it’s just so we both can be comfortable with our bodies.
3. Sometimes. Everybody has their flaws. Everybody has something about their body they like and dislike, but we all think alike. We’re human.

Anonymous, PA
1. I am slightly concerned because at school being thin seems to make you more popular. It’s annoying. Makes you think if you gain a lb. you may lose friends.
2. We don’t talk about it that much, but it’s sad to see some of the overweight girls ignored or not really included in social groups.
3. I don’t but you can’t help but notice how some kids are  left out of things.

 Melissa, NY
1. No I am not overly concerned with my weight. I do care about my weight and my body. I do want to be fit and thin but not to the extreme where that would be the only thing I think about.
2. We don’t really discuss it that much actually. But I think we should. We could help each other deal with our insecurities.
3. Sometimes I feel self -conscious about my body when I am at school; but not only with weight but also with chest size and such. But not all the time. People will always look at you in the hallways and think a certain way about you but you need to ignore it.

Anonymous, NY
1. There are days when I obsess over my weight and become overly concerned but rarely.
2. We try to be as honest with each other as possible and are supportive when it comes to losing weight and all.
3. I don’t. People should be comfortable in their bodies.

Priscilla, Flushing, NY
1. No I’m not concerned with my weight.
2. If my friends and I do talk about body and weight issues, I would share about my personal experience and will share that we can eat what we want as long as we balance it out with exercise. We would usually share our concerns if the idea comes across us or to express our opinions comfortably.
3. I don’t really have one I think; I guess that’s why I wear t-shirts, easy, simple, and care-free.

Sarah, Austria
1. For me it’s not about my weight, I don’t even know how much I currently weigh. I work out and do ballet for example to work on my muscles, that’s what’s really important to me.
2. We don’t really talk about it a lot, but when friends do talk to me about it, I try to help them and give them tips.
3. Back in middle school I used to feel really self conscious about my body. I was the smallest and was really really thin so kids would always make fun of me. Now that I’m older I learned to accept my body the way it is and now I really like my body.

Anonymous, NJ
1. Not really, but I do notice how thin some girls are! It seems unhealthy to me.
2. Some girls brag about not eating and that isn’t cool!
3. Yes I do. I am taller and more shapely than my friends at school. So it’s hard to ignore or not think about it when your friends are eating a granola bar for lunch and nothing else. I would pass out if I just ate that! My peers are super thin! It doesn’t worry me too much because I know I am healthy, eat organic and exercise.
My mom reminds me of how great I look and not to compare myself to others! 🙂