This week, as part of my job, I have been working on promoting an international campaign on the college campus where I work. The program, Fat Talk Free Week, is aimed at combating our society's thin ideal and standard of beauty. Its goal is to raise awareness of how our everyday language affects the way women and young girls everywhere view themselves, their bodies, and the world around them. Fat talk is around us every day, and I can't pretend them I'm innocent or immune to it. It's so woven into the fabric of every day life, that its often hard to even detect when we use it. But we do, I do, almost all of us do. But after promoting this campaign and doing what I do every single day (which yes, I know, I'm still vague about), I'm starting to see just how dangerous fat talk is. So I encourage you to watch this video and realize just how destructive our words can be. I'm not perfect, I'm not always good to myself, and I often speak before thinking. But after watching this video a million times and working with college women on a daily basis, I'm trying to be more mindful of my words and the impact they have on me, my friends, my family, the strangers I meet in line, and the daughter I hope to maybe one day have. So this week, I'm making a conscious effort to watch my words and find new things to focus on. Won't you join me?
9 comments:
Consider me in on this too, since I'm no stranger to fat talk -- although I've come a LONG way. I read an article this morning in ForbesWoman titled "When Women Feel Like Frauds They Fuel Their Own Failures." While it doesn't mention fat talk, it does detail how many woman professionals feel like they're pretending to be competent or that they've somehow fooled others into thinking they are. It's a pretty eye-opening piece.
Wow - this is EYE opening and NO laughing matter. I am def going to share this with every woman I know thru facebook, twitter, email and blog.
Thank you for sharing and inspiring!
-jenna
Sharing this with everyone I know.
Thank you.
I spoke to a friend several months back in NYC, who pointed out how often, when adults (both male and female) meet little girls, the first thing they say is "Oh look how pretty you are!." It's not "fat talk," but it certainly hammers in the idea that beauty is of the utmost importance for women, while ignoring how much more important intellect and values are. My suggestion was that next time you meet a little girl, don't tell her how pretty she is. Ask her what her favorite book is instead.
What a great video and you couldn't have posted it at a better time. I was just about to email my friend a picture of Christina Aguilera with some not so nice comment.
Thanks for making all of us more aware.
awesome video!
As a very proud Tri Delta, I am thrilled to see this on your blog! I wrote a post about it last year:
http://glitterista.blogspot.com/2010/08/you-are-beautiful.html
Thanks for the reminder to always lift up the young women in our lives. :)
I normally don't ever put a link to my blog on other people's site, I think it is rude! but this is an issue I feel very very passionately about. I would really love for you to read this post about my "other" relationship. The one I and many girls have - with food. The relationship no one talks about that is destroying our minds and us as women. Body Image. I received lots of feedback from women about it and I would love to hear your thoughts on it and if anything encourage you that others out there feel the same as you. Let's end the fat talk!
http://insidejennyshead.blogspot.com/2011/10/my-other-relationship.html
Awesome, amazing video!!
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