Talk to Your Daughter Before the Beauty Industry Does

There are some issues that arise in the Swimsuit Club that strike a chord in my heart. I really feel for Frannie, Jeanine, Sharona, Angela and Becky. In their own way, each of these modern girls is dealing with an identity crisis--or is it simply a beauty crisis? Or is it both? If you've been following the blog and getting to know them, you won't be surprised that each had a marked difference in how they reacted to a video I'm posting today. It looks at our modern culture's idea of beauty from a startling perspective, and raises the question: What about you? Got some talking you need to do with a young girl in your life? Got some talking you need to do with yourself?

Now, take a moment and view the video by clicking on the HEADLINE of this post. (Where it says, "Talk to your Daughter Before the Beauty Industry Does.") You'll see what I'm talking about. Then, get talking!

Here's your opening statement/questions:
What is real beauty?
And, What is it about you that is beautiful and unchanging, and can never be taken away or made ugly?

For many women, these questions don't have good answers. Can you answer them for yourself?

Here's my stab at it: I submit that what is most beautiful and real for each and every one of us can't be seen at all: it's what's on the inside that counts. Not in some wishy-washy way, but in a very real sense that our true being is a spirit, made in God's image, made to last eternally! Wow, now that's beautiful! If you can really get that: that God made you on purpose, who you are, what you are, and wants a relationship with you--forever!!--just try to catch a glimpse of how beautiful that is. How beautiful you are; Then, and only then, can you answer the questions from a right perspective.

This doesn't mean that outward appearances don't matter: in a material world, they do. But I pray that you never, ever let them matter most.

Could Fat Be Infectious?

A landmark study published this past July purports to prove that obesity is catching. To a degree.

Apparently, how your friends behave in the eating "arena" has more of an impact on you than family, genes, or prior disposition or habits. In fact, even friends you don't see often, if they are still "close" to you emotionally can impact your own weight. In a nutshell, if your best friend puts on lots of weight over the years, you are more likely to do the same, than if she stays slim.

The study's author, a Harvard professor, points out that in a sense, we've known this all along. "Who you tend to hang out with, weight-wise, is more important than who your next-door-neighbor is." Likewise, "When overweight or obesity becomes normal in a given social circle, people may be more likely to become obese themselves."

The good news? (There is good news!) It works both ways. The healthier the people you hang with, the healthier you are likely to try and be yourself. This is very true for Jeanine, as being a member of the Swimsuit Club helps her to stay motivated to swim, and eventually, even to take much better care of herself. Later posts will deal with the self-image issue, and how even overweight women have lots of power in deciding how they want the world to see them, whether they lose weight or not.

Stay tuned for more posts on weight-related issues and self-esteem! Subscribe above.

(original article by

Amanda Gardner called "Family, Friends, May 'Spread' Obesity

HealthDay Reporter

as seen in DivineEloquence Magazine, Aug/Sept Issue)