Seventeen Magazine’s Body Peace Treaty.
Though I do wonder if they walk the walk – it’s been a long time since I read Seventeen regularly. Easy enough to create a pledge, write an editorial about how important it is, to get girls to sign it. They also have girls writing about their own breakthroughs and confidence tips, which is good. But do they consider it in every article, and do they have diverse models?
There’s a mom version too – it has only three articles but I like that it focuses on self as well as parenting:
- Exercise as a way to celebrate my body, not punish it.
- Talk career over calories and future over fat with my daughters.
- Be the best role model I can for my daughter by loving myself and making peace with the body I have.
I’d sign that pledge but I don’t have daughters and I’m not really around any girls these days. Maybe I helped in the past – I do think masters rowers are role models for juniors, by letting them see adults who still do stuff instead of considering themselves retired from both the fun and the challenges in life. (I do wish they’d make the first one “Exercise as a way to celebrate and challenge my body, not punish it.” There is such a thing as good pain.
Speaking of role models, Mom is going to the gym three days a week now. She still has a belly – we both always do and her meds don’t help – but she’s got pipes! And we got to have te talk about how much fun it is when you’re looking in the mirror, doing your hair, and you suddenly notice biceps 🙂 Interestingly, she just sent me her measurements because I’m knitting her a sweater – the one I posted earlier – and we’re within an inch of each other in bust, ribcage, and arm measurement. And by the way, Mom never, ever talked to me about calories or being fat. I think she once said “You know, for a little girl, you’ve got big legs!” but I was in my thirties at that point – and it was solid muscle.