When I heard of a six year old girl who wouldn’t go in a Physie competition because she was too ashamed to wear a leotard, I really felt for her mum.  What do you say to a child who’s been brainwashed by the media at such a young age to feel like she isn’t worthy to dance in public?

If you haven’t heard of BODY IMAGE MOVEMENT, founded by Taryn Brumfitt, I urge you to google it – today, now! If you want to help your daughter to stop worrying about her body or even hating it then you need to hear Taryn’s message. (And maybe you need to hear it for yourself…)

Taryn is teaching girls and women all over the world that their body is not an ornament, it is a vehicle to their dreams!

In a nutshell her mission is to:

• Prioritise health before beauty
• Rewrite the rules of beauty
• Encourage women to accept who they are
• Stop body-shaming language among women

We want to help girls build their resistance to the epidemic of body-shaming that today’s media encourages, especially social media. We can’t protect them but we can educate them, arm them with an objective awareness and encourage self-respect and pride.

So what do say when a girl asks you, “am I fat?” Taryn suggests these great strategies:
–          Focus on health and wellness, not weight or beauty ideals
–          Emphasise their strengths like kindness, humility, intellect and resilience
–          Ban fat-shaming and diet talk within your home (including about yourself – this is going to be harder than you think!)
–          Enforce a zero tolerance on body-related teasing
–          Ditch the scales – a number on a scale doesn’t define your health, fitness or worth
–          Celebrate the joy of food, eat mindfully, eat together and discuss how food can fuel your body to feel good from the inside out.

It’s hard to believe but Taryn has been accused of encouraging obesity simply because she tells people not to hate their body. She responds by saying her Embrace You movement is “not about promoting mediocrity or obesity, it’s about supporting people to connect with their bodies, to move and nourish their bodies but mostly to ENJOY their bodies!”

Let’s face it, if you are ashamed of your body, you’re hardly likely to get it into some active gear or a swimsuit and get out there exercising and improving your health are you? But if we can stop the body-shaming and encourage girls and women to see exercise as a pleasure rather than a punishment, then naturally they are more likely to get moving, get healthier and start choosing a better lifestyle!

To find out more click  https://bodyimagemovement.com
Isn’t it time to enjoy life, dance, be fit, be healthy, laugh and love yourself? Then chuck away the scales, move for fun, stop dieting and eat healthier, sleep well and unfollow any social media accounts that don’t serve you – or your daughter.  Enjoy!