Body Image and Self-Esteem

nanaej Not a chance in my house. Two per week. They're taking the p***s. I've done the biggy – today is the first day of the seventh month since I stopped smoking. I'm blowed if I'm going to give up all life's pleasures.

I think that it is right to have the information but the choice is mine! Alarmed to see in town today a headline on the DM about the amount of wine that may become the recommended consumption PER WEEK!!!! !!!!!!

I've never stopped using butter! I only have semi skimmed because I'm trying to lose weight and I have no idea what my cholesterol is!

I'm sick to death of those supposedly in authority telling me what I and my family should and shouldn't be eating. I've therefore gone back to whole milk and butter in protest and feel a lot better for it. Ok, so my cholesterol levels will probably go through the roof, but I'm tired of being done good to. I was brought up on 'proper' food and so was my family. My GC are also encouraged to try a variety of foods and none of them is 'fat' and they're a darn sight healthier than many of their peers. Humph!

Me too rosiemus, turned out they were just suggesting DH use his bumbag whist out walking

Going back to the original posting, I wonder whether teaching about healthy eating may be doing more harm than good. I know that sounds a bit crazy but I think that there may be too much emphasis on so-called unhealthy food and the dangers of becoming fat, rather than concentrating on a positive message about eating to be healthy. I wonder how many children interpret "good" food and eating to be healthy as eating to be thin. In other words, I think it would be worth looking at the way schools tackle the subject of nutrition before adding another burden to teachers for which they are ill-prepared.

quite absent - I nearly had a heart attack when someone offered to lend me a fanny pack. Turns out it's American for bumbag. I took a rucksack.

Don't offer to nurse a baby either – unless you intend to breastfeed – and don't let's even mention the word fanny.

That one I didn't know!

The US meaning was what I meant, jeni!

and never ask for a joint at the butchers in USA!

Apparently not a good thing to say in the USA, as it has a different meaning. Like rubber and lifts and braces!

Anagram An English friend of mine and a smoker once sat in a restaurant in San Francisco and said quite loudly to her companion, "Darling, I'm dying for a fag."

My younger DGD (3yrs) is a chubster! Not fat but 'well covered' and her tummy is bloated by the end of the day! She is very active..scoots, runs, climbs, walks etc. as her mum does not drive. She eats a balanced diet and has few things she does not like. She does like to eat and my DD2 has to give her extra small portions so she can have more! She is happy to tell & show me that she has a fat tummy that pokes out of the bottom of her t-shirt! I am sure in a year's time she will be as skinny as her older sister!

Silly me!

I can quite believe that a teacher would tell the children that it is not polite to call someone fat, Anagram.

The word 'fag' is probably banned now, absent!

A few weeks ago my GC were with me and I said I didn't want any chocolate, thank you, because it might make my tummy too fat. They immediately said 'Nana, you aren't allowed to say fat!'. They didn't know why.... DD said it must be something they've been told at school.

I read in yesterday's newspapers that some politician has now come up with the idea that calling someone "fatty" should be regarded as a hate crime. He also suggested that the words fat and obese should be treated as offensive and that doctors should be banned from recommending weight loss to anyone unless there is a direct and obvious clinical connection. Calling someone "fatty"is clearly not kind and probably very upsetting for the person addressed – but a hate crime? Also what about calling someone "skinny", "tinribs", "shorty" or "lofty"? Back of a fag packet policy, I think.

Feeling good about yourself is already taught in PSHCE lessons....I wish the government would find out what's actually being taught before they say it should be taught. Children are taught to eat healthily and take a reasonable amount of exercise. Unfortunately if you say the word 'diet' to most children they will say it is something you do to lose weight.

My parents had high expectations and gave us the tools to meet them - a house full of books in particular. We were always given credit for the things we did well and help with other things (in my case Maths) that we didn't do quite so well - in other words, we were encouraged to play to our strengths. And they always listened to us. That's what confers self-esteem. I hope that I managed to do that with my own DSs and I know they are treating their children the same way. The ideal place to gain self-esteem is the home, but teachers can use techniques of feed-back, constructive criticism and encouragement that will boost rather than destroy their charges' self-esteem. You can confer self-esteem - you can't teach it.

I agree, Charlotta! You are very brave to say it....

I can just imagine which children will be up front of the class in these self esteem lessons. The ones with self esteem. Got from Mum and Dad of course.

What about some real education? To be well educated gives you self esteem.

Thaat's a point, susiecb - all those poor children who are being labelled 'obese' or 'overweight' by school health checks, when they appear to be perfectly normal for their age. How does that sit with trying to persuade them that appearance doesn't matter?

Well I'm confused how can we say we have an obesity epidemic and a huge number (cant remeber the exact statistic) of our children are already overweight and then say they are under relentless pressure to be thin. Isnt working then is it or am I missing the point?