Wed, Oct-15-03, 08:22
|
|
|
|
Plan: Bernstein Diabetes Soluti
Stats: 260/-/145
BF:
Progress: 63%
Location: Michigan
|
|
Quote:
This is something that can be seen in children: the most popular kids in school were usually the good-looking ones, and unattractive kids had a harder time. I wonder if these unconscious prejudices are ingrained early in life by the family,
|
Familial attitudes I'm sure play a part in how children perceive others, but also consider the images and ideals presented to them through the media and even through their toys. Ever see an overweight "Weight Watchers Barbie" or a "Pot Belly Ken"? How about a fat cartoon character that wasn't a bad guy (Barney excepted, but then he isn't human so the kids wouldn't make a connection there)?. Pop rock stars and models (people that even young children will look up to and try to emulate)? All thin and pretty. All this gives the subtle message that your worth as a person is somehow tied to what you look like.
Prejudice against being overweight and sterotyping of the overweight and obese permeates every part of our society, all the way from TV commercials and programs to magazines to toys. Is it any surprise, really, that we learn from even a very young age that being fat equates to a whole host of negative personality traits such as bullying, laziness or less intelligence? As the study shows, once those ideas are ingrained into our subconscious, they are very difficult, if not almost impossible, to change.
I'm trying very hard to teach my girls (who both happen to be normal weight and very pretty, BTW) that who a person is on the inside matters way more than what they look like on the outside, but I don't know how successful I'll ultimately be when I have to compete with all those messages that they get everywhere else.
|