I was always a very thin girl. I dealt with a lot of teasing about it, but more often the comments felt like praise. It was part of my identity. Even after the birth of my first child I managed to shrink back down to a small size and I honestly never considered I wouldn’t remain slender. Then I hit thirty and had child number two, followed quickly by child number three and at 35 I had my last child and a whole new body. I am no longer thin, and for the last decade I have berated myself for it. I have dieted, taken weight loss supplements, exercised until I collapsed and placed my value on the number on the scale. I have lost weight and gained it back again, and all the while I have had my children watching.
A recent survey commissioned by Multi-Grain Cheerios examining young women ages 10-17 revealed some compelling stats:
- 3 in 5 women have been on a diet
- 52% of girls get their information about dieting and nutrition from family members
- 1 in 5 girls under 18 is currently dieting
In order to end this cycle of destructive dieting, Multi-Grain Cheerios has launched “Generation Healthy”, a program aimed at encouraging women to recognize their self-worth and become part of the solution as a role model living a healthy, balanced lifestyle. To help create a world without dieting, Multi-Grain Cheerios is encouraging Canadians to take the first step in being a positive, healthy role model by taking the “Never Say Dieting Oath” at WorldWithoutDieting.ca. Here is Silken Laumann taking the oath…
If you agree, take the oath yourself and you can enter to win the contest below for a $100 Loblaws Gift Card.
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