Body Image

I would actually like to talk about a serious issue: women and their body image.

My 8-year-old daughter came up to me and asked me if she was fat. I froze. She's EIGHT years old. She should not be thinking of these matters. She should be playing with dolls and other toys.

It made me think about myself and about the way I felt about myself as an adolescent. I have always been little, yet I was very insecure about my figure in my twenties. Maybe it was just age, but it definitely has to do with magazines and the media. You see the same excuses all of the time: models say that they are "naturally thin," and that they are not the reason so many of young women in today's generation want to achieve that imperfect body. Well, guess what? When I was a young teen, I looked at all of those models and said to myself that I wanted to look like that. I'm not blaming them because some women are definitely naturally thin, but not the majority.

So, what can we do to feel good about ourselves as women and accept the body type that we were born with? First of all, eat healthily. This is nothing new. I started working at Whole Foods Market 10 years ago, and I completely changed my eating habits. It's simple. Eat when you're hungry, and stop when you're full. If you feel like having ice cream or a brownie when you're not hungry, do it!! Especially if you have a well-rounded diet for the most part.

I am in the best shape of my life after having 2 children. Actually, the day I gave birth to my daughter, I weighted 2 pounds less than when I graduated from college: thank you beer and Taco Bell.

My main point is is that I vow to raise my daughter with a positive body image, and I think that all women should step up to the plate and do what they can to ensure that they are living a healthy life and maybe teaching others (a friend, family member, child, etc.) that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. The most important thing is that you have to like who you are and maybe try to educate others about a healthier lifestyle to feel confident in who they are as a girl, teen-ager, woman.

Lila