You Are Too Young to Have a Negative Body Image

Okay so I still cant get over the campaign ads that were used for my Awareness assignment activity #2. I have always considered that showing a little skin was okay and never saw anything wrong with female athletes posing and showing off their bodies. However, after looking at the AVP tour ads, which by the way show nothing but butt cheeks hanging out of a bikini literally, my opinion has shifted.
I am 26 years old and when I was in elementary school I knew nothing about having a body image. I would care less what I ate and I played sports for fun, not to be thin. I now have a younger cousin who is 10 years old and is a tumbler. We were getting ready to eat once and she said she didn't want to eat because she didn't want to get fat. My cousin is a twig and I can see all her ribs thorugh her skin. I couldnt believe my ears. I also went to watch her perform and was shocked by the itty, bitty outfits they wear for competition; stomachs all out and tiny little skirts. Well no wonder they are so concerned with body image at such a young age. Kids are being exposed to ads all over like the AVP tour ads and our being put in clothes that bring attention to their bodies. It is no wonder young girls are so prone to eating disorders and I blame a significant amount on the parents. Parents are still very influential people and I dont think they talk enough to their kids, especially girls, about their bodies and health.

The Internet Can be a Powerfull Tool for Female Athletes

Since the creation of the internet many individuals all over the world have had access to information they would have never come across if it was not for the internet. The internet is an easily accessible source that provides substantial information and allows for people to communicate at a local level, across the country, and even internationally. I think that utilizing the internet is a great way of displaying female athletes outside of the "norm" of the media. The media cannot control what individuals can display on the internet and I think that it gives female athletes the opportunity to portray themselves as they really are, athletes, not supermodels. This gives all those across the world access to view websites, blogs, informative sites, and allow for possible social change. I think that the internet does have great potential for reaching out to many people and it enables female athletes to be seen as "tough" athletes, not sexual objects in bikinis.

The Disadvantage of Minorities and Exercise

A required article that I read in class for "Women in Sport" really caught my attention. The article related to the aspects of African American women and walking interventions. I never anticipated that culture and race puts such restrictions on exercise and health until I read this article. I am hispanic and I have always had access to sports and recreational activites since I can remember. Because of that I never considered that other minorities could encounter disadvantages and have limited access to exercise and health. Taking this course has made me aware that black and hispanic women do not have the same support from family members when it comes to their health. They are still expected to carry the load of the family and put everyone else as a priority before themselves. Minority women and their familites, I feel, lack the education and knowledge of what benefits occur as a resultof exercise. Therefore, health and exercise are not a priority. Because appearance and beauty are not as highly emphasized in these communities there is also no reason to exercise to be thin. Another point that came up during the topic of minorities and exercise is that lower income neighborhoods do not have the same access to healthy choices in supermarkets and in grocery stores. It opened my eyes and made me realize that it was true. While growing up we sometimes did our grocery shopping in a city neighboring ours that was not as nice and recall that a lot of their produce was not fresh. It was old and fruits were bruised which made you not want to buy fruit. How sad is that? Something that is supposed to be healthy and part of a balanced diet looked absolutely disgusting. My new aspect after this course is to educate all the women in my family about how good exercise is for the body and mind and the importance of making better food choices.