Finding Your Voice: Taking a Stand

Dear Kathleen, As a teenage girl, I feel too much pressure to be beautiful, skinny, and fashionable. First of all, I know it is pretty normal to find faults with my body. The thing that bugs me about it is how much people look into it. Most of the time, the people who are being affected by the “size two” plague, as I call it, are not overweight. I am a little overweight, but not to the point that a good exercise program won’t get rid of it. Yet, I see girls and women who are thinner than me going through extremes to be even thinner. I see them severely dieting, using weight-loss pills, going into treatment centers for slimming and trimming products, even becoming anorexic and bulimic. It is not only harmful for them mentally, but it is very harmful to them physically. Fashion is also becoming too essential. Fashion is beginning to have a very negative impact on teens. Everyone shouldn’t feel the need to look the same and wear only a certain brand. I don’t really like to be noticed. I hate it when people look at me like, what is she wearing, it is a horrible feeling. I like a lot of crazy colors and cool styles; it is something I have gained from living overseas. Because of the teasing and scorning that occurs, there are a lot of teens that don’t dress in clothes they personally find fashionable, comfortable, or cool. I don’t think this is very fair’ because as I said, I am able to buy unique clothing from different parts of the world. I love to wear them. I don’t wear those clothes around everyone, because I know it will bring about teasing and strange looks. The fact that there is such a need for everyone to be the same in such a diverse world is such a waste. All girls don’t need to be a size two to be beautiful. All teens don’t need to look the same and wear the same clothes to be cool and fashionable. Everyone should have the privilege of being creative and being who he or she wants to be, without fear of what people will think.As I told you in the other email I feel this is a problem that I hope will be fixed. Seeing as it is a rising problem I doubt it will happen in my lifetime, but, it helps to express your feelings. I enjoyed your website thoroughly and I will defiantly recommend it to people searching for advice and help. Thank you for your support. Sincerely, Mika Lawton