wind advisory

I think most of us (who read this blog) are very fortunate. (As far as I know), we all have parents and other people in our lives who love us and affirm us and cheer for us. That is really good because society doesn't always offer that to us. There are set standards that society expects us to live up to, or "look" up to.
I LOVE Public Health. I love the people perspective it puts on everything I learn. Especially in the world of nutrition where I am surrounded by a field that comes across as notoriously... judgey?  At least being the "Food police" is a common label put on practitioners.
I have learned a lot about eating disorders. And things people do (unhealthily) to control their weight. Things like exercising too much (too much being defined as being dependent upon it). Or cutting out food groups. Or labeling foods as "good" foods and "bad" foods. Or not eating enough later in the day/week if you eat "too much" earlier in the day/week. Or, of course, purging, diuretics, or enemas.
I think most people probably feel some sort of pressure to look a certain way or even pressure to dislike something about how they look. I think most people I know feel at least a little pressure to participate in one or more of these weight-control behaviors. Even now I feel like I should come up with something negative to say about myself, because that's what girls do!
Everyone's body is different. Everyone probably has something they don't love about how they look, but I honestly believe that is influenced by what society says it SHOULD look like. What does that even mean? What does society know about my body? (which God so beautifully and wonderfully made?!)
That said, I think we all need to come to a place of freedom. A place where we take care of ourselves, take care of our health, and LOVE our bodies and how we look, but also a place where we don't stress about our thighs or arms or bellies or kill ourselves trying to make something "perfect" (because, again, what is perfect?! That is a definition society has made up!)
If you're healthy, you're healthy! But that requires body health as well as mind health... loving ourselves is a big piece of that puzzle.