The annual Weight Stigma Awareness Week aims to raise awareness of the harmful effects of weight bias and weight discrimination on the lives of individuals and our communities. Today’s #WSAW2015 events are focused on children and weight-based bullying.
This is a very personal issue for me since, as a child who was larger than many of my peers, I too was bullied. That contributed to many years of self-esteem issues, yo-yo dieting, and disordered eating. It also fuels my passion for helping individuals and communities heal their relationships with food and their bodies.
So today in honor of #WSAW2015, I am once again sharing my story, Michelle Goes On a Diet… That Lasted 20 Years (A Cautionary Tale), with the hope that is will raise awareness about weight stigma and weight-based bullying in children.
Michelle Goes On a Diet… That Lasted 20 Years is a cautionary tale for those who influence the lives of children. This inspiring story is about a 10 year old who goes on a diet and is transformed from a happy little girl to a body conscious teen who becomes the poster child for yo-yo dieting for the next 20 years. Through mindful eating, joyful movement, and self-care, Michelle becomes who she always was: A whole person body, mind, heart, and spirit, whose worth does not depend on the shape of her body or any other external measure of her value.