A number on the scale? Or God's daughter?
I was 12 when I first felt ashamed of my body. Popularity, dreams about high school, boy craziness, celebrity news, and school stress overwhelm the minds of many middle school girls. I know those factors certainly impacted my formative years. What most middle school girls don’t publicly talk about, and what so many hide, is the ongoing struggle with food that connects to the deeper issues of self-image, self-respect, and self-love.
When I opened up about my issues with food to my Sunday School class, I was met with not an ounce of judgment—only love.
I had always been a little bigger, slightly different looking. Eventually, things I was seeing in the media, along with public opinion of girls with larger legs and heftier builds influenced me in a negative way. I had never been self-conscious, but as I looked around and realized I stood out, I couldn’t help but feel inferior.
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