How Many Calories Are In That Gerber Applesauce?

Girls have an immense amount of pressure on them from an extremely early age. For as long as I can remember, I or one of my friends has been experiencing some kind of an issue with our body image. Whether it manifests itself through literally staring down a cake, eating sugar-free chocolate (an abomination to mankind), or incessantly going to the gym; we’ve all been there – worried our waist sizes are getting too big.

I also think we all can remember a time way back when where this stuff wasn’t an issue. Where 7-layer cake was simply delicious, and not a evil overlord trying to force you into elastic-banded sweatpants. And for many of us, that time period included those magical years of preschool, where we were congratulated on making a macaroni art picture and got 3 snacktimes a day.

WELL, that innocence is over, according to a new study. Apparently, even Preschoolers are worried about their weight these days.

Let me repeat that.

Young girls aged 3-5 years old ARE WORRIED ABOUT THEIR WEIGHT. Up to 50% of the girls surveyed were already anxious about their looks, and a third were almost always worried about their weight and appearance, with some even desiring to change their hair color. (via The Daily Telegraph)

This is a symptom of the serious issue we have in our country and society. No three-year-old little girl should be so concerned about her weight or hair color. Girls should be taught that their bodies are perfect the way they are, that they can do anything. I understand the obesity epidemic plaguing thousands of kids across this country, and am a huge advocate of healthy, balanced meals for our kids and education of what goes into making those meals.

But this has nothing to do with that. If a young girl is eating healthy foods and staying active, as far as I’m concerned, she’s healthy. She shouldn’t go through life feeling judged, or feeling that she could be judged on her hair or weight or makeup or clothing or whatever it may be.

This study is proof that this issue is real, that the media and advertisements and television and movies can have a serious affect in how we view ourselves – even when we’re three years old. It’s up to us to start a revolution and demand change – for the sake of our future three-year-old daughters. I mean, let’s enjoy cookies while we can, right?

Becka also writes for her own blog, Becka Tells All.