Equalities minister Lynne Featherstone has launched a 12-page guide aimed at tackling youngsters’ body hang-ups.And yes. It’s just the sort of twaddle and contradictory lunacy you’d expect from her.
It warns parents that comments about weight and body shape, as well as airbrushed images of celebrities, are damaging children’s self-esteem.*sigh*
A series of practical tips for ‘promoting a healthy body image’ urges parents to look at magazines and TV adverts with their children and point out where images are likely to have been digitally enhanced.Do you really think Sharon & Tracey are capable of the awesome deductive skills required for this?
They are also told to refrain from praising prettiness or thinness, comparing youngsters to celebrities or teasing them about their weight.
In further advice, which is likely to trigger claims of fuelling the nanny state, the online guide advises parents to ‘try not to complain about parts of your body you don’t like’.
‘Although it is difficult to feel confident about your body all the time, by appearing to be neutral or positive about your own appearance, you will be helping your child to develop their own body confidence,’ the pack says.Does ‘sticking your head in the sand’ similarly qualify as good advice for any other issues?
If a child complains ‘I’m fat’, parents should ‘discuss body diversity and how the beauty ideals they may be relating to lack diversity’.I can haz English translation, plz?
Mrs Featherstone said: ‘Young people are being set an impossible standard by images in media and advertising which can erode their self esteem.
‘As parents, we are often aware of these issues, but may not have the advice and guidance we need to talk to our children.
‘I want the pack to empower parents to have those difficult conversations.’Tell you what, Lynne, why don’t you pop along to your counterparts in the DoH and stop them sending out these letters, if you’re really so concerned about ‘body issues’?
It’ll do a lot more good than your
10 comments:
Here's that translation for you Julia:
Ugly and fat is the new pretty and slim.
Here's that translation for you Julia:
Ugly and fat is the new pretty and slim.
But haven't the government been calling coppers fat and lazy?!!
Not quite joined up government. Can they send some of these leaflets to the Police?
I just caught a glimpse of my elbow, it's horrible Waaaah.
Where do I go for compensayshun again? : )
Lynne Featherstone.
Sharp as a bowling ball. Very good at wasting money other people have earned.
Call 999 dear, I think it's the boiler again.
Perhaps she's upset about her 'Bignose' nickname.
XX If a child complains ‘I’m fat’, parents should ‘discuss body diversity and how the beauty ideals they may be relating to lack diversity’.XX
Now I am confused.
Are we supossed to be telling the wee fat bastards to "go on a bloody diet, because the Westminster dictatorship has decreed you are all lard arses."
Or are we supossed to be allowing them to bloom to the size of a zeppelin, because otherwise they may get upset at being called "fat bastard"?
I wonder if she looked in the mirror before talking about "body image".
Furor Teutonicus
Took the words out of my mouth. There is supposed to be an obesity epidemic and we need to force people to shape up. BUT, you can't point out to people that they are fat/obese/overweight/chubby/huge and give them advice on how to lose some of the extra baggage, because it might be bad for their self esteem. Logic is just a bunch of letters to some people.
Besides, I always thought that body image 'problems' are symptomatic of something deeper, not causative.
"Ugly and fat is the new pretty and slim."
Good luck selling that one to 'Heat' magazine!
"But haven't the government been calling coppers fat and lazy?!!"
Indeed. It seems even the government doesn't bother reading its own 'guidance'!
"Besides, I always thought that body image 'problems' are symptomatic of something deeper, not causative."
Indeed. Not likely to be resolved via a pamphlet either.
"advises parents to ‘try not to complain about parts of your body you don’t like’."
Am I the only one who thinks that potentially dangerous? I mean surely that potentially masks potentially serious medical conditions. I mean how many times have you gone to the doctor because "something didn't look right"? I have known a few people who had pre-cancerous moles excised and whilst moles in general might be seen as a mere cosmetic issue skin cancer isn't.
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