CONGRATULATIONS to Cindy Flores, commentor #28! You’re the winner! Thanks to all who participated and be sure to return in July for our next round of giveaways!
Here’s a great giveaway for the teen/self-help book, Picture Perfect: What You Need to Feel Better About Your Body
Psychotherapist Jill Zimmerman Rutledge uses her experience working with adolescent girls to help readers discover ways to establish realistic expectations about appearance. She offers case studies and real-life conversations to illustrate the ways girls can create positive messages and special statements to recognize and celebrate their special gifts.
For example, in Chapter Two, Should I Eat This? When Worries about Food and Weight Kidnap Your Life, teenage client, Brandi, felt bad about her body because she was larger and more athletic than most of her friends. Her Special Statement, “I’m Strong, Not Fat,” helps her interrupt the cycle of feeling too big so that she can relax and enjoy her life.
In the book, Brandi says:
I asked my best friend if she thought I was fat. She said, “No, you’re strong, but your not fat. You’re the best athlete I know.” So that became my Special Statement: I’m Strong, Not Fat. I say that to myself a lot…Thinking so much about my weight made me sad and worried all the time. I was scared to have pizza or french fries or anything with fat in it. Now I try to concentrate on having a good time. When I eat with my friends, I try to remind myself that I’m being normal. I think it helps me feel better about myself.
If you have a preteen or teenage daughter who has ever voiced thoughts about negative body image, this may be the perfect book for her.
This book is a straight-forward, useful and fun read and might be the key to unlocking a strong sense of self in a girl you know!
To be considered for the contest, please leave a comment describing what interests you about the book. You can participate even if you don’t have a blog. Just make sure you leave a working email when you leave your comment. I’ll choose the winner at random after 5 p.m. CST on Friday, June 20. US addresses only. Thanks for stopping by!
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Tags: body image, self esteem, teen
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9:13 pm
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10:28 pm
This book looks great! I’ve got a tween daughter and work with teen girls, so I know how important the message is.
8:59 am
This contest is wonderful. My 16 yr old daughter has just started working out with a trainer. She is a dancer and is a different body type than most of the other girls. She hates her body and I want her to understand that not everyone is a size 2 in the real world.
12:05 pm
[...] to review the teen book, Picture Perfect: What You Need to Feel Better About Your Body, (giveaway here) I thought the timing was impeccable. If adults feel these insecurities, surely girls do as well [...]
7:17 pm
I think this book would be great. My daughter is currently on the ADA diet and she would love this book.
Thank you,
Gwen
12:54 am
Greetings! Unfortunately, I know two lovely ladies you could share this book. One is my niece who was verbally abused by a boyfriend. He used to tell her constantly, if you eat that, you’ll get fat. Now, she is obsessive compulsive about her eating. Her mom (my sister) and I are constantly watching out for her. She is in therapy and working with a doctor. The other person is my oldest son’s girlfriend. Last year, some uncaring cheerleader mom said something about T. and she quit cheerleading. She is very thin and tiny. Please enter me in your drawing. Many thanks, Cindi
1:22 am
I don’t have wrinkles, I have smile creases…. ha ha,
Actually, what I really thought when I read this, was about the process the author went through. I wondered if she researched on the beach, too. (:
11:01 am
OH – this would be SO great to use with my Scout Troop – SO great. They are at that age and they would devour this book – I am almost certain!
11:19 am
This book sounds really good. And I love the phrase, “strong, not fat”. As someone who struggled with body image in college, my heart goes out to young girls who put too much pressure on themselves to be thin. Thanks for the info!
1:40 pm
I have a niece that would really benefit from a book like this. She has incredible self esteem issues formed from having a relationship with a man 18 years older than her when she was 16. He served time in prison but she is still dealing with the aftermath.
11:41 am
This would be a great ‘back-up’ for talks with my 13-year old and her friends regarding their self-image and the “unrealistics” that society tries to fill our daughters heads with. It’s about being healthy, not skinny…
1:15 pm
With 2 teenage daughters and all the pressure society puts on someone to be one way, this would be a great addition to help them realize they are “beautiful” just the way they are. Thank you for offering it!
2:00 pm
DD need to read this book. She’s away at college and needs all the help she can get.
6:56 pm
I was thinking this would be great to give to one of my high school students
3:27 am
With all the focus on the so-called “obesity epidemic” people tend to forget that eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness.
A study by the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders reported that 5 – 10% of anorexics die within 10 years after contracting the disease; 18-20% of anorexics will be dead after 20 years and only 30 – 40% ever fully recover….
9:49 am
I would love to have this book for my little sister – girls are worrying about their weight when they are way too young!
11:02 am
I do have kids of my own, but I would use this book in a different way: I teach middle school in an extremely urban, low income area, and the things I’ve seen and heard from my students is nothing short of traumatizing. The kids I work with have been through things I can’t even imagine, and many of them have been verbally, sexually, and physically abused by their parents or caregivers. their self image is worse than I could even come up with if I tried. I would love to have a book like this in my classroom library, so many girls in my classes would benefit.
11:54 am
I have two daughters, one 14 and one 12 going on 13. The younger one has some body issues, she is worried her thighs are too fat, etc. This would be a good book for her.
She has been extra concerned about her appearance recently, just this morning she couldn’t decide what tee shirt to wear!!
2:00 pm
I love self help books, its a good way to boost self esteem. Would love to read this book! Great giveaway, thanks!
6:51 pm
I’m expecting a baby and as my body rapidly changes I’m finding it hard to adjust…this book would be I’m sure be a great read for me!
7:46 pm
I really like the idea behind this book. I’m obese and try very hard to prevent my kids from getting like me. I make sure they eat and drink healthy foods and drinks. But they are kids so occasionally they can have junk foods.
Just this past weekend my daughter was trying on bathing suits in the store and she turned to the mirror and said “Gosh… I’m so fat”. I could have fainted!!!!! She’s not fat at all!!!! She might have a little “baby fat” or love handles but her weight/height are right on track. I couldn’t believe she said that.
My daughter is very influenced by others and I think she could really benefit from a book like this.
7:54 pm
I think all of us women struggle with feelings of inferiority relating to our bodies. Many of us see ourselves in a distorted way. I’d like to know how to help my daughter avoid this when the time comes….this book would help me feel more knowledgeable about the subject. Thanks!
Megret
meg (dot) wilson (at) gmail (dot) com
10:16 pm
I would love to read this – my daughter is still so young, but my mom’s comments on my weight as a teenager caused me SO many problems… I need to learn how to help my daughter feel good about herself and be healthy that way, and I’m afraid of not being able to escape the pattern that I grew up with.
10:23 pm
this is exactly what my young teen granddaughter needs!
8:09 am
This book interests me because my 14 year old daughter has such a negative body image that it actually interferes with her life and prevents her from doing things she would otherwise love! I don’t know what else to do to help her with this and could really use the guidance from the book. stilljen@comcast.net
8:32 pm
I’m interested in this book because I have a 13-year-old friend who is a dancer and who is obsessed with being thin. I’d love her to get some perspective.
8:32 pm
This book would be great for me! I have a beautiful blond haired, blue eyed ,gorgeous daughter that thinks she’s not pretty. I am always trying to tell her that she is but she says I have to say that cuz I’m Mom
3:27 pm
This book would be perfect for my daughter and I. She is kinda shy and I think this book would help with self-esteem.
7:20 pm
it’s not just teenagers who suffer from body image issues!
11:08 pm
My goal is to raise girls with healthy images. This book can help.
6:31 am
My granddaughter is coming of age and this would help her along.
4:31 pm
I have a daughter that turns 12 this year and she is already suffering from esteem problems caused by careless comments from her peers. This could be a life saver for us!
5:15 am
I have three daughters. EVERYTHING interests me about this book.
2:13 pm
Society’s conscious and unconscious message to girls will never change so it’s important to do what we can to help girls feel positive about the gifts they’ve been given and to accept and take delight in those gifts.
9:31 pm
I have a 12 year old niece whose mother is constantly commenting on how much and what she eats. I have worried about her self image and would love to receive a copy of this book to give to her.
5:04 am
I have a preteen that could use this book.
4:48 pm
I have a soon to be an 11 year old, so I’m sure this book would be great for her!
5:05 pm
two teen daughters here
3:19 pm
These types of books are so important to young girls. Poor self image is something that cannot be readily repaired once it’s broken.
gkstratos @yahoo.com
9:09 pm
I have a tween daughter and she worries about her image and I am always telling her to stop comparing herself to everyone else. Her friends are all tall and leggy and very thin (their natural build) where as my daughter is shorter and not stick thin like them. I keep telling her that she is a healthy weight for her height as per her doctor, but sometimes I worry that she does not believe me. I think this book would be PERFECT to help her understand that no one is “perfect” and we all come in different shapes and sizes.
4:47 pm
What interests me about this book is the subject matter – it really seems to go right after big problems, not tip toe around them. Sounds like a good read.