Kathy Kater is a nationally recognized expert in eating disorders and created the Healthy Body Image curriculum for the island of Kauai. She also is the author of Real Kids Come in All Sizes.
Kater’s ideas for young people are highlighted in the January-February 2007 issue of Inspiration, Hawaii’s Wellness Journal, and apply to people all ages:
Accept your body’s genetic predisposition. All bodies are wired to be heavier, thinner or in-between.
Understand that all bodies change developmentally. Puberty, pregnancy, menopause and aging cannot be controlled.
Never diet. Hunger is an internally regulated drive and demands to be satisfied. If you diet, you trigger overeating and a preoccupation with food.
Satisfy your body with plenty of wholesome, nutrient-rich foods.
Limit sedentary entertainment.
To find your optimal natural weight, eat healthfully and maintain an active lifestyle.
Choose realistic role models.
Maintain your integrity as a person. Your sense of identity is based on many aspects including values you believe in and the person that you are deep inside—not just your body image.
Become media savvy. Educate yourself about manipulative advertising and other factors that lead you to buy products or foods that aren’t good for you or that make you feel deficient.
Encourage others to join you in developing a healthy, realistic body image.
Kater’s insights underscore a simple truth: how you see yourself determines your daily choices, and the cumulative effect of moment-by-moment decisions shapes your future. Instead of looking for a path that will carry you forward into the future of your dreams, make your own path. As you self-confidently forge ahead, you will achieve a healthier body image—and by your example, you will help others achieve their goals.
Kater has encapsulated a lifetime of work in these ten items. I think you’ll agree that the list is worth saving, rereading from time to time and sharing with others.
Because I found Kater’s ideas so valuable, I sent this article to Gabby Reece, world-class athlete and beautiful young mother. Her staff posted it on Gabby’s site (www.gotogabby.com) on October 6. Go here for the full article.
"Self-esteem is the reputation we acquire with ourselves." Nathaniel Branden
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