Obese Girls and Sex

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37344482/ns/health-kids_and_parenting/?ns=health-kids_and_parenting

This article is linking earlier incidences of sex, unprotected sex and multiple sexual partners to girls being overweight. I was very fortunate and didn't fall into any of those categories. I will say though how much I understand it. I would say if I hadn't been raised in a culture to value women and help us know the importance of waiting until marriage (and I know that doesn't work for everyone, but waiting at least for a first time until you're older than 13 makes sense to anyone) that I would have ended up like one of these statistics.

I know for me personally it was related directly to my insecurity that caused me to seek out male attention. Because I developed earlier than my friends I had assets I could show off to the boys to get attention. If there was a guy I liked in one of my classes I would intentionally wear tighter shirts or low cut tops to get him to talk to me and notice me. I was always hoping some guy would like me. For crying out loud I didn't even get asked to my senior prom and I probably only weighed 160lbs. Sure, I was overweight, but I wasn't gross.

Absolutely we need to help these girls be healthier, but we also need to let girls know they are good enough as they are. We need to make it less about appearance and more about who they are as a human being. They can be loved for their intelligence, wit, humor, compassion and various other talents.

It was the natural confidence I had about my intelligence that allowed me to rise above the challenges that could have befallen me. I'm blessed to have had the experiences I had and to have avoided some dangerous other experiences. Girls are so precious and we need to let them know that. Love your daughters, before someone else fools them into the wrong kind of love.