Female Body Image in the Media – The Pressure to Be Thin in Society

DietingHow thin is too thin? If you think childhood obesity statistics are shocking, there is increasing concern about how the pressure to be thin in society is affecting girls and boys through the media, and how girls in particular are more obsessed with dieting than in previous generations. The obsession to be thin has lead to an increase in eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia in girls as young as 5-years-old, according to recent studies and surveys.

Girls whose moms are on a diet are almost twice as likely to suffer from an eating disorder, according to a recent survey of over 500 teenage girls between the ages of 12 to 18, conducted by teen magazine Sugar. Most of the teenage girls surveyed said they felt damaged by their mother’s dieting obsession and views on food and considered their mothers to be the biggest influence on their own self-image.

Got boys, rather than girls? You’re still not out of the woods moms and dads. Boys struggle with body image too, even though boys may not be as vocal about it, but unrealistic, unhealthy body image standards for boys are very common. Media and peer pressure to be thin and not “heavy”, build big biceps, and create those hard, toned bodies and six-pack abs has become society’s idea of the ideal body for boys and men.

“Thinheritance” is the new modern term describing females who have “inherited” their mothers views and opinions about her own body image, which is then projected onto the daughters by way of comments about body weight issues and concerns about being “fat”. Moms, ask yourself, do you have poor body image? When you look in the mirror or put your clothes on in the morning, do you tell yourself that you are too fat, too thin, ugly, old and tired? The things you tell yourself about how you feel about your own body, shape, size, weight and measurements may very well be affecting your daughter’s perception and beliefs about her body image.
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Earn Extra Money From Home in Your Spare Time Freelance Writing Online

Freelance WritingDo you need to make online cash? A lot of people feel the need to make money online and if you are someone who wants to earn extra money from home in your spare time or on a full-time basis to help pay the bills, freelance writing should be at the top of your list of things to learn how to do.

There are a lot of ways to make money from home, and I’m not referring to stuffing envelopes, doing paid online surveys or trying to make money mystery shopping. Nor am I going to recommend any kind of “earn money at home” job that is nothing but a scam. If you want or need to earn money from home, you need to understand that there are scammers on the internet just waiting to take your money with bogus offers of how to earn money fast and easy. Beware of at-home jobs that are nothing but a ripoff!

Learning how to become a freelance writer is not rocket science. You don’t need a college degree, a high school diploma or even the best typing skills. If you can read and write in English, you can earn money from home fulfilling any number of freelance writing jobs online or offline to earn extra money at home on your computer. I make money typing at home on my computer keyboard as a writer, and if I can earn money at home writing, so can you.
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Need a Divorce Lawyer? Common Divorce Mistakes Women Make

Divorce Mistakes Women MakeAmy writes, “Do I need a divorce lawyer or can I represent myself?” After 30 years of marriage her husband wants a divorce, which begs the questions: Do you need a divorce lawyer to handle your divorce case? Why? When should you hire a divorce lawyer, and when is it okay to get a do-it-yourself divorce with or without the help of divorce books or online divorce forms? Divorce laws are different in each state, and while you can get a divorce without a lawyer, doing so can be very risky if you don’t know what you are doing.

One of the biggest mistakes women (and men) make in matters of divorce is deciding not to hire an attorney when needed, or opting to share the same lawyer in an understandable yet potentially dangerous effort to cut costs. If you are getting a divorce after 15, 20 or 30 years of marriage or less, hiring a good divorce lawyer can help you avoid the all-too common divorce mistakes that can lead you into personal and financial ruin.

Reasons to Hire a Divorce Lawyer

The old saying, a man (or woman) who acts as his own attorney has a fool for a client, couldn’t be more true in many divorce cases. Even though it is not required by law to hire a divorce lawyer, there are several reasons why hiring an attorney is recommended for divorcing couples, especially those with minor children.
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reSTART Internet Addiction Treatment Center Rehab Program for Computer Internet Addicts

Children Addicted to Video GamesreSTART internet addiction treatment center for computer internet and video gaming addicts, people who are addicted to the internet or playing video games, has opened its first rehab residential treatment program in the U.S. Commonly referred to as Internet Addiction Disorder (IAD), the reSTART treatment center opened its doors in August 2009 with its first patient, 19-year-old Ben Alexander of Iowa City.

reSTART, described as a 45-day video game and Internet addiction recovery program, is located in Fall City, Washington, about 30 miles east of Seattle. An admitted gaming addict, Alexander became so addicted to the online fantasy game World of Warcraft that he would spend more than 16 hours a day glued to the computer game, skipping meals and sleep for the sake of playing the game.

In an interview with Time, Alexander says he became so addicted to playing video games that “It was pretty much all I was doing when I was in college.” After unsuccessfully trying to wean himself off of the addictive game and nearly failing school, he “had a moment of clarity” and asked his dad for help. Before discovering reSTART, Alexander checked into an addiction treatment center in Eastern Washington but that didn’t help, and then went to a wilderness adventure program in Utah, all to no avail.
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Childhood Obesity: Overweight Children Weight Loss Plan for Kids and Teens

Childhood Obesity CausesChildhood obesity in children and teens who are considered overweight or clinically obese is on the rise, according to research studies on the prevalence of overweight and obese children and adolescents in the U.S. Child obesity statistics speak for themselves, with the term “childhood obesity epidemic” creating concern for parents and health officials, as well as city and state government officials searching for ways to reduce and even prevent obesity in children.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), over nine million kids and teens between the ages of 6-19 years of age have been diagnosed as being overweight or morbidly obese, an alarming number that has tripled since 1980.

The CDC reports that over the past three decades child obesity rates have more than doubled for preschool children between the ages of 2-5 years and adolescents aged 12-19 years, and it has more than tripled for children aged 6-11 years.

Childhood Obesity Statistics

According to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Resources, overweight kids and teens have a 70% chance of becoming overweight or obese adults, which jumps to 80% if one or more parents is overweight or obese themselves.

In the U.K., parents of overweight school kids are to receive a letter from schools telling them their child is underweight, a healthy weight, overweight or very overweight. Included in the letter are tips and advice on getting kids to eat healthy, the risks of being overweight and physical activities their child can do to lower their weight and risk factors.
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Free Dental Care Clinics – How to Get Low Cost or Free Dental Treatment

Free Dental ServicesDid you know that free dental care is available for people in need of dental treatment services who cannot afford the cost of dental work out of their own pocket? Finding an affordable dentist when you have no money, no credit cards and no dental insurance to help pay for treatment can be very difficult for low income families, the elderly and disabled members of society.

Add to that the list of men and women who have lost their jobs and insurance due to the current economic recession or are experiencing serious health problems, you can probably imagine how difficult it is for individuals, families and children to get much needed dental work done.

According to the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), more than 131 million children and adults in the U.S. do not have dental health insurance. Even though the NIDCR does not offer financial assistance for those needing dental care, they do seek volunteers to participate in clinical trials specific to dental, oral or craniofacial condition. Fortunately, these individuals may qualify for free dental care or low cost treatment from one or more programs offered by public and private organizations.

What do you do when you need to go to the dentist, but don’t have an affordable dental plan or the financial means to seek treatment? There are low cost dental care programs, dental grants and free dental clinics in the U.S. that help people get dental checkups and treatments in regular intervals for free, as well as caring for dental emergencies that can happen without warning for little or no cost.
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Abercrombie & Fitch Pitches New Trashy College Line T-Shirts to America’s Sexualized Youth

afshowthetwinsAbercrombie & Fitch is at it again. The “Abercrombie & Fitch pitches new trashy T-Shirts to America’s Youth” headline is creating quite a stir around the internet, and for very good reason. It’s called the Sexualization of Children and Abercrombie & Fitch continues to target American young people with their highly sexualized clothing lines and t-shirts. Abercrombie & Fitch (A&F) has come out with a new line of t-shirts called “New College Tees” with inappropriate, sexualized messages appearing on the t-shirts.

College students may find A&F clothing styles appealing, but tweens and teens shop and spend their own money or allowance at Abercrombie and Fitch too. These tees are not appropriate for any age, let alone tweens and teens wearing such “sexy” smut. Parents would be wise to consider very carefully what department store gift cards to buy as gifts, especially gift cards or clothes from stores such as Abercrombie & Fitch.

The American Family Association and OneMillionMoms.com is spearheading an e-mail campaign to the popular A&F clothing store over their new “Get It On” Fall line of T-shirts. Regarding the new line of trashy tees, OneMillionMoms director Monica Cole said, “A few of their little slogans are pretty offensive to women in general, so you wouldn’t want your daughters or nieces wearing these shirts.” Cole continues saying the trashy tees are “only available in stores. It’s not online, and parents can’t even get a preview before they go in the stores, so they will be shocked; then it will be too late.”
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Most Popular Christmas Toys 2009-Hot New Toys For Kids Christmas

LeapFrog Learn & Groove Musical TableChristmas 2009 is here. Are you ready? Every Christmas holiday season parents ask, “What will be the most popular hot new toys for Christmas this year?” The latest trends in new toys for Christmas correspond closely to the economy, which is why the “Recession Christmas” or frugal Christmas gifts term is often used by people looking for affordable Christmas gifts for their kids and teens.

Toy makers and manufacturers understand that people have less money to spend on Christmas this year and are making smaller versions of large more-expensive toys, with one example being the new mini version of last years big Fur Real dinosaur from the Hasbro Fur Real Friends line of toys.

A hot new trend in toys for 2009 are Eco-friendly, “Green” or recycled toys that are made out of recycled materials to help the environment. Toys made from environmentally friendly materials are called Green Toys, such as the Fuzz That Was by Mary Meyer, which are stuffed toy pets made out of old recycled water bottles.

Green Toys for Kids

An Eco-friendly green toy company in California called The Green Toy Company sells “Made in the USA” toys for kids from 100% recycled materials, including a toy recycling truck, a toy dump truck, indoor gardening kit, jump rope, sand play set, an Ecosaucer, a toy cookware and dining set, toy tool set, a toy dish set, a toy chef set, and a toy tea set – each made from recycled milk bottles.
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Kids Christmas Songs, Funny Christmas Songs For Kids, Children’s Christmas Music

Kids Christmas SongsKids Christmas songs that are funny makes listening to Christmas music especially delightful for children and preschool kids during the Christmas holiday season, and grownups often have a great time listening to silly Christmas songs too.

If you are looking for children’s Christmas music or carols for your kids to sing along to, below you will find a large extensive list of Christmas songs to choose from, perhaps even the ultimate kids Christmas music playlist found anywhere online.

You can spend a lot of time going through all of the online lists of Top 10 Christmas songs for kids or even lists of some Top 25 kids Christmas songs, but here you will find a total of 103 Christmas songs for children.

If you are looking for a list of the best Christmas music that includes traditional Christmas songs, funny Christmas songs for kids, Spanish Christmas Carols or even Christian Christmas music, look no further because this is the only list you will need. Having downloadable Christmas songs to listen to on an iPod, mp3 player or in your car cd player will definitely help you and your kids get in the Christmas spirit. Enjoy!

Kids Christmas Music – Funny Christmas Songs
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Stocking Stuffer Ideas: 103 Christmas Stocking Stuffers For Kids and Teens

Stocking Stuffer IdeasDo you ever have trouble coming up with new ideas for filling Christmas stockings? Christmas stocking stuffers for kids and teens are often one of the last things parents or grandparents shop for during the Christmas holiday season, and by the time you decide to buy kids candy stocking stuffers in the cheap dime store aisles, all the good stuff is gone.

If you think kids stocking stuffers are a challenge, just wait until your kids become teenagers and you find the typical stocking fillers of candy or small toys just doesn’t cut it anymore. That’s usually when parents start feeling like there is no such thing as cheap stocking stuffers anymore, often finding themselves spending a small fortune on filling stockings when the money may be better spent elsewhere.

Watching kids and teens discover the unique little goodies in their Christmas stockings is always a fun thing for families come Christmas morning, that’s for sure. Parents are either finding cheap and creative ways to fill xmas stockings during this Christmas recession we’re in, including sticking to traditional ideas of filling stockings with fruits and nuts, while other parents have decided not to fill stockings at all or at least use very small Christmas stockings this year.

If you are looking for some new stocking stuffer ideas that won’t break the bank, here is a list of 103 stocking stuffers for kids and teens that are inexpensive, but will also light up those cute little faces Christmas morning.
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