The #1 wish for 11-17 year old girls: to be THINNER!

How a staggering 80 PER CENT of 10-year-olds have been on a diet - and young girls' number one wish is to be thinner
By DAILY MAIL 
June 29, 2012

A new campaign that aims to empower teenagers from today's image and weight obsessed society has revealed that the number one wish for 11 to 17-year-old girls is to be thinner.

Miss Representation has released facts during its Keep It Real campaign, revealing that 80per cent of ten-year-old girls say they have been on a diet and 81per cent are afraid of getting fat.

Adults have become accustomed to dealing with society's constant and pervasive body pressure, but how young girls handle the idea that their value lies in youth, beauty and sexuality is troubling to many.

Troubling facts: Miss Representation has released facts during its Keep It Real campaign, revealing how 80 per cent of ten-year-old girls have been on a diet. Credit: Getty

The facts, which come from lengthy studies published in the Journal of Christian Nursing, also revealed that 53per cent of 13-year-old girls are unhappy with their bodies, a number that increases to 78per cent by age 17.

Apparently three out of four teenage girls feel depressed, guilty and shameful after spending three minutes looking through a fashion magazine.

This could be attributed to the fact that 20 years ago, the average fashion model weighed only eight per cent less than the average woman, today however, that number is 23per cent less.
On top of this, 43per cent of first to third grade girls want to be thinner.

The campaign challenges media`s limited and often disparaging portrayals of girls, 'which make it difficult for the average woman to feel powerful herself.'

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