Katherine Schwarzenegger's New Book Hopes to Improve Girls' Self Image

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by Alex A. Kecskes

"I hate myself!" I cried to my mother.
"I'm fat, I'm ugly, I'm stupid, and I feel totally disgusting!" I was ten years old and painfully suffering as only one can in the fourth grade, but this was the first time I could recall revealing my worries about my appearance to anyone.

So begins 'Rock What You've Got,' the insightful new book by Katherine Schwarzenegger, the "Governator's" attractive 20-year-old daughter.

Determined to instill today's young girls with a healthy attitude toward their bodies, and inspired by her internship at Dove where she worked on their campaign for real beauty, the young author developed an interest in body image that compelled her to write her book.

One study reports that at age thirteen, 53% of American girls are unhappy with their bodies. This grows to 78% by the time girls reach seventeen. Shocked by these and other statistics, Katherine was determined to clarify what girls should and shouldn't feel.

She first became aware of her body and compared it to other girls when she was in the 4th grade. When her body changed in the 10th grade, she was confused, self-conscious and not sure how to accept those changes. Her book advises young girls not to feel pressured about their appearance, and that girls on magazine covers are heavily "Photoshopped" to appear flawless and glamorous.

Katherine grew to accept her body image in the second year of college, deciding not to stress over her appearance and stay away from fad diets just to look like a celebrity. She admitted she doesn't weigh herself and gauges her weight by how her clothes fit her. She regards weight as nothing but a number and says that a girl should learn to feel comfortable in her skin.

She notes that her father occasionally criticized her food choices, but in a kind, supportive way. She devotes an entire section of her book on parental food policing, especially when girls are going through those difficult tween/teen years.

For a revealing look at Katherine Schwarzenegger's new attitude, check out this interesting video Katherine Schwarzenegger's 'Rock What You've Got'.

For more information on health careers, visit http://www.healthcarejobsiteblog.com/

Alex A. Kecskes has written hundreds of published articles on health/fitness, "green" issues, TV/film entertainment, restaurant reviews and many other topics. As a former Andy/Belding/One Show ad agency copywriter, he also writes web content, ads, brochures, sales letters, mailers and scripts for national B2B and B2C clients.
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