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Are You Hot?
Why TV's Latest Creations Aren't Such a Hot Idea By Kelly Burgess
So what's a mother to do? Well, start by eating healthfully. Instead of plopping down in front of Oprah to hear her moan about her weight problems, grab your daughter's hand and go for a walk. Or a bike ride, or hike, or roller blade or – well, the possibilities are endless. Go to the natural foods store and get the ingredients to make a healthful, whole grain bread together. Check out healthy cookbooks at the bookstore.
Even better is an idea Edut has to celebrate your family heritage as it appears in you. Instead of hating your hips, put up pictures of your grandmother (or whoever originally had those hips), and be proud to know where your body comes from.
Most important, be a savvy media consumer. In a media-driven society, it's important to be media literate. There are many resources for learning about how the media uses images to make consumers "want" things they don't necessarily need. Sit down with your teen or preteen and make sure she understands that these are very specifically aimed at making her feel "bad" so that she'll buy things that make her feel "good." In addition, make sure she understands that the people on TV and in advertisements are wearing huge amounts of makeup, have been surgically enhanced, airbrushed and starved into looking the way they do.
As for the show Are You Hot?
