For years, awareness of how media affects young people has been in the eye of public forums all over the world. Fashion magazines, television programs, lack of internet censorship on sites like MySpace, music “idols”, and movies have been the main contributing energies to how young people see the world and to who they should be in order to reach the top of their social circles. These false images tell a story of how young people should act, dress, and what they should like. They shows girls how their bodies should look in order to be fashionable and tell them what diets to use in order to maintain the right, “healthy” body.

Over the summer months, a couple of agencies working directly with young women noticed a rise in border line eating disorders, self harm activities, and violence. This afternoon, I walked passed a local night club in New Westminster known for its young, “hot” clientele, and was not so shocked to see a photo board outside the establishment with scandalously-dressed, ultra-thin, young women as its advertisement. Two weeks ago, I listened to a co-worker talk about her fructose-free tofu mustard while looking for the ultra thin fashion look. With all the education we have in this world of ours on health, wellness, and the importance of eating a well balanced diet, how is it that the media still has such a hold on young women and our culture?

I applaud the efforts of the local non profit organization, Looking Glass Foundation. Although some may say their new commercials are on the harsher side, they represent the truth about eating disorders and doing great work for adolescents in B.C.

How can anyone who has an average body type live up to the images that we see on television, in music, and in fashion magazines, and why should one feel that they have to?! After years of working with young women, I have noticed more and more trends related to looking “just right” to please others, be it boys or pressures from family to “loose the baby fat”. Recently, I listened to one girl’s story of how her mother’s obsession with weight just naturally resulted in her dieting at the age of 12. At 19, she still struggles to see how being “lighter” doesn’t necessarily mean more beautiful. This young women confessed that she tends to limit her eating around important events like going on a date, an interview, or getting ready for a public appearance, and then binges after it’s all over. She equated these habits to an anxiety of being judged by others.

Matters of eating disorders and self harm are not going away but there are professionals who are doing something about it.

Thanks to a local entrepreneur Tricia Romani and her Inspirational Talent and Model Group, Vancouver seems to have an edge against media stereotypes. This summer, I had the pleasure to meet Romani and hear about her work and belief in healthy bodies, cultures, and beauty. Tricia does as much as she can to help women with their problems; for example, in the Downtown Eastside, she has offered workshops on body image and the media. Its professional women like this that offer hope of getting the right information out there to those who matter most.

This summer, the Passion Foundation was able to gather information from 20 young women in different parts of Canada, including Vancouver, Calgary, and Toronto. Of the 20 women-who were between 14 and 21 years of age-five-reported to have had experiences with cutting (a form of self mutilation), six said that they had skipped meals to loss weight, and over half said that they had had problems with drugs, alcohol, and sex. The women claimed that their bodies were the number one thing that they were stressed about.

Although this is an extremely small representation of young women, the number of reported self-harming behaviours is high. We are continuing this survey and aim to have over 200 young women complete an online survey by end of year.

From healthy and balanced lifestyles to school and career pressures, young women are facing more and more battles while trying to maintain an image of fashionable beauty. It is up to parents to set the right example for their daughters and to educate both their sons and daughters on valuing people from the inside out. And it’s up to the media to start making decisions on how to use its influence and power for a greater good and to contribute to the health of young women everywhere.

It does take a village to raise a child. What are you contributing to our future?

Loretta Cella is a life coach and founder of the Passion Foundation, which is dedicated to the social development and life skills of young women.