Please Guys, this is really important.

[ElusiveAthena]

Sign the Petition to Protect our girls and Pass the Media and Public Health Act

 

Why This Is Important

 

The simple fact is there’s an epidemic crisis of confidence affecting girls and women, and both its causes and effects are going largely ignored and unspoken in and by the mainstream.

 

We’re asking for support to pass federal legislation requiring advertising and editorial that’s meaningfully changed the human form through photoshopping or airbrushing to carry “Truth in Advertising” labels. The labels will simply state that the models shown have been altered. No judgments, no morality, just transparency and clarity. Transparency and clarity that may help address and stem these horrifying numbers:

 

- 42% of girls in grades 1-3 want to be thinner

 

- 51% of 9-10 year old girls feel better about themselves when they’re dieting

 

- 53% of 13 year old girls are unhappy with their bodies; by the time they’re 17, 78% of them will be

 

- By the time they’re 17, these girls have seen 250,000 TV commercials telling them they should be a decorative object, sex object or a body size they can never achieve.

 

- 7 million girls and women under 25 suffer from eating disorders (NEDA.org)

 

- 40% of newly identified cases of anorexia are in girls 15-19 years old. A rise in incidence of anorexia in young women 15-19 in each decade since 1930. Anorexia has the highest rate of mortality of any mental illness. (myNEDA.org)

 

- 80% of women feel worse about themselves after seeing a beauty ad. $20B is spent on beauty marketing in the US annually. That’s a lot of money being spent making women feel worse about themselves.

 

We’re not passing judgement here, not making anyone right or wrong; there are no villains. What we are asking is that if changes to the human form are made digitally, that those making the change (advertisers or ediors) simply say so.

 

Photoshopping, airbrushing, digital manipulation aren’t the issue. The issue is too many look at these images and think they should look LIKE these images. And they can’t…because they’re not real.

 

So let’s call a duck a duck and modified picture a modified picture. All we’re asking is that if you do it - you tell us you did.

 

If we save one life, if one girl or one woman feels better about herself because of truth-in-advertising labelling, how’s that a bad thing?

 

Please help us address this epidemic crisis of self-confidence, and help support The Self-Esteem Act. Thank you.

 

- Off Our Chests and OffOurChests.com

 

- National Eating Disorders Association (MyNEDA.org)

 

This is important. One of the most essential ways for us to change negative stereotyping for girls and women is to change the mindset, so we don’t feel like we have to conform, and for men to realise that it’s an impossibility for women to be expected to conform to such bizarre and sexist images.

[Nyanna al'Meara]

Jeebers...very right to have a petition for this! *nodnod*

[Ryrin]

I signed.

[Lessa Nikia]

I don't have to be American to sign this right? If I am, oh well I'm signing anyway. One of my best friends in elementary school went on a diet in grade 3. That was nine years ago and now she doesn't care what she looks like as long as she's loved for who she is. I have sisters who are under the age of four and they have to grow up looking at those type of ads. They are both gorgeous now and I don't want them to try to change themselves to something they won't be able to accomplish

[Mystica]

very worthy cause, Elusive. And just in time too as the Red's International Women's Week is coming up in two weeks.

 

I will spread this around and add it to our IWW website to help spread awareness and hopefully get more people to sign.

[Elgee]

Thank you for putting this up, Athena! It appears people from all over the world can sign, so I have done so.

[MashiraSedai]

Signed. A topic that is close to my heart, thanks for putting this up

[Millon]

Done. I am terrified for the pressures my step daughter is experiencing and soon enough diving head long into when she graduates Grammar school. She is 12 years old now and I know times ahead are going to be a nightmare for her and the outside influences are just goin to drive her mad. We try in our house to emphasize bein happy with yourself and that most everything hse sees is Dr.ed in some fashion or another but still. Things like this would help her a lot as well. Thanks for this lady.

[Little Miss]

Signed!

 

I will put this on my forum as well!

[ElusiveAthena]

Thanks everyone for signing!

[Tynaal Consen]

Signed. And I shall FB it/ put it on TV.net