disheartening

I am a bit disheartened. Every night at dinner my host mom Rocio complains that Jasmin (my 8yr old sister) wont eat. I try to avoid getting involved in family issues, so my response is usually ¨Jasmin, eat, the food is good and you need the vitamins in order to grow.¨ This is a constant issue, a conversation I am used to by now. But last night was different. Rocio was practically force feeding Jasmin while complaining that she doesnt like food and wont eat. I ask why. She says that Jasmin wants to stay ¨flacita¨(skinny). Jasmin smirks. I ask where where learned that being skinny is beautiful, and Rocio speaks for her, citing movies and televnovelas as the culprits. Again, Jasmin smirks. This broke my heart.
In college I studied the ins and outs of the media and how it manipulates children and affects their self-esteem and self-image, how it constructs a materialistic and selfobsessed society. Nevertheless, I feel no more prepared to deal with this situation on an individual and personal level. I am equipped with knowledge of nutritition and strategies/workshop ideas for building self-esteem with youth groups. Yet I was speechless last night.
There are so many things I wanted to say-you are beautiful, your body is a gift from God, the beauty industry´s mission is to create unrealistic ideals in order to make a profit, movies are not reflections of real life, food is a privilege and essential to your health, etc. etc. But the root of this issue is so much greater. I honestly thought that while living in the campo (country) where the campesiones can make as little as 50-100 dollars monthy without benefits in the field or flower industy, that these issues of image wouldnt be as pervasive. I expect them in Chapel Hill, but not in a town where people are suffering from malnutrition. We must refrain from perpetuating such ideals. This is not only a societal probelm in the US, but has become a global disease. Selfishness and emphasis on one´s physical appearanece are not admirable values. I do not even know how to begin a dialogue with this beautiful child who is afraid that food will cause her to be something other than the ¨normal¨and ¨beautiful¨she sees in the media.

I posted a few more photos on webshots. Check em out.