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What are some ways we can prevent a young girl from starving herself in the hope that she might look like a photoshopped supermodel?

Because I was anorexic in HS, and when my good Italian mother forced me to eat, I would then become bulimic, all I can say is you really cant prevent it. Anorexia is all about control. The only think I felt I had control over in HS was my food intake. Classes, homework, peer pressure, parties, boy friends, girl friends etc, I felt I had no control over any of it, but hey, I could eat or not eat at my own discretion...

With regard to obesity, I think it is often borne of bad habits but again, distorted self-image comes into play

As for the weight problem now a days... don't you think it has something to do with the fact we cant let our kids out to roam like we used to? I used to leave the house and play at this neighbor or that neighbor all summer long, as long as I was home by dusk. I panic letting my kids ride their bikes down the street. Our children cant be children like we were, and without that activity, the weight packs on..

Cant blame it on Twinkies, I loved Twinkies when I was little, but I would go out and play to burn it off

I was anorexic from my teens into my 30's. I blame it on my naturally very slim mother who constantly harped at me to watch my weight so I wouldn't have to watch it later. And glared at me when I took seconds of anything.

I was never heavy, but more curvy than she due to my German father's genes. For instance, I was a 34-C bra when I was 14.

I was keeping a diary about what I ate when I was 13 and weighing myself ten times a day. I would fast for three days every week. I knew that I wasn't fat, but I had an overdeveloped need to please my mom.

I agree about most children not getting outdoors and getting exercise. My boys have a number of outdoor chores as well as housework that they must do and are quite slim and healthy.

I don't get after them about how much they eat other than when they get picky. The issues that I developed about food
don't need to get passed on to another generation.

Our children cant be children like we were, and without that activity, the weight packs on.

Sadly, so true. I was playing with the neighborhood kids, unsupervised, from first grade on. There's no way I can let my kids do that--we don't live in a ghetto but we have a few prostitues (which means johns, which means drugs...). Once the weather hits the 50s, I take the kids out for a walk every single day, at least a half-mile, usually more. Josh, at seven, would rather be staying at home learning computer programming but I'm going gestapo on that this year. His weight is okay but he's leaning toward heavy and he is NOT physically fit. No muscle tone whatever, gets winded very easily, etc. He threw a fit nearly every time I took him for a walk last summer but he always ended up enjoying himself. He is learning how to identify all kinds of things: Trees, birds, architecture...once I get him out, moving around, and looking at things he doesn't even realize he's getting some much needed exercise. The older he gets the more challenging it will become. A lot of my neighbors don't have a problem letting their kids run loose and I know Josh won't want Mom tagging along. All I can do is tell myself "Do you want a slightly resentful child or an Amber Alert?" Easy choice.