Day Fifteenn: Interviewing Janelyn

We live in a world of perfection. The pressures that society puts on people to reach this perfection is insurmountable and unacheivable. This is true for both genders, but the way that girls are affected is often focused on. A major pressure in our society is the pressure to be thin. The amount of time, money, resources, and obsession that people in today's culture put on the topic of food is insane. Think about it: if we thought about helping the homeless, finding a cure to AIDS, making people feel good about themselves, helped the malaria epidemic in Africa, or anything else tragic that goes on in our world, as much as we think about food or see something food related on a daily basis, we would be in Utopia. That is not the way that it is, however, so we just keep obsessing over food.

I sat down and interviewed my friend, Janelyn, about her feelings on the subject of food, appearance, pressures to look a certain way, and spirituality.

Zoe: What do you think about food?
 Janelyn: I really enjoy food. I grew up in a family that is all about food.

Zoe: What is your relationship with food like?
 Janelyn: Oh gosh, um...that's an awkward question! (Laughing) Ummmm...I just like food! I eat when I'm supposed to eat, but I eat very healthy.

Zoe: What does "healthy" look like to you?
Janelyn: Lean meat and fruits and vegetables and taking care of your body by not over-doing it and not under-doing it.

Zoe: Do you eat what you want?
 Janelyn: No I try to limit myself because if  I ate what I want, then I'd just eat chocolate all the time.

Zoe: Do you think about how food will affect your body? Does that hinder you from eating what you really want?
 Janelyn: Yes.

Zoe: Do you think about the way that people will look at you if you eat what you really want? Does that hinder you from eating what you really want?
 Janelyn: Yes.

Zoe: Do you worry about your body image?
 Janelyn: Yes.

Zoe: Do you weigh yourself regularly?
 Janelyn: Not really because I'd rather not know.

Zoe: When you know your weight, does it bother you?
 Janelyn: Yes, because it doesn't make me feel good about myself and I feel unhealthy.

Zoe: Where do you think that your idea of "healthy" comes from?
Janelyn:  It's a mix between my family and what school and church has taught me.

Zoe: Are you happy with the way that you look?
Janelyn: No. I have self-body image issues.

Zoe: What do you think God thinks about the way that you look?
 Janelyn: He thinks that I am beautifully and wonderfully made in His image.

Zoe: Does His opinion of your appearance alter your views of the way that you look?
 Janelyn: Not as much as it should.

It's interesting to learn about how other people see themselves. Are they lively, confident, and excited about the way that they look, or do they struggle with their appearance and let it bother them? In my past, I've struggled with my appearance and it bothered me to the point of self-induced starvation. While millions of people struggle with the way that they look, why don't they get an eating disorder? What do they do to deal with their negative feelings about themselves? Do they turn to harmful behaviors like I did or can they pull themselves through it? Does spirituality play a part in the way people view themselves at all? Does God help people through their negative feelings about themselves like I've experienced? These are the questions that haunt me. I hope and pray that people never have to deal with what I put myself through in an attempt at "perfection", and I hope that people can see themselves as truly beautiful (because they are); I truly believe that. Now, it may be hypocritical to say so because I obviously don't treat myself in this way. However, I believe it deep down in my heart, and I'm working to believe it 100% AND implement it into my life. It may take work and time, but any one can feel good and be happy about the way that they look, without the interjections of society.