Self-Confidence & Self-Esteem Issues / Question
Published: September 3, 2002
Dear TeenHealthFX,
Could you please help me! I'm 14 and I've been fat all of my life. I've managed OK so far. I excepted the rude remarks and nobody wanting to hangout with me. But i can't do it anymore! I can't find clothes that fit and friends that don't care about my looks. [Did I mention that I'm UGLY!] i weight a little less than 200 pounds and I'm about 5'5" I even think about suicide when things get really bad. I saw a doctor last summer and I was losing weight but I couldnt continiue after school started. I love life but does it have to be so hard? There are things that I wanna do in the future that I cant because of my looks. Please help me! I dony know what else to do! I need to lose weight!
Signed: Help-Fat, No Friends and Getting Rude Remarks
Dear Help-Fat, No Friends and Getting Rude Remarks,
TeenHealthFX is glad that you wrote. Feeling like you have no friends, not having comfortable clothes and hearing rude remarks about yourself is enough to make anyone sad. You are right, life can be hard, and it can be especially hard for a teenage girl who is overweight.
First thing, if you start to think about suicide, get help ASAP! If you live in
Wanting to lose weight is the first step. Changing your body size can be accomplished through eating healthy and regular exercise. Your doctor or a nutritionist can help you set appropriate weight goals and assist you in achieving them in a healthy way. You had some success losing weight last summer, so you know that you can do it - you just need to find a program that you can continue on while you are in school.
TeenHealthFX wants you to realize that losing weight will not guarantee happiness - this has to come from within. Learning to like and love yourself based on your own uniqueness and not basing it on looks or weight is something you need to learn. It is as if you cannot expect someone to like you if you do not like yourself. Check out our answer about building self-esteem for some ways to begin appreciating yourself.
Developing self-esteem is not always easy, especially if you have been feeling really bad about yourself. TeenHealthFX realizes this and recommends that you talk to your parents or a trusted adult. Counseling can help you to develop an appreciation of yourself more quickly and also have a place to talk about everything that you are going through.
If you would just like to talk to someone and live in northern
Signed: TeenHealthFX
At all levels of blood alcohol concentration (BAC), the risk of involvement in a motor vehicle crash is greater for teens than for older drivers.
