For Children, Teens, and Young Adults

And for parents, teachers, counselors, and health professionals
those who love and work with them

As Radiance: The Magazine for Large Women, enters its 14th year in print... as women of size are feeling better and stronger within themselves, we find ourselves naturally turning to look at the younger generation and examining their sense of well-being. What we see is that we need to extend support to young girls and boys around issues of body size, acceptance, and self-esteem.

More than 60% of eight-year-old girls are dieting. Many think they're fat; 90% are not. Affluent toddlers have shown failure-to-thrive because their parents, fearing fat offspring, underfeed them. In a Glamour magazine survey in 1988, more than 80% of the women who responded said they fear getting fat more than they fear dying. And in studies of first graders, fat kids are still chosen last as friends and teammates, and are still called on less by teachers. Last year, a young boy shot and killed a fellow student who had continually harrassed him because he was fat. And in the past two years, two young boys shot and killed themselves after being teased about their weight once too often.

Chubby kids continue to struggle with issues of self-worth, body image, and self-esteem. They continue to suffer from peer rejection because of their body size and shape. Teachers don't know what to do; nor do parents. Supportive information on how to help large children lead happy, healthy lives at whatever size they are meant to be must be communicated to parents, caregivers, teachers, youth workers, and health professionals.

Alice Ansfield,
Publisher, Editor, Founder