Jennifer Lawrence Wants Young Women to "Catch Fire"

I’ve always told my daughter, like all mothers do, to make sure she eats balanced meals. I nag her probably more than I should, and everyday I ask her what she has eaten at school. 

She is in college and is gone for the majority of the day. I give her plenty of money so she has no excuse not to eat. I’m proud to say she does make healthy food choices and I will take only some credit for that part. She is very health conscious, but she has on occasion told me she is fat. 

Young women tend to not want to eat. They are always worried about their weight. My daughter has said to me on more than one occasion that she thinks she is fat. If you know her, she is anything but fat. As her mother who loves her child more than life itself, I must admit that her self-assessment of her weight worries me more than just a little bit. 

Much of what is portrayed in magazines and on television are women who starve themselves sometimes to death. That to me is not sexy. In fact, if you’ve ever seen someone who is too skinny it makes you feel a little sick to your stomach. 

The first thing that comes to my mind is self-destruction and low self-esteem. Everyone wants to be perfect and what you see in a magazine many times is air brushed to make the subject look perfect—flawless, in fact. It’s all an illusion, like a magic trick.

Nobody on this planet is flawless and Hollywood is a large part of why some young girls want to starve themselves to death. You must be angry at any industry that allows our beautiful young women to feel less than perfect.

However, I was so proud to hear how actor Jennifer Lawrence (left) has become a voice against exactly what I’m complaining about. She has been fighting back against an industry that is helping to destroying our young women’s self-worth.

Hollywood has always been nothing but illusion and magic. Jennifer Lawrence has become Katniss Everdeen, her movie persona, in many ways—fighting against Hollywood like she fought in “Hunger Games” and now in “Catching Fire.”

“Somebody told me I was fat, that I was going to get fired if I didn’t lose a certain amount of weight,” the 23-year-old said. “They brought in pictures of me where I was basically naked, and told me to use them as motivation for my diet. It was just that.”

On top of feeling hurt, however, the actress says it makes her angry. “If anybody even tries to whisper the word ‘diet’, I’m like, ‘You can go f–k yourself,’” she said.

I believe she is indeed “catching fire” and fighting back in real life, as well as in her role as Katniss. You have to feel proud of her that she is brave enough to say this is wrong! She is a wonderful role model and I’m happy to know my daughter agrees with her as all young women should. Fight back, raise your voice and make changes. 

As women we come in all different shapes and sizes. No one is better than anyone else. We are not china dolls, but real women who deserve better from an industry that is clearly out of touch.

Jennifer Lawrence is not fat, just as my daughter and many others are not fat. As mothers we have to start teaching our daughters to be proud of who they are, no matter what shape or size they may be.

Eat healthy of course, but you have to splurge on occasion. Most important you must eat balanced meals three times a day. Must we continue to lose beautiful young women like Karen Carpenter (left) to eating disorders brought on by an industry that has been nothing but smoke and mirrors?

We all need to “catch fire” and fight back! Enjoy life, enjoy food and eat healthy! Be who you are and proud—and may the odds forever be in your favor!