Marilyn Monroe  and Anna Nicole Smith; what do these girls have in common?  Not one would have been considered “thin” by today’s standards.  Yet each is a sex symbol, with powerful images that last into today’s magazines; a culmination of beauty, elegance and class.

It isn’t about being “thin,” it is about trying to fit into some pre-conceived notion of what is acceptable in today’s world; only fifty years ago, those models strutting across the stage today would not be considered sexy at all.

The reality is, only between 10.8 to 15.3 percent of teenage girls are actually overweight.  Nearly half of teenage girls think they are overweight when they are not.  This leads to horrible problems such as bulemia and anorexia which destroy young bodies for the rest of their lives.

If a teenager suspects she is overweight, she needs to lose weight in a moderate, controlled way.  Here are a few tips to help her out:

1.  Share the journey:  She will be more likely to stick with a diet and exercise program if she has a friend doing it, too.  At this age, friendship means everything.  Use this to her advantage.

2.  Watch the calories: 1800 calories per day is ideal for most teenage girls.  Watching caloric intake is a big step in weight control.

3.  Read the labels:  Sneaky food companies will loudly claim a small number of calories or fat per serving; a closer look at the label reveals that the package holds two or three servings.  Watch labels, and adjust accordingly.

4. Indulge once in a while:  A slice of pizza is not the end of the world.  Indulging in the forbidden once in a while will keep her focused on her diet while allowing her to feel like she cheated with permission.  Make sure she uses common sense; an entire pizza is definitely overdoing it.

5.  Exercise can be found everywhere: Walking to the store, parking far away from the store and walking to it, throwing a frisbee around, walking the dog, taking the stairs instead of the escalator at the mall; exercise can be found everywhere.  Small doses several times a day keep a teen girl from feeling trapped into a specific program,  especially at the beginning of the diet plan.

6.  Take your vitamin: When diets are started, sometimes important key ntutrients are left out.  A good mulit-vitamin will keep a teen from being overly tired when she is depleted of vitamins she would normally get in her food.

7. Sleep tight: Teens need sleep.  In fact, they need about 9.5 hours.  Missing sleep is a huge cause of weight gain; make sure she is catching up on her sleep every night.

It is important that teenage girls realize that what they see on TV is not reality.  A poor body image can drive them to extremes, such as eating disorders.  If she is overweight,  a physician can help set up a diet plan exclusively for her needs.  Some groups, such as Weight Watchers, can help her reach her goals in a safe, structured way.  Sharing her journey with others in a group such as this will help her feel better about her weight loss program.

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