Like mother, like daughter: talk about our bodies can matter

WASHINGTON — The way a mother thinks about herself is often reflected back by her young daughters.

And that includes the negative self-criticisms women make about their bodies.

“The way mothers feel about their own beauty often gets transferred down to the girls in their lives,” says Jess Weiner, a self-esteem ambassador for Dove.

The company that produces soap and lotion, among other items, and has long been an advocate for natural and organic beauty. Recently, Dove released a short film addressing the issue. In it, several mothers are asked how they feel about their bodies. They answer with swipes at their smiles, thighs, arms and legs.

Then, their daughters are asked the same question.

“Oh, she said her thighs too didn’t she?” said one of the five mothers in the ad as she reads her daughter’s comments.

Another says, “I don’t like my arms and she doesn’t like her arms either.”

Weiner says, “It’s always a really important reminder that the words we say and the actions we take have great impact on those that are listening.”

As mothers read what their daughters wrote, they were amazed to see their own comments reflected back.

Moms are still the number one role model for daughters, Weiner says.

“That’s pretty fantastic when you think about the culture that we live in that assigns a lot of adoration to celebrities,” she says.

Dove wants mothers to remember when they look at themselves in the mirror and frown or sigh as they pull up their jeans, they’re daughters are listening.

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