Hey Broncos fans!!!!

I hope this blog finds everyone happy and healthy during this gorgeous Colorado fall!

I know this isn’t the typical blog that you will most likely find here, but I have had this on my mind for awhile and I really feel the need to write about it.

I was sitting in my abnormal psychology class, and our professor brought up the topic of how our society defines the “ideal look”.

Although I am well aware of this being a problem in our society, I was very surprised by the statistics that followed:

-In the United States, 54 percent of men and 75 percent of women are unhappy with their physical appearance and wish their bodies were different.
-More than 50 percent of high school girls want smaller hips, thighs, and waists.
-The average American woman is 5-foot-4 and weighs 140 pounds.
-The average American female model is 5-foot-11 and weighs 117 pounds.
-Most fashion models are thinner than 98% of American women.

I could go on and on with these statistics, but that would not accomplish the message I want to send out.

Everyone has their own unique body, and no two bodies will be exactly the same. Instead of striving to have “a body like hers/his”, start focusing on how you can make your own unique self look good and feel good.

There are so many beautiful women and handsome men in our society who do not believe they are attractive because of the distorted and pigeon-holed views that have been ingrained into their minds by our society. We know this is a problem, yet we have not taken great steps towards changing it.

Part of the reason why I am writing about this is because I have been that girl who has strived for that body that is impossible to healthily obtain. I am tall with a muscular, athletic build, and up until a year ago, I was doing everything I could to try and change that.

I wanted to be slender and thin, just like the models you see on TV and most magazines. To fit in a size 4 was my goal, which is far from attainable for me. After facing the facts, I have slowly learned to appreciate the body I have and work on being healthy and fit according to my body structure.

I now work out not because I want to lose weight, but because it makes me feel good and keeps me healthy. It is not about what you look like, but it’s about how you feel in your skin and who you are in the inside.

As my mom has said to me since I was a kid, “Beauty is only skin deep. It is what’s in the inside that counts”.

Broncos has also helped me with this new perspective on appearance and beauty. If you look at our cheerleaders, they all bring something different to the table. They are all “beautiful” girls, but what makes them beautiful isn’t necessarily what they look like, but who they are inside.

You will find out quickly that these girls are not solely on the team based on appearance. They are a part of the Broncos organization because they are sincere, respectful, polite, approachable, witty, smart, dedicated, motivated, etc., and that is what makes my teammates so striking. They have been amazing role models for me, as well as many others who have interacted with them.

If this changes just one individual’s outlook on his/her appearance, I will be more than satisfied. I really believe that we need to start teaching the younger generation that beauty isn’t always about what you look like, but who you are.

Yes, take care of yourself and workout to be healthy and feel good, but you do not need to fit any kind standard in order to succeed in life.

You are beautiful in your own unique way and you will only become more beautiful once you truly believe in that.

Thank you for being such amazing fans.

Go Broncos!!!

-Megan

Look for more thoughts from Megan and other Broncos cheerleaders throughout the 2010 season.

Tags: 2010, Cheerleaders, Denver Broncos, Megan

This entry was posted on Tuesday, November 9th, 2010 at 11:44 am and is filed under Cheerleaders. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.