Editor’s Note: Mallory Hytes Hagan is an American politician and former beauty queen who won Miss America 2013 as Miss New York 2012. The article reflects the views of the author and not necessarily those of CGTN.

The pandemic has led to an increase in childhood obesity, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. While this time has been difficult for all of us, it has also exacerbated an already huge problem. We owe it to our children to better understand their well-being and to reverse this heartbreaking trend.

In the United States, deaths from obesity have overtaken smoking among people over 45. Researchers looked at the comparative effects of obesity, smoking, binge drinking, and poverty on chronic health problems. Obesity emerged as the most serious danger.

Did you know that obesity, anxiety and depression can be drastically reduced with quality foods? While symptoms of these problems increased during COVID-19 lockdowns, they were rampant long before. My mission is to help everyone understand that eating better food, not starvation or shame, is how we simultaneously avoid obesity and the potential for diabetes. If adults understand this concept, I have no doubts that they will adopt healthier habits for their children.

We need real, evidence-based body positivity in order to turn the tide. We don’t have to choose between happiness and health, and we owe it to the next generation to provide them with a healthy, evidence-based approach to boosting self-persuasion, nutrition, and healthy lifestyles. It’s what I needed when I was growing up and even more so after winning the coveted 2013 Miss America job.

The first time someone said, “If you had lost ten pounds, you would have gained”, I was 14 years old. At that point in my life when my self-esteem was already faltering, my body was changing rapidly, and I was facing the seemingly insurmountable pressures of being a teenager, those words were incredibly harmful.

Now teens are getting the same message around every turn. Many multimedia platforms are filled with shameful messages about the body. Too skinny, too fat, too muscular – very little of which is rooted in science. It’s up to us to shift the mindset of our young people from appearance to performance. Our bodies are amazing machines that will work in our favor if we just know how to treat them!

After being crowned Miss America in 2013, I saw the public body shaming a few photos of me in Hawaii, after walking across the stage in a swimsuit. While this gave me the opportunity to become one of the first voices in the body positivity movement, it was also deeply traumatic. For the past eight years, I have struggled with health and happiness, a victim of yo-yo diets, depression, and many misunderstandings about my body.

It’s time for a culture change. Instead of obsessing over our body image, it’s time to focus on our bodily performance. It starts with a good education. We need to help young people better understand their bodies so that they can truly love themselves – from their brains to their bellies.

It’s heartening that UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is introducing measures to promote better eating into his government-backed rewards program, but that kind of incentive doesn’t go so far if we don’t understand the nature of shame and of body image.

The traditional body positivity movement is a healthier alternative to weight loss and yo-yo dieting that encourages people to resist prejudice. Sometimes, however, this implies that we should surrender to our bodies without understanding them. This is the part that I find dangerous.

We have the ability to create a lifestyle that works for us. What we should strive to celebrate is our ability to use modern science, self-love, and empathy to end body shame, obesity, and diabetes. For example, I had no idea that my body was actively working against myself for all these years. It wasn’t until I tested my gut and began to understand my body’s “set point”, which refers to the weight my body got used to, that I understood why diets kept me in a constant state of tension and craving. calories. I missed a real science-based lifestyle.

Hopefully, we can help individuals love themselves for peak performance through evidence-based body positivity: nutrition, gut health, understanding, and empowerment.

The message I want to send to young people, especially young women today, is simple: you can love yourself in a body that helps you rather than hinders you, both physically and mentally. In fact, loving yourself is the key to realizing your true health and potential.

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