Sign the petition – save a life

Sign the petition – save a life

‘ED’ takes no time off on weekends. We won’t either. The good news is that a petition is circulating online. Let’s give it wings.

High five to Lydia Jade for creating this petition. As I write this, the number of signatures is about to hit 200. Let’s keep this rolling, let’s keep this going so fast that the momentum builds public pressure to the point where the petition’s message is impossible to ignore. Be part of democracy at work. Your signature can help save a life. Sign and share the link. Go. Go. Go.

Why This Is Important
Lydia Jade explains:

On May 25 Amy Smith, the CEO of Jenny Craig, will present to a conference of educators for the Alliance for Girls’ Schools (AGSA). Described as a “champion of women’s health” by Catherine Misson, Principal of Melbourne Girls Grammar School, Jenny Craig’s CEO will be enlisted to “inspire” attendees: what they learn will impact on what they bring back to the classroom.

Already letters from health professionals have begun flooding in, with some voicing their protests from as far as the US and Middle East. They all agree on one thing: Global giant Jenny Craig, which profits from the billion-dollar diet industry, is not an appropriate ‘leader’ for educators of young girls.

Bombarded relentlessly with toxic body image messages, girls are constantly pressured to conform to an unrealistic and narrow ideal. Eating disorder experts report dieting to be the biggest predictor of eating disorders, with unhealthy weight loss practices becoming the norm in schools.

By the age of 12-17, 90% of girls will have been on a diet of some kind. 8% of teen girls smoke to control their weight, and many compete to see who can eat the least number of calories during lunch at school.

When the ultimate goal is a certain number on the scale- rather than the ongoing engagement with health-giving behaviours, we are putting young people at risk of developing eating disorders and a lifetime pattern of unhealthy weight loss practices.

Continue reading and sign the petition here.