Barbara Niven : Eating Disorders & Pressures to Be Perfect

Eating disorders are a raging epidemic in our culture. There are incredible pressures on both women and men to look and be "perfect"! We're bombarded with messages in the media that say "skinny is the ideal" and that you're not a good person unless you're a size zero. Well, "zero" literally means you're disappearing! Five year old kids today are saying "I'm fat". And that's crazy.

My own struggle started as an over-achieving, chubby little girl with big dreams in Portland Oregon. Then I became a mother and a working actress for over twenty years in a size zero Hollywood. Talk about pressure. To deal with it, I spent thirty years with my head hanging over a toilet, and nobody ever knew. When my daughter fainted in school from her own E.D., I knew the cycle had to stop with me.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• motivational
• speaker
• actress
• TV
• movie
• Hollywood
• soap
• opera
• health
• humanities
• wisdom
• fitness

[carrie113]

i'm sorry but the way she speaks makes it seem like a bad acting piece.. i know she isn't really acting, but she's telling her story so artificially. sorry, just my opinion..

[bniven]

This video comes out of a talk I give and is just me being honest as I tell my story. It's hard to share, and it rips my gut out every time I do. I promise it is not fake or artificial. I'm honestly sorry it didn't resonate with you, but I have learned that not everything does with everyone. I wish you the best.

Blessings...Barbara

[belathequeen]

Thank you.

[sweetpatooty28]

You're right she does seem fake even though you know she isn't acting it seems like she is telling someone else's story.

[peacenlove637]

I commend you for sharing that. very brave.

[bean92er]

ohh cool...whut school if u dnt mind me asking??

[gbdancer94]

Thankyou so much for comming to my school today!!!!!!!!!!!! It meant alot to all of us. You where truly insperational. I will never forget you and how you made us wake up and realize what people are doing to themselves to make them "Perfect", I didn't even realize that people around me where in trouble and I didn't even know!!!!! Again thankyou so much, for everything!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!­!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Keep living your dream!!!!!!!!!!

[gbdancer94]

She came to my school today also and I agree with you 100%

[bean92er]

She spoke at my school. Let me tell you it was wonderful and I enjoyed the courage and stregth she had to tell her life and how the good outcome she had. bravo. i would love to hear her speak again.