One of our KnockOuts, Pattianna, wanted to share her story with you - she hopes it will help others struggling with similar issues.

Growing up I was so skinny people thought I was sick.  One of my uncles used to tell me his other nieces had meat on them and were healthy and I was too skinny and should eat more.  At a roller rink in junior high, a guy came up to me and asked me if I had an eating disorder and offered to buy me a pizza.  In high school I sometimes wore a pair of sweat pants under my jeans to make me look heavier.  I was envious of the girls with curves and hated being so skinny.  Growing up is hard and, girls especially, feel pressure to look a certain way.  I hope it will help some girls to know that the girls or women they admire and wish they looked like also have insecurities and likely have things they don’t like about themselves.  We are all different and beauty comes from whom you are inside.  It sounds corny but if you think about who you are friends with, which aunts and uncles you like the best, whom in your neighborhood you like, your favorite teacher, etc, I doubt you like any of them because of what they look like.  You like them because they are nice or funny or interesting or easy to talk to.  You like them because of whom they are inside.  Think about that.  If someone only likes you for what you look like, they aren’t worth having as a friend.  And, remember, no matter what you look like, we all age and our looks deteriorate.   Spend less time trying to change what you look like and more time on your hobbies and dreams. 

KnockOut Pattianna