Happy Thursday! This week has felt weird to me because a few of my clients have kids on Spring Break so they’ve canceled sessions or changed their workout days. 
I ran an easy 3 miler and plan on doing abs and arms tonight at the gym 
Breakfast was a frittata from last night’s dinner and english muffin. Specifically, the good thick english muffin that made me happy deep down inside.
Weekend before last I traveled to Galveston, TX for the Ironman 70.3. On the way home I was on an aisle seat with an eleven year old little girl in the middle and a very chatty man in his 40s at the window. The guy was talking her ear off and she was super polite, but I felt bad for her (he was showing her random pictures on his phone and chatting about his entire life). 
I was on my computer ignoring them, but she was obviously bored. I wanted to give her one of my magazines to read, but I stopped myself.
When I went to grab it I looked at the cover and thought headlines about “Lose Weight fast” and “Get a bikini body now!” aren’t exactly something an 11 year old should be worried about. So, I grabbed a bag of Goldfish crackers I had from my hotel room and gave her those.
(This wasn’t the magazine in question, but they’re basically all the same.)
Let me be clear – I LOVE magazines! I have always loved them. As a kid I would read Reader’s Digest and then Teen and Seventeen. Now I subscribe to a ton and buy 3 at a time when I’m traveling.
More than anything I think most of the magazines I read are somewhat superficial, but not necessarily detrimental to my self esteem.
But, the fact that I stopped myself from handing it to an 11 year old – what does that say?
Question: Do you think fitness magazines are appropriate for kids or teens? At what age are they appropriate?
I think that all the fitness magazines out there aren’t appropriate for teens. Looking back, I was obsessed with fitness magazines and it makes me sad. They’re focused on women in their 20’s and beyond and for a teenager or pre-teen to read them puts them in a difficult situation. Their bodies are still developing and I feel that they may have a negative impact not only on their physical development, but also on their self esteem. They should be out playing sports, not focusing on their gym routine. I wish that I didn’t read as many of these magazines as I did when I was younger. It started an unhealthy lifelong habit for me. By the way, you crack me up! Thanks for making me laugh everyday! 🙂
Good question! I dunno if they’re inappropriate for teens, i read them as a teen and i don’t think i’ve been ‘harmed’ by them. I guess it depends on the person. I’m at a point now though that i’ve been reading the typical health magazines for years now and they just find a new way to sell you the same ol’ weight loss diet, exercise program or beauty regime. I’m not renewing any subscriptions after this year and i’m gonna donate or recycle the ones that i have.
I love fitness magazines also and subscribe to quite a few. I know that they are just regurgitating the same shit over and over with a different anorexic model, but I get a little entertainment value from them.
I’m a magazine junkie myself, but you know what really drives me crazy about a lot of the fitness / health magazines? How many ads they have for diet pills etc. I mean, obviously we bought the magazine because we want to read about new workouts and healthy eating etc… and then you advertise crappy diet pills that won’t work? I mean, I get that they need the advertising dollars in order to publish the magazines, but it just seems so counterintuitive to be writing about healthy eating / living etc and then advertise about chemicals and drugs that can really mess up your system/metabolism.
Ok… rant over. Sorry!!!! 🙂
YES.
I LOVE that you put ketchup on everything. Just fantastic.
I started reading fitness magazines when I was in middle school. Compared to me sneaking Cosmo and Glamour, it was a much better influence. I would rather my 11 year old read positive stories of fitness and healthy eating than how to give the best blow job. Flip the story though and I would hate for her to see photos and think she could never look like that but that is where you should step in as a parent to teach self esteem and use the magazines as tools for realistic goals. My little non-child bearing opinion.
I quit subscribing to all those women’s magazine’s and fitness magazines. They are all the same. A cover photo of some unobtainable body in a bikini or some other tiny outfit and the articles are the same crap over and over again. I think it’s fine if they help some folks but they just made me feel bad & inadequate so I quit giving them my money. I think you did the right thing, they are not appropriate for kids…
I don’t have kids so I don’t think I would have crossed my mind that my magazine wasn’t appropriate for her. Although I would definitely not give her a cosmo or any magazine that had articles about sex. This really makes me think. I really don’t think tweens and young teens should read this. There bodies are changing and it’s a confusing time. Reading articles about weight loss with think sports models might not be good for their self esteem. I definitely don’t want my 5 year old niece reading this stuff when she’s a bit older.
My little brother is 11 so I think that’s why I stopped myself. I wouldn’t want him to read something that would make him question his priorities…
ack. I meant ‘front’ of the mags……got all heated! LOL
“A Mother who radiates self-love and self-acceptance actually VACCINATES her daughter against low self-esteem. ”
― Naomi Wolf
I SUPER ****LOVE**** the above quote and have had it pinned to the inside of a cupboard in every house we have lived in since we had our daughters! They know I love to run & they are learning to love it, too!
Runners World is the only magazine I have and we discuss the bodies on display as opposed to the nonsense/ utter bollocks spouted on the from of the mags at the supermarket tills. HOPE I’m getting it right but who knows!!!!?
Thanks! I love that quote.
While I respect that you didn’t give her the magazine to read, the sad thing is that she has probably seen it all/heard it all from watching television and movies. We are exposed to all kinds of messages about our bodies, health, lives etc at every age. You just have to teach children to be critical of what they watch and see and be a role model for them as well!
Kids are so vulnerable and awkward at that age anyway. I think magazines that further criticize appearance would just make things worse. I know when I was that age, I was mad that I didn’t look like barbie yet 😛
That’s a tough one. I have a 15 year old daughter and I’d rather she read a fitness magazine over Cosmo Girl or Seventeen any day! However, I know my daughter well and she’s a runner and an athlete will loads of self confidence. I can see some of those headlines making a young girl feel like she isn’t good enough.
I’m with you on this one!!! While I think it’s important that kids develop healthy, active lifestyles while they are young I believe the SELF and SHAPE magazines might do more harm than good. It’s difficult and it could be dangerous to compare one’s body type to those of the celebs and models in those magazines!!!! Kids are especially susceptible!
Such a great topic! I think your intuition was spot on not to give that the young lady your magazine. I think they can be a trigger for a girl of any age.
I stopped reading magazines like People filled with emaciated celebrities because I was always comparing myself to them. I still have subscriptions to fitness magazines though and find myself falling into that same trap. I’d love to be able to shift my mindset to using the stories and picture in magazines as inspiration rather than just comparing myself and feeling like I will never measure up.
I don’t like the way magazines promote weight loss as something more positive than not losing weight.
Was something wrong with you before you lost weight? Someone’s health or happiness should not be based on their size. Weight-loss is NOT inherently attractive.
Margarita just did an amazing piece on “fat talk” that is so prevalent in these types of magazines.
It is disgusting.
I love this! All of this.
I think this world needs a health and fitness magazine for teens and preteens…one that features girls their age of all shapes and sizes who look happy and healthy. Might benefit them more than Seveteen and Teen Vogue. And it might help them cultivate their own healthy, fit approach to life.
Does this exist anywhere? Shoud we all pool our resources and start an e-zine?! My thinking cap is on now…
I subscribe to quite a few magazines including fitness magazines, but I don’t think I would have found them interesting when I was 11. I loved reading Teen and Seventeen around that age, but reading about workouts and exercise science would have seemed like a bore.
i was done with fitness magazines when i looked at my coffee table and had six editions all splayed out with six different celebrity heads planted on the exact same bikini clad body cover.
ugh. I’m glad you posted this. I still have subscriptions to SELF and Glamour and I never read them anymore. I just don’t see the value in them. I was liking Fitness, but my subscription ran out. I’m going to gather up these mags and donate them to my gym.
granted i do subscribe to runners world and that is it.
i think magaiznes are awful for kids or anyone for that matter. it is all about diet and looking great and showing us pics of how we should look and non of us do. good call……….!
Aww look at you! Whether you want to hear it or not, I think you’re gonna make a really good mom some day. Most people wouldn’t have even thought twice about the magazines. That’s really cool
This nothing to do with the magazine question but all I can think is ‘why was a guy in his 40s chatting non stop to an 11 year old?’ Did he know her?
My boys aren’t allowed to look at my Oxygen magazines. The half clothed women with large chests peak their curiosity. That’s a tough question. I think my daughter, who is 18 can look at fitness magazines. The content is safe. It doesn’t talk bad about celebrities who have gained weight. I think Fitness magazines are safe for teens. It’s Cosmo, that I would not want her reading.
I think that this is a great question that you brought up! I don’t read a ton of magazines (aside from Runner’s World) but I feel that 11 is too young to be needing pressure about looks and weight. There are some extreme circumstances (child obesity etc.) where this needs to be looked at/analyzed/concentrated on, but not for the average youth. I am a teacher and it makes me cringe when students are talking about these things (I teach 3rd grade 8-9 yr olds!) Kids are maturing quicker and quicker!
I think it’s awesome that you thought twice before giving her one of your magazines. A lot of people would toss her a Shape or even Cosmo without blinking an eye, but I think there are a lot of headlines and articles about things that women in general shouldn’t be so worried about, let alone an 11 year old. Don’t get me wrong, I love magazines, but I’ve recently become more critical of their content.
That’s such a good question….I don’t think kids should be reading Self magazines! Maybe when they get to high school? So smart of you to edit your actions. You should of hinted to her that she should open Sky Mall.
that’s a good question to bring up. hits home because i have an 11 year old. but our house is inundated with cooking magazines. 😉
i think your right, its not completely right for that age to be reading those types of articles. especially at such a body conscious age.
but its kind of hard to avoid.
As parents, we hope to instill a happy, healthy body attitude within our kids. I have done okay so far with my daughter. and I think the fact she participates in an empowering sport (Tae Kwon Do) helps too.
i love fitness mags!! i get them from the library 2 for $0.25. I dont mind that they are pre-loved 🙂
WOW I don’t have any children yet so I’m not sure that would have occurred to me. What a great topic – I guess I don’t feel it’d be appropriate either; I think it would depend on the child and as far as what age. Honestly I have a tendency to always say ‘oh I look fat’ or ‘I feel fat today’. I know I’m not fat but it’s almost a habit and I do feel it when I say it – I think this stems from me growing up with a skinny mother who constantly (and still to this day) is ALWAYS saying how fat she is. So I guess the magazine articles might affect younger children more than I ever stopped to think about. Oh but of course I still read them too LOL.
I tend to stay away from them. In my teens and early 20s I read them constantly, but I was very sick and battling anorexia. I was always looking for the one thing I wasn’t thinking of to consume less calories and burn more. Now I think what’s wrong with the way I am now?
Honestly, I stopped subscribing to those magazines because they are all about looking good. I never felt like I got anything from them about making me happy or being a better person.
I had an interesting conversation with a coworker about how those magazines teach us to be gourmet cooks, superstar athletes, look like models, be fiends in the bedroom, be the CEO of a huge company, have it all, be it all, and never suck at anything. She said it put so much pressure on her and she finally realized that can’t do everything. Now she’s happier because she isn’t trying to be 100% at everything. I started to reflect on myself and I do feel like reading those magazines made me feel bad about myself because I either couldn’t attain what they were pushing, or I just didn’t want to. Am I crazy for not wanting to throw a huge brunch for my friends and wear the latest platform wedges? Nope, I was just being told thats what women are supposed to be like.
Long story short, I don’t read those magazines anymore. I subscribe to runner’s world and if I need new workout ideas I pick up muscle and fitness or something similar.
Good move not giving her the magazine! I like SELF and Fitness for the workout/diet tips. It is still superficial with the pictures and the “grab em” headlines. I have two daughters and it is ovewhelming to think about how intrumental I will be in their development of self esteem!!