TeenHelp - Operation Beautiful

Article featured in Avatar - Volume 3, Issue 3 (September 2009).

Operation Beautiful
by Katrina

This cause of the month, Operation Beautiful, has become close to the hearts of many TeenHelpers since it became popular around the forums over the past few weeks.

Operation Beautiful began when a twenty-five year old blogger, Caitlin, became fed up with what is referred to as "Fat Talk." Fat Talk is basically when women say or think negative things about their bodies. Fat Talk, and the underlying issues behind it, can lead to skipping school or work or not going to the doctor because one may feel as though their body is not worthy of those around them. Statistically speaking, though, the majority of the women the media presents us with (models, TV stars, etc) are slimmer than ninety-eight percent of the every day woman. In fact, in mannequins were made to be real-life women, they would actually be too thin to bear children; their body size is simply unrealistic. Before we relate this back to Operation Beautiful, let's give a few quick tips on eliminating "Fat Talk." Focus on a few things: appreciating yourself, turning negative thoughts into positive ones, not saying negative things aloud in front of others, and not comparing yourself to others.

So, what does this have to do with Operation Beautiful? In the words of Caitlin:

"Operation Beautiful is simple: all you need is a pen and a piece of paper. "

Basically, those who'd like to participate can leave post-it notes or sticky notes on public restroom stalls or mirrors, in the gym, in the grocery store, or wherever they think people might benefit from reading them. These notes can say anything positive that would make a person smile, such as "Smile! You're beautiful today," or "You're amazing just the way you are," and then ending the note with the URL to the website so that others can participate as well.

Though this is a new movement, the impact it is having on many is very apparent. The Operation Beautiful blog, which can be found at www.operationbeautiful.com, has gotten tons of submissions with stories by those either leaving notes around town or those having found a note around town. In a nutshell,

"The mission of Operation Beautiful is to post anonymous notes in public places for other women to find. The point is that WE ARE ALL BEAUTIFUL. You are enough... just the way you are!"

If nothing else, always remember that no matter who you are or what you look like or how you feel about yourself, you are a gorgeous person with a heart to match.