Rebecca from Bbeebies is far too thin, no?

[babyfedleaning]

I have no idea if she is intentionally that skinny or whether it's natural (i suspect not) but to me she just looks emaciated and it bothers me that my children will think that she is a normal shape for a grown woman. She looks pale and tired and her head looks disproportionately large. Not a great role model.

She's picked it up because it is everywhere. School, magazines, tv. Girls are being exposed to this ALL the time. Am I supposed to suggest to her parents that she shouldn't access any media at all? I'm trying to point out that cbeebies presenters, like anyone else on programmes that are accessed regularly by children should be a healthy weight. Its a societal issue and it worries me.

She looks fine to me. I'm that kind of thin though. Size 4-6 but also revoltingly healthy and eat plenty.

Although during times of stress since I struggle to keep weight on anyway it does tend to fall of noticeably.

Your niece didn't get that from watching cbeebies. You would be better off targeting your concerns at the areas which actually affect children's body perceptions. Like the school's ridiculous, dichotomous healthy eating messages and the behaviour of the media.

Rebecca looks like a normal, slim woman to me. She's also very energetic, enthusiastic and smiley.

And yes, your DN picking up the message that "thin = lovely" doesn't come from seeing thin people, anymore than if she thinks that "Fat = ugly" from seeing fat people. It's something else that's put that on her radar, I would suggest if you comment on and make judgement about people's appearance, that might be something many of your family do without thinking about it.

Had to Google her. I think she's at the thin end of normal. I was that shape at her age, no eating disorder, not ill.

I know the one you mean, because when i watch lets play etc i am constantly fixed on her weight - i can't help it i just notice it all the time, but i don't think she looks unhealthy.. maybe bordering being a bit too thin but i can't see children cbeebies age being negatively effected by her appearance, as others have said she has plenty of energy!

In defense of the OP re some of the replies, there most certainly WOULD be an outcry if cbeebies had an overweight presenter.

I do agree that Rebecca looks like she has shifted from a 'healthy' thin to looking underweight recently.

But as another poster pointed out, she may have been ill and this could be temporary.

Magazines? She is 8, what magazines is she having access to? That's a parenting fault, not a CBeebies presenter's fault!

Who are you to say what is a healthy weight? My weight falls into the "normal" bit on a BMI chart, but no doubt you'd moan about me being too thin. Are you saying overweight people shouldn't be on children's TV too?

I'm pale too. Because I'm English and I don't tan and have a typical blonde hair/blue eyes type complexion.

Do I need to do something about this in order to be allowed around my daughter and friends? Am I a bad role model? Shall I colour myself in? I am also a size 8. Is this okay or shall I stuff a cushion up my cardie? Am I allowed in public spaces?

Please op, tell me how to live.

It concerns me that children like my eight year old niece are even talking about how 'lovely and thin' she is. She is even comparing the size of her arms to Rebecca's for chissakes. Nuts.

Well then I suggest that your nieces parents stop blaming 'Rebecca' from Cbeebies for this and start looking at their own parenting and their own role in their nieces comments.

Justin is overweight. Is there an outcry about that? Or does nobody ever mention his weight and concentrate on what he does as a job?

Hmmmmmm.

On 'Let's Play' she looks a healthy slim but she's doing some of the presenting in between episodes at the moment and that's where I think it's noticeable.

I'm trying to point out that cbeebies presenters, like anyone else on programmes that are accessed regularly by children should be a healthy weight.

How do you know she isn't a healthy weight? It's not always easy to tell how much someone weighs just by looking at them.

People always think I weigh less than I do and are always shocked when I tell them how much I really weigh because apparently I don't look like I weigh "that much".

A few years ago I actually had a few busybody concerned relatives who would constantly tell me that I needed to gain weight because it's unhealthy to be underweight. When I told them that my BMI was actually 21.0 thus in the healthy range they were shocked and it actually took some convincing for them to realise I was being serious and not lying to them. They just genuinely thought I weighed a lot less than that.

If people can't tell whether someone is a healthy weight when they're standing right next to them, how do you tell when you only see someone on TV?

CoffeeTwo - if there was someone a bit of the chubby side (other than Mr Tumble), then I would imagine there would be lots of threads on here about how wonderful we were exposing children to "real" woman (as thin ones are fake. ) and children need to see a 'range' of bodyshapes.

Personal remarks are so so rude op.

She looks great. I can't see it's sad that your neice aspires to be slim. It's a good aspiration as long as is being healthy and living well.

Would you rather she wanted to he fat? Being a fat teen is torture.

I brought up my kids to want to be slim and healthy.

Who wants kids to be fat?

Rebecca has clearly lost weight recently and is thinner than she used to be. Quite a few nasty comments in the OP though.

I must admit I always think she looks oddly proportioned in "let's play". Large head and too thin limbs. I'm not sure its a problem though, I quite like there being all shapes and sizes.

Yes her BMI is underweight according to her card, so not in the "normal" range at all.

4lbs underweight? Who cares!

Pyjamas - I certainly wont bring my girls up to view "slim" or thin as an aspiration or an ideal. I'll be positively avoiding it!!

Healthy, fine weight for size, yes. But not idealising "slim". I think its dangerous, but I know a lot of people with eating disorders.

Mary yes quite possibly actually. I was just recalling a recent news story about a size 22 model and the utter horror reaction about what a terrible influence she was on the children. You can't win, particularly if you're a woman I think.

I didn't until people were stating she looked completely the right weight for size - so just countering she isn't!

I wouldn't have bothered ever mentioning it if I hadn't clicked the thread though. I think she's fine.

Yes her BMI is underweight according to her card, so not in the "normal" range at all.

I wouldn't take that as a gospel tbh. I know quite a few people who have worked in the performing arts and every single one of them lies on things like that. They would tend to "grow" a few inches and "lose" quite a few pounds on these things .

but I know a lot of people with eating disorders.

But not everyone with an eating disorder is thin. My sister has been a slim size 8 throughout most of her life. The only time she's ever been a size 14 (and was also medically overweight) was when she was bulimic.

It's not unusual for people with bulimia to be overweight/obese.

Also eating disorders have little to do with wanting to be thin. They're much more complex than that.

Even if she is "underweight" according to her BMI so bloody what ?

So am I. So are a fair few people that aren't ill/unhealthy. BMI is a blunt instrument.