Mandy Smith, age 14, is Founder of Young Esteem,
a fresh new organization created to "let not just the young kids know but to let everyone know you don't have to have a perfect body to be popular or beautiful."

1. What motivated you to start Young Esteem?

I was riding in the car with my co-founder and boyfriend, Drake and we were listening to a song by Savage Garden called "Affirmations." A line in the song says "Beauty magazines only promote low self-esteem." And I completely agree with it. I think the magazines promote people to look like this one certain way. I think they promote that beauty is only achieved if you look that one way. I think that is completely untrue. I think there is only one way to achieve TRUE beauty and that is to be yourself and love yourself for it. I wanted to get this message out to people, so my boyfriend and I started Young Esteem, a nonprofit organization. I knew it was going to be hard because many people look to beauty magazines to see what they "should" look like and because I am only 14 years old.

2. Who do you want to reach with your message?

We are trying to reach to ANYONE and EVERYONE. Any shape, size, color, age, and personality. But in the beginning I was motivated to reach people with eating disorders, because I myself have had an eating disorder for nearly half of my life. Now I think whether you have an eating disorder or not, I think we all feel sometimes like we have this certain stereotype of what we should look like or be. And I don't want that feeling to be there anymore.

3. If you could speak directly to the editors of the fashion magazines and producers of the television shows and movies that produce unhealthy body imagery, what would you tell them?

There is so much I would want to tell them. But even more I think I would want to show them. Show them how what they do effects people. That 75% of the American population, when they look at those magazines or ads like that, they feel guilty and ashamed of what they look like. And not only what they look like but who they are…because they feel if they don't look like that image, they aren't valued as a person. And I would turn to those companies and let them know they are responsible for that. And ask them how they feel after hearing that and how they can sleep at night.

4. You have ISAA's support for your cause. Are there other people and organizations that you are working with to promote your message? Who are they?

First off I would really like to thank the ISAA for all the help and support you have given to Young Esteem. I actually have been fortunate enough to have a few other organizations that have been really great in helping me out. Such as, Fat?So!, The Network of Size Esteem, Eating Disorder Referral and Information Center, and Girl Power!

5. What else would you like the world to know about you or your cause?

Just mainly that you don't have to look like the people in the magazines to be popular or liked. That you can be you and people will love you for you. Beauty is found not only on the outside of someone but true beauty is found within. And to me that is the only kind of beauty that matters!

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If you would like to know more about Young Esteem, please visit the website at:

http://www.homestead.com/unchick22/youngesteem.html

or Contact by e-mail:

youngesteem@juno.com OR
youngesteem@aol.com