I am 13 and hate what I see in the mirror

Being what you may think of as thin or pretty doesn’t change how you feel inside, says Annalisa Barbieri

I am 13 and worried about my weight. I want to be a model, but I store lots of fat in my face, thighs and stomach. Is that genetic, or is it from me not eating right or exercising, and because I’m not done growing? I come from a tall family, so I probably will end up taller.

I look at myself in the mirror, and then go in my room and cry. I point out all my flaws, even things I might not have. I’m scared to talk about it. My parents think I’m insecure when I say how “ugly” I am, and reassure me I’m gorgeous. My friends are shocked when they find out what I weigh, because they never see me as fat. I wear baggy clothes and try to hide myself. I do facial exercises to try to slim down my face – to be pretty. I cry in my room for hours until I can’t make any more tears.

Related: I’m 17 and my parents control me and want me to conform – what can I do?

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from Children | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2IhVv2c