Why Should My Daughter Participate in Girls on the Run?

• Among girls, an emphasis on popularity and slimness along with increased television viewing are linked to low self-esteem.
• Girls as young as five form negative self-images based on their weight.
• Almost two-thirds of girls in 5th-12th grades are dissatisfied with their body shape and want to lose weight.
• Body dissatisfaction and dietary restraint are predictors of depression in girls.

Here Is Some Good News:

• Girls who participate in physical activities are 40% less likely to smoke, have higher levels of self-esteem, better body images, and lower levels of depression.
• Girls who have experienced emotional trauma respond positively to physical fitness programs.
• Girls who participate in physical activities are less likely to engage in risky sexual behavior during adolescence.
• Girls who participate in physical exercise have better relationships with parents, get better grades, are less likely to use drugs and are less depressed than girls who don't.

And The Best News? If She's Involved With Girls On The Run:

• she has higher self-esteem;**
• she has improved eating attitudes;**
• she has an improved body image;** and
• she has a positive peer group and positive role models for her future.

**According to research conducted by Dr. Rita DeBate, Ph.D., MPH, CHES, assistant professor in the department of Health Behavior at UNC-Charlotte, the Girls on the Run Curricula improve girls self-esteem, body image and eating attitudes to a "statistically significant" extent.