Skip to Main Content
Women of the ELCA
  • Donate
  • Shop
  • Tools For Leaders
  • Publications
  • Gathering 2021
  • Contact
  • Ministry & Action
    • Discipleship
    • Justice
      • Human Trafficking
      • Racial Justice Advocacy
      • Racial Justice Advocacy Network resources
      • Domestic Violence
    • Membership
    • Stewardship
      • Thankofferings
      • Faithful Friends
      • Katie’s Fund
      • Gift Planning
    • Special Initiatives
      • Raising Up Healthy Women & Girls
      • Dear Friend in Christ
    • Scholarships
      • Lutheran laywomen
      • Lutheran Ordained Ministry
  • Resources
  • Blog
  • Events
  • About
    • History
    • Executive Board
    • Staff
    • Get Involved
  • Donate
  • Shop
  • Tools For Leaders
  • Publications
  • Gathering 2021
  • Contact
« Back to WELCA Blog

Love handles and muffin tops
by Valora Starr

2.22.2011
|
Post

tennisshoeThe other day, I was with some teen girls who were looking at an old family photo of women in one of the girls’ families. One girl exclaimed, with some surprise, “none of them have ‘muffin tops.’”

My generation calls this look love handles. When I looked up “muffin top,” I discovered that it is a generally pejorative slang term used to describe overhanging flesh when it spills over the waistline of pants or skirts in a manner that resembles the top of a muffin spilling over its paper casing. Lovely.

The American Dialect Society named it one of the “most creative” new terms of 2006. Seriously? Most creative? What were we thinking?

Love handles or muffin tops, whatever you want to call them, affect many girls and boys regardless of weight or size and are reported to be caused by everything from ill-fitting clothes to sedentary lifestyles to stress.

If we care about girls’ health, we need to find a way to encourage them to exercise. Not because of appearance or because what they see in the mirror has been pejoratively labeled a “muffin top” but because of the potential threat to their overall health.

The U. S. Surgeon General suggests 10,000 steps a day as a goal to healthy hearts rather than endless diets or drugs advertised as effortless. The average person gets in 900 to 3000 steps in a day.

We have to start somewhere, and adding steps to our day is a good place.

Valora K Starr is director for discipleship. Learn how you can raise up healthy women and girls.

++++++++++++++

Photo used with permission by Creative Commons.

Share

Categories

  • Post (1,155)
  • News (282)
    • Gathering 2021 (9)
    • Triennial Convention 2021 (6)
  • Devotions (55)
Women of the ELCA
25 Jan
Women of the ELCA
@WomenoftheELCA

While every person's grief experience is unique, what unites us is a need to express our emotions. Today's blogger tells us how using art as an outlet helps us pour out those feelings. #grief #creativity ow.ly/SwOe50Dhi8N pic.twitter.com/x0sWHypyZf

Expand reply reply retweet retweet favorite favorite
Back to home

8765 W. Higgins Rd.

Chicago IL 60631

800-638-3522

[email protected]

Stay In Touch

Sign up for the WELCA Newsletter

Explore WELCA
  • Ministry & Action
  • Daily Grace
  • Resource Library
  • Events
  • Blog
  • News
  • About WELCA
  • Tools For Leaders
  • Publications
  • Donate
  • Shop
  • Photos
Explore Publications

Bold Cafe

A Lutheran perspective for women of Christian faith or any woman who is interested in how faith relates to the issues facing women today.

Gather Magazine

A mix of articles, theological reflections, devotions and stories of comfort and challenge that help readers grow in faith.

Cafe Podcast

Subscribe to our podcast:

Click to subscribe

© Copyright 2021 Women of the ELCA. All Rights Reserved.
  • Privacy Policy
  • Sitemap
  • Contact
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube
© Copyright 2021 Women of the ELCA. All Rights Reserved.