What can we do to help teen girls build self-esteem, overcome insecurities and form supportive relationships?

Above all, young girls need unconditional love from their parents. If they are not getting love and approval from their parents, they are going to be seeking it elsewhere.

Also, our society needs to stop glorifying the "anorexic look" that we see in so many runway models. Young girls see these models on TV and then look at themselves in a mirror and start feeling inadequate because they think they don't have "the look". It gives them unrealistic expectations about beauty and leads to eating disorders.

We also need to start placing more emphasis on things like integrity, intelligence, wisdom, and fitness rather than merely focusing on beauty and how skinny a woman is. Girls need role models who are strong and physicall fit rather than anorexic and weak.

I believe Hollywood has the power to change peoples' perceptions of beauty, but the question is whether or not it's in their financial best-interest to do so.

What is to be questioned is the means of allowing these girls to build their self-esteem, overcome their insecurities and form supportive relationship. Can or could someone be the pioneer. I have seen you Tyra do it on your first show (the girls camp you started in the States) I viewed in Malaysia. Even though it was delayed by months I was enthralled by the possibility of being able to help the girls you intended through your own way. And I'll say it again: "What are the means available for some communities to help these girls?" We are all born with a purpose in this world, talents, ideas, strengths and weaknesses. The media does terrible damage to young impressionable minds. However, I have noticed recently that there are more ads and more idols being marketed that are not the supermodel thin type. Which is a good start but we need even more diversity in that aspect. The problem with the media is that they don't let people see the reality only the finished product .. these so called models have flaws just like everyone.

I got it - Start Modeling without the Makeup, the extensions and the airbrushing and show girls around american what a real woman looks like working in the real world! If you want to be the next Oprah (a true american role model), look in the mirror and realize that people can see further than skin deep. If society worked the way some may think it works, Oprah would have been tossed out on her fat behind a long time ago, but that didn't happen because of Oprah's honest and real personality. Tyra . . . all I'm trying to say is that if you want girls to learn overcome all these superficial pressures in life, why don't you be the light of hope that leads the way and show that there are other things that can help build self-esteem and insecurities besides perfect skin, an amazing body and a pretty smile?

Have older women set a better example. By have women singers sing about obsene things they set an example in which younger girls that have the resources (money) can go out and stay up while the rest are left behind. With women making porn movies, stupid songs, and all the other things they do it is interpretted by the younger crowd and they eventually follow the leader. A girl cannot have a high self-esteem if she doesn't have a body like Shikira or a face like Halle Berry or even the "worlds sexiest bra" from Victoria's Secret. Where are the ugly singers at or why is the girl in the victoria's secret commercial so enticing it makes me want to go their? Its because everybody is superficial which needs to stop. Its the trickle-down effect. If the top stops then it will eventually make it to the bottom and girls wont have to overcome insecurites or build a high esteem because it will be a level playing field. As for supportive relationships, that problem will be corrected when the rest is fixed. I think if they need a relationship then they will find one, its natural for someone to get what they need. Some might not want one for a specific reason while others may. Everybody is different.

To answer the first two questions, the media and people who are actually already in the spot light (some celebrities) can stop setting such an unrealistic standard for women and young women. The media portrays all over the place that a young girl needs to be very thin, tall is good, makeup to the max, and teen magazines say all over the place that looks is what is going to MAKE a woman. This is not what makes a woman or any human being. What makes a human being is their soul and character. This is how women (and men) should be portrayed and the standard set. Unfortunately it will take a lot more than a few people to change the Hollywood standard for where true value (AND beauty) is set.

Teen girls can find supportive relationships when they seek out friends, clubs, or groups that support them and others. Many Christian churches have these groups and clubs as well. Schools that have clubs that allow teens to get involved in helping others. In these groups young girls can meet people who care about them and others, while also working toward a good cause. Getting ones eyes off of yourself also helps build self-esteem because ones work is being offered for the good of someone else.

I don't know if there's really one answer to that question. Every girl all over the world is different. I know I have low self-esteem and many insecurities because of things I've been told by people when I was younger. I'm sure there are a lot of girls out there like that. No one can stop people from saying what they're going to say. But what Tyra does is damage control for all the girls with scars from the past. I think the Tyra Banks Show is an answer to this question. She's doing a great job, because she's so different from other talk show hosts. She tells the truth. And talks about issues that are really important.

I would have loved to have been able to volunteer at a petting zoo, or daycare center, or even help the elderly with craft activities. As a 27 year old now, I still worry what people think of me, and I am still overweight. But I work with with the elderly in home-health care, and take great pride in what I do. But the scars of high school are still there. I missed a lot, I would do anything to help lessen the pain of any teen that is having the same problems. Teens today really literally need a community to help overcome the pressures of life. If you don't have a safe home life, that can be very difficult. Other teens helping out teens would make a huge difference, not just the adults. I think there need to be many more peer groups than there are. I feel the adults running these programs should be required to get continuing education on how to help, what worked 20 years ago, won't necessarily work today.

have women singers sing about obsene things they set an example in which younger girls that have the resources (money) can go out and stay up while the rest are left behind. With women making porn movies, stupid songs, and all the other things they do it is interpretted by the younger crowd and they eventually follow the leader. A girl cannot have a high self-esteem if she doesn't have a body like Shikira or a face like Halle Berry or even the "worlds sexiest bra" from Victoria's Secret. Where are the ugly singers at or why is the girl in the victoria's secret commercial so enticing it makes me want to go their? Its because everybody is superficial which needs to stop. Its the trickle-down effect. If the top stops then it will eventually make it to the bottom and girls wont have to overcome insecurites or build a high esteem because it will be a level playing field. As for supportive relationships, that problem will be corrected when the rest is fixed. I think if they need a relationship then they will find one, its natural for someone to get what they need. Som

I wasn't athletic, that meant I couldn't hang out with the jocks. I wasn't the smartest person in my class so all of the academic activities scared me. I would have loved to have been able to volunteer at a petting zoo, or daycare center, or even help the elderly with craft activities. As a 27 year old now, I still worry what people think of me, and I am still overweight. But I work with with the elderly in home-health care, and take great pride in what I do. But the scars of high school are still there. I missed a lot, I would do anything to help lessen the pain of any teen that is having the same problems. Teens today really literally need a community to help overcome the pressures of life. If you don't have a safe home life, that can be very difficult. Other teens helping out teens would make a huge difference, not just the adults. I think there need to be many more peer groups than there are. I feel the adults running these programs should be required to get continuing education on how to help, what worked 20 years ago, won't necessarily work today.

It was always the popular girls and guys. I think there should be more resources for teenagers who aren't athletic, or the smartest kids. I am great with kids, animals, and the elderly and always have been. If I had the resources I do as an adult, to be able to volunteer somewhere and know I made a difference in someone or somethings life, it would have made the teasing a little less stressful and heartbreaking. I wasn't athletic, that meant I couldn't hang out with the jocks. I wasn't the smartest person in my class so all of the academic activities scared me. I would have loved to have been able to volunteer at a petting zoo, or daycare center, or even help the elderly with craft activities. As a 27 year old now, I still worry what people think of me, and I am still overweight. But I work with with the elderly in home-health care, and take great pride in what I do. But the scars of high school are still there. I missed a lot, I would do anything to help lessen the pain of any teen that is having the same problems. Teens today really literally need a community to help overcome the pressures of life. If you don't have a safe home life, that can be very difficult. Other teens helping out teens would make a huge difference, not just the adults. I think there need to be many more peer groups than there are. I feel the adults running these programs should be required to get continuing education on how to help, what worked 20 years ago, won't necessarily work today.

A girl cannot have a high self-esteem if she doesn't have a body like Shikira or a face like Halle Berry or even the "worlds sexiest bra" from Victoria's Secret. Where are the ugly singers at or why is the girl in the victoria's secret commercial so enticing it makes me want to go their? Its because everybody is superficial which needs to stop. Its the trickle-down effect. If the top stops then it will eventually make it to the bottom and girls wont have to overcome insecurites or build a high esteem because it will be a level playing field. As for supportive relationships, that problem will be corrected when the rest is fixed. I think if they need a relationship then they will find one, its natural for someone to get what they need. Some might not want one for a specific reason while others may. Everybody is different.