See the human Inside

"human INSIDE is an anti-discrimination campaign which aims to raise awareness of discrimination and hopefully reduce discrimination as much as possible.

Instead of using people, inanimate objects became the subjects of the photo essays. Each essay tells a story that relates to results of discrimination or how it unfolds." 

Through these powerful images and quotes, Faheema Patel demonstrates discrimination that surrounds and affects us all. 

Racial Discrimination

In 2012, 51 percent of Americans expressed anti-black sentiments in a poll; a 3 percent increase from 2008.

"99.9% of the DNA of every person in the world is identical.” – The Human Genome Project

(Faheema Patel)

Body Image

80% of children who are 10 years old are afraid of being fat.

“Man is the only critter who feels the need to label things as flowers or weeds.” – Unknown

(Faheema Patel)

Disability Discrimination 

Just over 1 in 4 of today's 20 year-olds will become disabled before they retire. No one is immune, only resilient.  

Differently abled not disabled (Faheema Patel)

Bystander Effect

In 54% of cases, bystanders reinforced the bully by watching but not joining in. 

“Our thoughts are unseen hands shaping the people we meet. Whatever we truly think them to

 be that’s what they’ll become for us.” – Richard Cowper 

(Faheema Patel)

Violence Against Women

“6 out of every 10 women worldwide experience violence in their lifetime.” – UNIFEM

(Faheema Patel)

Most dating violence incidents are never reported.

Help change the facts. Speak up, speak out, and make a difference for victims of dating violence.

Religious Discrimination 

Nearly 50 percent of countries increased their religious discrimination between 2009 and 2010, and only 32 percent saw decreases.

If religion is not a crime then why are we treated like criminals? (Faheema Patel)

Freedom

"WE ALL DESERVE

...a life of peace

...a life of freedom" (Faheema Patel)

Teen Link believes in freedom. We provide a place for young people to talk about their struggles with people their own age. We believe that through talking it out there can be healing. 

Teen Link is an anonymous support line, open everyday 6pm-10pm. We have online chat and a phone line open to everyone ages 13-21. You can reach Teen Link at; 

(866)-833-6546 or www.866teenlink.org

To find more information on the human Inside project visit: http://www.behance.net/gallery/human-Inside/1421483

All pictures and quotes belong to Faheema Patel and the human Inside project. 

"Healthy" Diet Gone Too Far?

Unprocessed foods. Vegetables. Multi-grains. Pure water. What's wrong with a healthy diet? 

Well, really nothing...until it goes too far. 

When we think of eating disorders, we often think of anorexia and bulimia, disorders motivated by the desire to be thin. However, orthorexia is a bit different. Instead of thoughts like "I want to be skinnier" or "I'm too big to eat," an orthorexic person might think things like "I know better than them" or "They're wasting their bodies."

What does that mean?

Orthorexia is an obsession with eating healthy. But not only that, it becomes overwhelming to the point that it is the most important thing in your mind. People with orthorexia are driven by the "perfect diet," making this eating disorder more of a moralistic goal than a purely physical goal. They might think that because they are pursuing this diet, they are purer than other people. They might also think that others are killing themselves by eating unhealthy things.

Orthorexic people take healthy eating to an unhealthy level, withdrawing themselves from social events involving food. If they don't prepare the good themselves, they may not feel comfortable eating it.

Even though orthorexia isn't primarily driven by the desire to be thin, it usually results in severe weight-loss and malnutrition. 

Trying to eat healthy or going on a diet does not mean that a person has orthorexia. However, here are some signs that you or a friend might have orthorexia (see more details at http://www.timberlineknolls.com/eating-disorder/orthorexia/signs-effects):

• Avoiding preservatives, artificial flavors, genetically modified foods, fat, sugar, salt, dairy products, or any ingredients that seem unhealthy
• Obsessing over the connection between unhealthy foods and medical conditions (i.e. cancer, asthma, digestive problems)
• Severely limiting the number of foods that are acceptable to eat 
• Extreme concern over how food is prepared (i.e. if it's washed enough, if utensils are clean)
• Feeling guilty after eating "non-approved" foods
• Feeling a sense of pride/superiority from eating "healthy"
• Consistently planning out meals beforehand
• Feeling uncomfortable with eating out or eating food prepared by someone else
• Mood swings, depression, anxiety

Remember that it's okay to eat healthy and it's okay to eat not-so-healthy things too!

If you want to talk about eating disorders or anything else that's on your mind, call Teen Link at (866) 833-6546. You can call any day from 6-10pm to talk to another teen anonymously about what's going on.

Have a delicious day!

I See Nothing But UGLY

Another Day

I take a look in the mirror

I see nothing but ugly

That girl from school is right, I am fat

She sits across from me every day at lunch

“You’re too big, you shouldn’t be eating”

I swallow my last bite and push my meal away

She watches my every move and laughs

I look back in the mirror and hold back my tears

Repeat the same day

Another comment

Another tear

Moving to a new school in a new town

“I’m safe now; everything is going to be okay”

I spoke too soon

Another bully

More Tears

I stopped eating lunch to avoid the comments

I stopped eating even after the bullying ended

Yet I couldn’t eat in front of anyone

I was afraid of another scar

Open your eyes and tell me what you see. Many would say an overweight, ugly boy/girl. We look at media and see tall, thin models. We walk around the mall and visit stores that apparently only cater to size 0. Boys at school going for the petite girls. Girls going for the muscular boys. And at the end of the day we look in the mirror and assume we are ugly because of our “imperfections.” In reality we are all beautiful.

Media brainwashes society to make us believe that, “that girl” on T.V, whose bones are showing, is pretty. Or that store you tried to buy clothes from isn’t made for you because you’re not skinny enough. In reality “that girl” on T.V is unhealthy and most likely unhappy. The store that didn’t have your size didn’t realize you could look good in those clothes too and is missing out on your business. But you can be the smarter one and treat everyone equally. You can realize that everyone is beautiful no matter what size they wear or how much they weigh. Look deeper into their character, don’t stop at skin deep. Be human. Be yourself. Believe in a better day where everyone will be able to accept true beauty.

“If you spent your whole life concentrating on what everyone else thought of you, would you forget who you really were? What if the face you showed the world turned out to be a mask… with nothing beneath it?” – Jodi Picoult

If you ever feel insecure and you want to talk about it, call TeenLink. We are an anonymous phone line for teens and answered by teens. The people on the line are here to listen—no matter how big or small the issue. Teen Link’s number is 1 (866) 833 – 6546. The line is open every night from 6 – 10 P.M. If you prefer to chat, visit www.866teenlink.org. Chat is available all week. You matter.