By Kelley Maple
I’m a family nurse practitioner. I specialize in hormone health and regenerative medicine. I see women every day who carry decades of shame in their bodies. They come into my office exhausted, disconnected, and convinced that their value peaked ten years ago—or twenty. Some of them can’t even make eye contact when we talk about their own bodies. And I get it.
But my biggest wake-up call didn’t come from the women I treat. It came from raising my own daughter.
She was active, athletic, healthy. Then, after a serious brain injury and life-saving surgery, everything changed. She was put on heavy medications that caused rapid weight gain—about 30 pounds in one year. She went from being the kid who felt at home in her skin to a middle schooler who didn’t recognize her own reflection.
And that broke me.
You see, I had privilege. I was born with symmetry, which science tells us is generally more pleasing to the eye. I grew up in a body that didn’t demand much maintenance. I didn’t grow up battling my reflection. So I didn’t fully understand what so many girls and women were going through—until it hit my home.
We co-parented well, and our houses had different mantras. Her dad drilled into her: “Know your worth. Know who you are.” I focused on health. Not size. Not shape. Health. That meant:
-Movement because it feels good, not as punishment.
-Eating food that fuels our brain, not obsessing over calories.
And here’s the hard truth: she wasn’t going to do it alone. So I did it with her.
We walked. Not always because she wanted to, but because I invited her into it gently. I’d say, “Want to walk with me?” not “You should be exercising.” I modeled what it looks like to prioritize movement without obsessing over results.
And I stopped commenting on her body altogether.
I stopped saying, “You look great!” and started saying, “I love how you’re showing up for yourself.” I stopped praising appearances and started celebrating discipline, rest, curiosity, and joy.
I know what it’s like to work with women who’ve internalized shame for decades. Who feel like they have to earn the right to feel good. And it’s always rooted in the same early beliefs: that their body is only as valuable as it is desirable. That rest is lazy. That worth is something you hustle for.
And I can’t undo all of that in a single session. But I can help stop it from repeating in the next generation.
Because the more I work in this field, the more I know: our daughters don’t need us to project our fears onto them. They need us to do our work—so they don’t inherit it.
To the moms reading this: if you are quietly battling your own body image while trying to raise confident kids, please know this—you don’t have to be perfect. You just have to be present.
Let them see you walk even when you don’t feel like it. Let them see you choose broccoli and brownies. Let them see you rest. Let them see you laugh in your skin.
Let them see you live well in the body you already have.
That’s what changes the story. That’s what breaks the cycle.
About the Author
Kelley Maple is a board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner and the founder of The KM Health Collective, a platform dedicated to helping women feel strong, confident, and connected to their bodies through every stage of life. Known for her honest, compassionate approach, Kelley specializes in hormone health, regenerative medicine, and aesthetic care—guiding her patients through physical changes with science-backed strategies and heart-centered education.
With more than a decade of clinical experience, Kelley is passionate about changing the conversation around body image, health, and aging. She is the Co-Founder and Chief Medical Officer of Medical Anti-Aging, a leading clinic in South Florida, and is a proud advocate for personalized care that meets people where they are—at any age or stage.
Outside the clinic, Kelley is a mom, daughter, a friend, an athlete, a Women’s Health Ambassador for a personalized nutrition company and a passionate advocate for empowering women to reclaim their health and self-worth. Her work is deeply informed by her own journey and a belief that when people feel good in their bodies, they show up more fully in every part of life.
Connect with Kelley: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelley-maple-0574681ba/
