Look, I understand this is a large undertaking. I know that Lizzie McGuire was just a kids show on the Disney Channel. But Degrassi was just a kids' show too — and I can't remember a character development that carried so much weight simply evaporating into thin air by the next episode — or never reappearing later in the series.Maybe it's not Lizzie McGuire's fault. Maybe the Disney Channel, which has sterilized other TV shows in the past, wasn't ready for it back in 2002. Maybe it's a greater problem with the "after school special" formula where shows try to tackle a major issue in just 22 minutes so that kids learn something new. Or maybe it's just that I was expecting more from my favorite show.By the time I was 14 years old, I already had people in my life struggling with body image, body dysmorphia , and anorexia. And I wasn't really sure how to be there for them or how to handle it. Now, I know about so many resources, like the National Eating Disorders Association, and thanks to our own website, I've been able to see great advice on how to help friends . But back then, I felt helpless.After that episode, Miranda became my favorite character on the show, despite the series never coming back to this storyline. Maybe it was because suddenly I knew that Miranda wasn't perfect like Lizzie. She was flawed — just like me and my friends. And that was more comforting than any feel good freeze frame ending could ever provide.