BLOG 102 BODY SHAMING
Appearance is what we see when we look in the mirror, when we look at someone else, it’s how we describe others…. it’s all around us: ALWAYS. Are we defined by how we look?? The answer depends on who you ask. But we can all agree between the clothes we wear, how we get ready in the morning, and where we go, appearance comes into play. We see our imperfections first, constantly see and hear about tips on how to look our best from the media, and are exposed to these types of judgements daily. So let’s talk about body shaming.
Body-shaming is criticizing yourself or others when it comes to physical appearance. Body-shaming manifests in many ways: (https://www.waldeneatingdisorders.com/body-shaming)
- Criticizing your own appearance, through a judgement or comparison to another person. (i.e. “I’m so ugly compared to her”. “Look at how bad my shoulders are.”)
- Criticizing another’s appearance in front of them, (i.e. “With those thighs, you’re never going to find a date.”)
- Criticizing another’s appearance without their knowledge. (i.e. “Did you see what she’s wearing today? Not flattering.” “At least you don’t look like her!”
There are many derogatory terms that society has adopted. The stylist Lauren Conrad, who was one on the MTV show “The Hills”, has eliminated many of these terms form her website and clothing line. Conrad stated, “The word skinny will now be reserved for skinny jeans. My editorial team and I had a long talk about it, and we want to make sure that the focus is on being fit as opposed to a number on the scale. Every body is created differently – and healthy bodies come in all shapes and sizes” (https://www.edition.cnn.com/2015/06/05/living/body-shaming). I like her platform but still don’t like the term “skinny jeans”. The name alone seems to define who can wear them. But who is to say what skinny is?? Round about argument I guess.
Body image and self-esteem go hand in hand. Being unhappy about one’s body can lead to many other issues like eating disorders, sexual promiscuity, and substance abuse. Here are some stats: (https://www.dosomething.org/us/facts/11-facts-):
- Approximately 91% of women are unhappy with their bodies and resort to dieting to achieve their idea body shape. Unfortunately only 5% of women naturally possess the body type often portrayed by Americans in the media.
- 58% of college-aged girls feel pressured to be a certain weight.
When it comes to our appearance, we are our own worse critics. Any additional negative input leads to body shaming. Our self-esteem is important and we deserve to love our bodies. No negative self-talk or body shaming is allowed at the studio. We are bodies under construction becoming the best versions of ourselves.