TW: This post alludes to and mentions ED's, if you have any triggers towards this topic please do not read it.
Let's talk about body image. I know, I know, because of all the things that body image is associated with, it's become kind of a taboo in conversations. It's almost as if the very words 'body image' create a room that kind of tenses up and just freezes due to the way that body image is often spoken about. And like Hermione Granger said, "Fear of a name only increases fear of the thing itself." (PROUD POTTERHEAD TILL THE END) So let's break this taboo. But I want to clear something up: It can affect anyone, of any gender, or any religion, ethnicity or age. It affects me, it affected your mom, your dad, basically everyone you've met has had a time when they felt a bit insecure about their body.
But what's the root of negative body image? Well, I'm sorry to say it, but it seems like one of the root causes of a negative body image is our good old friend social media. One of the saddest things though is that most of the time it's not even people degrading us, but it's ourselves. It's the comparison of our bodies to those that are posed, perfected, and most commonly of all, photoshopped. Have you ever looked at a post on Instagram, or a video on TikTok, that had a girl or a boy dancing or posing and thought, "I wish I looked like them." Well, you won't be surprised that YOU. ARE. NOT. ALONE. One study reports that at age thirteen, 53% of American girls are "unhappy with their bodies." This grows to 78% by the time girls reach seventeen. Eating disorders are the third most common chronic illness among adolescent females in the United States. The statistics on male body-image dissatisfaction (BECAUSE LIKE I SAID IT DOES EXIST UNSURPRISINGLY) have tripled in the last 25 years, from 15% of the population to 45%. Here are some other statistics regarding men and the ideal male body: One in ten people with anorexia are male.
I went through a time in my life when I used to constantly compare myself to others of my age, changing in the changing rooms for PE was a struggle because I thought everyone was judging my body, I wasn't eating enough, I'd skip breakfast and other meals. But one thing that really helped was changing the people I was exposed to on social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok, I started following this account called 'livelife_unfiltered'. It was created by two young women, they explain why they created it in the Ted Talk linked below.
Here is a video explaining the science behind body image:
Beauty is like art, and bodies are beauty
I think that beauty is like art. It's subjective. Beauty means something different to each of us; it doesn't mean like our type or what type of people we're attracted to, but it's beauty. You can find blue eyes beautiful, or long hair beautiful, or maybe if someone's confident in themselves that could be the most beautiful thing to you. But just like you wouldn't get mad at someone for finding Monet more beautiful over Da Vinci, why should you get mad at someone for embracing their own body instead of trying to stick to the ever-changing beauty standard. These are girls of ages between 5 and 18 talking about what beauty means to them, you'll see that as the ages change, the answers do as well...
Every body is a piece of art.
There's a popular trend going around on TikTok of people romanticizing their insecurities, so to conclude this post I'm gonna do it right now. Freckles are like stars on your face that illuminate your life as well as others around you. Chaffing thighs aren't bad, they're just cuddling because of how much beauty they each possess. Brown eyes are delicious like creamy and sweet chocolate. Blue eyes have oceans of enchanting waves of water dancing in them. Unibrows are a sign of the unity of your beauty. The rolls you get on your belly or on your back is your body changing to suit your growth. Acne are dozens of kisses from the youthful adolescent years showing how much they love you. But what all of these things have in common is that they're a part of being human. I get rolls, I have cellulite, I have acne, I have insecurities; in other words, I am human. You are human. We're all human.
We are all human, as long as we love ourselves -which isn't an easy feat, I get it, tips coming in another post soon- we can be better. We can be happier. I hope I see you next time,
-thestudentsblogger
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