The preoccupation with our bodies was non-existent until someone decided to offer us some unsolicited advice or made a backhanded comment about our appearance. Thus, we were forced to open our eyes to the unwarranted reality which has defined, shaped, and reinforced our concept of body image. Since then, we have come to understand that society has set standards for the s, shape, and colour of our bodies.
These standards glorified an unattainable body and demonised the ‘imperfections’ that make us human. Body image is a broad term that encompasses an individual’s beliefs about their appearance, feelings about their body (shape, type, weight), and how they experience their body. The urge to be part of the mob and adhere to what society deems worthy is ingrained in our minds which unconsciously manifests in our everyday language and behaviours.
A good example would be the need to go on a diet after a festive season to make up for the consumption of ‘bad’ food. The feeling of guilt after eating something we have been told is bad is normalised to the extent that most readers do not find anything out of the ordinary with my previous sentence. Ideal representation
As of 2021, research suggests that an average person comes across 6,000 to 10,000 advertisements per day. Our perception of how we should look stems from our encounters with these ads that consist of the ‘ideal’ woman or man. People with flawless skin and curvy or muscular physiques (depending on the gender they are representing) frequent our screens leading us to create unrealistic standards of how we must look. Anyone on social media is privy to the art and science of editing. The problem arises when we perceive the edited version of something as real.
Ever wonder why there are times when you look in the mirror and find fault with every part of your body? As we frequently come across ads and posts with the ‘picture perfect’ people, we unconsciously compare the ideals depicted by the media to our very real bodies. The media regards the journey of weight loss of a celebrity as newsworthy. Accompanied by a before vs after picture, they present a new and supposedly improved person to the world, propagating the idea that thin is healthy.
The fixation on how the celebrity in question appears to be more beautiful, healthy, and desirable when compared to her previous body is where the notion that fat is ugly, otherwise known as fat phobia, is imprinted in our minds. Notice the usage of the pronoun ‘her’ in my previous sentence; celebrities who identify as female are more often than not the model in
a beauty or fashion advertisement or are the centre of the public eye when they gain or lose weight. The fact is that women are more likely to be judged and reduced to their appearance than their male counterparts. These weight loss stories zero in on how a celebrity is more worthy of the spotlight and stardom post weight loss than when they were living in a big body. There- fore, it is no surprise that these stories circulate the concept of relating our bodily appearance to our sense of self-worth.
In recent times, the media has shifted its radical mindset from portraying thin as an ideal (for women) to including and embracing diverse body types. Clothing brands like H&M and Fab Alley and beauty brands like Dove and L’Oréal have initiated conversations of body acceptance through their body-inclusive campaigns. Furthermore, many social media influencers advocate for the Body Positive Movement, which has become a trend today. The downside of this Movement is that it has created its own beauty standards that still disregards the realities of a human body.
Additionally, the Movement has resulted
in the hyper focus on our appearance and has inadvertently caused us to associate our self-worth with our bodies. Acceptance of diversity We are all guilty of writing off a person living in a big body as unhealthy, unhappy, and unsuccessful. Although all humans belong to the same species, the appearance and functionality of our bodies are unique.
The influence of nature (sex, genetics, biological functioning) and nurture (lifestyle, culture, geography) on our bodies can account for its uniqueness. Hence, even if all humans ate the same type and quantity of food and exercised
for the same amount of time, our bodies would still look different. We are multi-faceted beings; there is more to us than what meets the eye. Living in an image-driven society has led us to believe that our body, as an individual entity,
is an image, a reflection of our being. Since the part of us that is painfully tangible is susceptible to manipulation by external factors, it cannot possibly define who we are as a whole person.
Instead, simply appreciating its work for our survival will leave us with more time and energy to spend on other facets of life. In a world that capitalises on our insecurities that are created by those around us through the skillful obstruction of flaws that make us real, it is an act of rebellion to accept and see beyond our physical appearance.
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