Who Says You Are Not Beautiful?

JOVITA CERNIAUSKAITE
Aug 12, 2022
3 min read

Nowadays people love to judge each other for their body type. Skinny girls = perfect body - that’s what we see on social media every day… but behind the phone screen most of the time it is just an illusion and fake information. Our culture is very visual and obsessed with the idea of the "ideal body" as it is presented in media like movies, television, online, journals, etc. People are viewed as "less than," "not pretty," or "not acceptable" if they don't fit the social norm. But who says you are not beautiful? If you feel comfortable and sexy in your body, why do you care what society says?

Power of words

I want to share a story that I have heard from a woman I met on the plane a few weeks ago. She has 3 daughters (ages 13,10 and 8). Gorgeous girls (they were on the flight as well). The middle one had big health issues for a long time - anorexia. I asked myself at that moment: what could have led her to this? She is so young and beautiful! The oldest daughter had no idea that her jokes could have a terrible outcome, as she did say to her younger sister a couple of times that she is getting fatter and maybe she could stop eating that much. The little girl felt insecure and started eating less every day, without even noticing it.. and just a few months after that she ended up in the hospital. It was such a hard time for the family because she used to say that she didn’t want to live, she said she want to die and that she was not happy. Just a few words and her whole life changed. But let me ask you if you do criticise people about their body shape? And do you know where it can lead???? I am sure the oldest sister didn't want to make her sister feel that way and make it worse. As her mum told me that she learned the lesson and tried to encourage her sister since then. It is better to be healthy than try to put yourself in the idea of the "ideal body".

Although the term "body shaming" is already widely known, there are other subtypes of it, such as "fat-shaming," "skinny shaming," and "thin privilege," that appear to be gradually entering the collective perception via media platforms.

Skinny = model

First off, being thin does not necessarily equate to being a model. I've been skinny all my life and then suddenly I start getting some weight, but I don't understand why so many people decide to make unwanted and uninvited remarks about another person's appearance? When I've been skinny, they used to ask: Why I don't eat? Why I am so skinny? or say that I need to eat more, making jokes about how the wind may pick me up or presuming that I am weak. They were unaware of my story. They were unaware of my current state of health or any potential medical issues I might have been dealing with. Shaming someone for their appearance is simply wrong. Social media's exponential growth over the last 5 years has only made the problem worse. Teenage girls today are bombarded by a sea of "perfect" physique photos on their newsfeeds. In addition, comments on these pictures occasionally use insulting or disrespectful language. According to research by Beat, an eating disorder organization in the United Kingdom , almost 65% of individuals with eating disorders claim that bullying led to their condition. 49 per cent of those surveyed said they were under 10 when the abuse first started, and many said its effects continued into their 40s and 50s. People who experience body shaming or who struggle with body image problems feel depressed and unhappy about their looks, weight, or body type. They can worry that they are too muscular, too curvaceous, too large or little, or too overweight. Having body image issues or discomfort can result in a wide range of psychological and physical issues.