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“You need to put some meat on your bones.” “There is no way that is going to fit you!” “You are SO fat!!” “Is that a baby bump?”
Wow! That sounds so familiar and sure it does ring a bell in everyone’s ear because body-shaming is the new normal either we do it or we are at the receiving end of it. Reinforcing the unrealistic expectations about human body types rather than discussing health, we talk about the “beauty benchmarks” set by majorly media influences that we all want to achieve or want others to achieve.
So what is body-shaming? It is the act or practice of negatively judging someone based on their physical appearance. Typically, people are body shamed when they appear overweight or underweight or don’t fit society’s view of “beautiful”.
Bodies come in all different shapes and sizes. That’s part of what makes each of us unique. Some of us are curvier, some of us have narrower hips or broader shoulders — we’re all a little bit different. Still, most of us can categorize our shape into a few broad categories.
For example, a 2004 study reported that descriptions of female bodies have historically been described in categories based on shapes, such as triangle, rectangle, diamond, oval, and hourglass.
It’s important to remember that categorizing body types isn’t an exact science. Oftentimes, there’s a lot of variation within one “type.” You may find that your individual shape features characteristics from several of the different body.
We need to know about our body type and shape so that we can style ourselves according to it. Styling yourself as per your body type is not derogatory but criticizing one based on that is. We all are so comfortable with body shaming, that we often don't realize the gravity of the impact it causes. In fact, many of us don't even see it as an issue. "Why are you being so dramatic in calling her fat!? I just mentioned the obvious!" something that we hear quite often. Some people use body shaming as their defense when they don't have anything smart to say. It has become so natural that we fail to recognize that we often body shame ourselves when we are staring at ourselves in the mirror and pointing out everything about our body that isn't "perfect". Even if we don't talk about it but they exist, the impacts. Body shaming causes some serious repercussions and eating disorders along with depression are the foremost. As well, body shaming crushes the self-esteem and confidence of another human being. Also, women with high levels of body shame report higher amounts of infections, poorer overall health, and more frequent digestive trouble and headaches.
Unfortunately, eating disorders can be caused by a history of being teased or ridiculed based on size or weight, or complexion. So what are eating disorders after all? Eating disorders are illnesses in which people experience severe disturbances in their eating behaviors and related thoughts and emotions. People with eating disorders typically become pre-occupied with food and their body weight.
People with anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa tend to be perfectionists with low self-esteem and are extremely critical of themselves and their bodies. They usually “feel fat” and see themselves as overweight, sometimes even despite life-threatening semi-starvation (or malnutrition). Intense fear of gaining weight and of being fat may become all-pervasive. In the early stages of these disorders, patients often deny that they have a problem. In many cases, eating disorders occur together with other psychiatric disorders like anxiety, panic, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and alcohol and drug abuse problems.
Social anxiety often results from a sense of rejection regarding weight or physical attributes. Not surprisingly, body-shamed women also feel ashamed of natural body functions. For instance, menstruating, sweating, and eating became problems to hide. As a result, they tend to deny themselves quality care, leading to more illness and disease.
Anorexia nervosa is diagnosed when patients weigh at least 15 percent less than the normal healthy weight expected for their height. Hallmarks of anorexia include:
Patients with bulimia nervosa binge eat frequently, and during these times sufferers may eat an astounding amount of food in a short time, often consuming thousands of calories that are high in sugars, carbohydrates, and fat. They can eat very rapidly, sometimes gulping down food without even tasting it.
Their binges often end only when they are interrupted by another person, or they fall asleep or their stomach hurts from being stretched beyond normal capacity. During an eating binge sufferers feel out of control. After a binge, stomach pains and the fear of weight gain are common reasons that those with bulimia nervosa purge by throwing up or using a laxative. This cycle is usually repeated at least several times a week or, in serious cases, several times a day.
Binge eating disorder involves frequent overeating during a discreet period of time (at least once a week for three months), combined with a lack of control and associated with three or more of the following:
Self-awareness is the first step towards overcoming body shaming. Along with that, we can inculcate a few practices that will help us even further.