Curvacious

Body Shaming :(
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Words have power!

 “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.

Body Shapes 
Body Shapes

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:

  • Limited food intake
  • Fear of being “fat”
  • Problems with body image or denial of low body weight

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:

  • Eating more rapidly than normal
  • Eating until feeling uncomfortably full
  • Eating large amounts of food when not feeling physically hungry
  • Eating alone because of feeling embarrassed by how much one is eating
  • Feeling disgusted with oneself, depressed or very guilty afterward

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.

  • Choosing our social media messages wisely. We can look for pages and influencers that promote body positivity.
  • Repeat affirmations for yourself and others throughout the day. This helps in improving your mental health and instantly boosts your mood.
  • Come out of the hiding. Make your presence felt just the way you are. Next time, drop that shrug and flaunt your lovely body.
  • Accept that you are wrong about "perfect bodies". This will help you in appreciating yourself.  
  • Do something that you love. It can be cooking, painting, singing, or anything that makes you genuinely happy.
  • And most importantly, thank your body! For everything that it has done for you so far and keeps doing so.
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