Society's View on Body Image

Let’s talk about our bodies. Face it; sometimes it’s a touchy subject. Everyone seems to have that one thing that they absolutely cannot stand. Maybe you don’t have that thigh gap, a toner butt is definitely on your wish list, you feel like your arms wave more than you do, you’re self-conscious of your larger (or smaller) bust, or that infamous waistline of yours makes you just want to cry.

Now back up and think for a moment. What makes you feel this way? Why do you want to change yourself? Some think, “It’s because I want to better myself because I know I’m unhealthy.” but from what I’ve seen, it’s always been… “It’s not how I’m supposed to look.” Hold up. How is being you “not how you’re supposed to look?” There are two words that are partners in crime for making women and men feel insecure about their looks: Society and Media.

Society tells us how to walk, talk and the cultural norms, but the media plays the most dramatic role of all. The media sets the stage for how society portrays body image. You’d be surprised how brainwashed we’ve all become when it comes to how we view our own bodies based off of what we’re told and shown. There’s a lucky few that don’t fall into the trap of self-hate and constantly obsessing over their bodies. Yours truly has been on both sides of the fence and can tell you it’s a lot easier not really caring what people think. Sound easy? Not that simple.

The first step of a healthy body image is a positive mindset and detaching yourself from anything negative about your body. I’m not here to bash on the beautiful Victoria Secret’s models or the celebrities we see on T.V., but it doesn’t help that their physiques are being paraded around in front of our faces on a daily basis. The hard part is not avoiding stuff like this, because let’s face it, it’s always going to be there, but it’s actually learning to love and accept our bodies and all their glorious flaws. As cliché and cheesy as it sounds, we’re all beautiful in our own way and no one else is going to look like you so embrace and own it!