Written by Kayleigh D, edited by Writing on Caffeine
You would think that after all these years fat shaming would be a thing of the past, but of course it doesn’t work like that. The number of times I’ve seen someone who is seen as “overweight” being bullied, and quite honestly terrorized for wearing something as simple as a tight dress or a crop top is extremely concerning. As humans, why do we think that anyone who is different from the image we have in our minds as the perfect body type, must be singled out for their differences in a negative way? In most cases, the harsh comments take place on social media as it is too easy to just type something behind a faceless screen, justified by the thought if they never meet me then why does it matter?
Magazines and the media have portrayed the image of a slim woman with a full breast and bum to be the perfect representation of women, feeding this atrociously specific image into young girls’ minds from day one. With models like Marilyn Monroe being labelled as one of the most beautiful women in the world with her curvaceous body and stomach rolls, you would think that society took a step forward for body positivity from then on. It seems Marilyn got looked over as a one-off and we went straight back to square one. I know it is hard to try and even contemplate loving your body when you are taught that being bigger means you are unhealthy and not as pretty as the other slimmer girls. I am here to tell you that what society is saying is wrong and no matter your size or shape, you are perfect. Nobody but yourself can determine how confident you look, and that starts with the journey within by accepting that society's image of the “perfect” body is full of rubbish.
Men that do not have a six pack and instead have extra weight or rolls are seen as lazy or unhealthy and are constantly told to lose weight or go to the gym. Men put up a front by not making as much of a fight against this behaviour like some women do, and this is because of the conditions most males have been raised in. They are taught to not make a fuss and hide their inner feelings because to let the world know that it hurts and they feel ashamed would not be “manly”. This is a problem caused by toxic masculinity.
We have made some progress recently with more exposure for plus-size models, including celebrities and brands being more open and inclusive in public media. A good example of this is the singer-songwriter Lizzo: one of her biggest goals in her career is to be able to express herself freely and to show the world her body as it is. She regularly expresses her views on body positivity topics and obesity, which influences her followers and challenges the media.
Diet culture is much to blame for this excessive desire to lose weight. Many who try and lose weight because they have been pressured by society do more harm to themselves by over-exercising and exhaustion. Being bigger does not equal being unhealthy - some of the time it is down to genetics, and for others, that is just the way they are. We must accept everyone no matter their shape or size. A culprit of this is high street stores, as many still do not have plus size clothing in their stores and if they do, they certainly are not stocked the same amount as the lower sized garments. Most only go up to size 16 and stop there, or on the other end of the spectrum, petite clothing is also exceedingly rare in retail stores. I am quite small standing at 5 ft 3” and I find it extremely hard to find clothes that fit me, in many high street stores that I previously shopped at the petite section has now been removed. Stores need to start catering more for all shapes and sizes and there should not be any excuses. We need to be inclusive to move forward as a society.
Every single body type is 100 percent valid and should all be valued in the same way. Equality in body image is desperately needed as we all need to realise that it doesn’t matter what your body looks like or if someone doesn’t like it, because everyone has different tastes, and no one is the same. Set some time to really love your body the way it is and push yourself out of your comfort zone, you will be amazed at what it can do for your confidence and self-love.
Thank you to Kayleigh for raising awareness on this prevalent issue in society. This is such an important message that everyone needs to hear!
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