Body Shaming | What is Body Positivity?

BODY SHAMING IN OUR SOCIETY

Body Shaming Quote – “And I said to my body softly, ‘I want to be your friend.’ It took a long breath and replied, ‘I have been waiting my whole life for this.” — Nayyirah Waheed

Be Positive about your body and respect it..

For centuries people around the world have envied India for many things. Our culture, philosophers, traditions, heritage and many more. Have always been the apple of the eyes of every person around the world.

Allow me to quote the words of German scholar Max Mueller who went so far as to say, “If I were asked under what sky the human mind has most fully developed some of its choicest gifts, has most deeply pondered on the greatest problems of life, and has found solutions, I should point to India.”

Looks are defined by us

However, if we dig deeper and take a closer look into the Indian society, we will get to see how decayed it has become and how much fixing it requires. There are a number of practices, beliefs, actions that have resulted in this decay.

A society is made by people and their beliefs and it depends upon on them whether it will be a happy one or not. We live in a society which defines beauty and ugliness based on the color, shape and size of one’s body. How can we expect that a society which has people with such a mindset would be a sane one?

My today’s blog is on one such poor belief that we all Indians have that is body shaming.

OUR OBSESSION WITH APPEARANCE

We are living in a world where people are obsessed with appearances. Instead of worrying about the person beneath the skin we all care about the outer beauty. We forget what lies beneath that face, what lies in the heart and mind, what lies in the psyche.

What is body shaming?

Body shaming is the act in which we criticize people based on their physical appearance, we criticize them because they don’t fit the artificial standards of beauty designed by society. All the places I go people are either advising others how to get fair skin, a slim body, in case of men the idle muscular body. Or they themselves are torturing their body to achieve the desirable shape, size, color.

Through this journey of life, I got to meet many people, people from different walks of life but the thing that was same for everyone was their concern towards their body. I bet even you people might have also heard girls and boys talking about ways in which they felt like a personal failure. Because they didn’t measure up to a specific standard.

Let’s not get too far, I myself am from the slot who took it way seriously when I saw myself gaining weight. For me it was a personal flaw and I started feeling conscious and awkward towards my body.

No matter whatever I do, whatever I see or wherever I go, it’s like everyone is trying to make us feel self-conscious.

Let me ask you a question, how often do you see actresses who are physically unfit, or what we openly say ‘fat’ , dark skinned. Or in case of actors sleek, the one with uneven skin, the one with blemishes. They are always this epitome of perfect body, flawless skin and what not.

Social Media & Body Shaming

We are a generation who cannot live without social media. It’s like everyone is addicted to it. Although it’s been said before but I’ll say it again social media negatively impacts our self-esteem.

Whenever I open my Instagram there is a constant stream of thin, tan, blonde, white girls. It tends to inculcate a sinking feeling deep in our stomach that we’ll never be as pretty as the next girl in our feed. Because we don’t fit the rigid, impossible beauty standards of filtered, cropped, highly edited photos that we see every day.

As a result, this feeling of uneasiness that we have from our body is being used by influencers to sell faulty, unhealthy and unnecessary products. Hence it is not only affecting us mentally but also forces us to waste our hard-earned money and become prey to such people.

Accept who you are.

“Beauty is about being comfortable in your own skin. It’s about knowing and accepting who you are.”

There is need to free ourselves from this suffocating atmosphere of dead beliefs and let the air of positivity come in.We humans have a tendency of never being satisfied with what we have. We always aspire for more and more, which is not bad when in limits but once the limit barriers break, we are ready to do anything to achieve what we want and if we are not able to achieve it, it starts affecting us badly. Whether it be mentally or physically. Similar is the case with bodies.

It was then body positivity came into picture when people saw how appearances began damaging people emotionally, psychologically and physically. Body Shaming also affect the Mental Health of a person. 

WHAT IS BODY POSITIVITY

Body positivity is a broad concept. But according to me body positivity is a movement that represents appreciation, respect and acceptance for bodies as they are, and for the functions and activities they do. More specifically.

Body positivity includes:

• Appreciating unique aspects of one’s body
• Gratitude for the functions a body can perform
• Admiration for parts and features of the body, even if they differ from societal ideals
• Comfort and confidence within one’s body
• A focus on the positives rather than perceived imperfections or flaws
• A rejection of negative images or information about bodies.

Media’s Role in Body Positivity

When the media saw the upliftment of people’s concern towards body positivity even, they played their role by representing different body shapes, sizes, races and diversity in the type of bodies.

Many women and men too, came forward and took initiative to make people fall in love with the way they are.

As a result, people started recognizing them and also started helping them in their cause. Many leading brands like Veromoda, Lakme, Only, Marks and Spencer’s and many more introduced their range of plus size clothing. Which also reminds me of a famous dialogue.

If you really desire something from the heart … then the whole universe will work towards getting you that.

Concluding it, I would like to say that having a healthy body image is important because it can affect your self-esteem, self-acceptance and your attitude towards life. Here are some ways to help improve your body image.

HOW TO GENERATE BODY POSITIVITY IN YOURSELF

• Look in the mirror and focus on the things you like about yourself. Repeat it day and night ‘you are beautiful ‘.
• Don’t say bad things about yourself. Remember to take care of the soul inside you need to build a strong foundation outside.
• Make your goals focused on being healthier rather than changing the way you look.
• Avoid comparing yourself to others; everyone has a different body shape.
• Be nice to others about their body shape, too. What you say can damage someone else’s body image and self-esteem.
• Eat regular healthy meals. Getting the right balance of nutrients can help with improving your health and mood.
• Exercise or participate in group sports with a moto to keep yourself fit and not with an urge of a different body.
• When you read magazines, watch movies or look at advertising, remind yourself that the models and celebrities have been digitally enhanced, or airbrushed.

“Your body is your temple and your soul is your God. To take care of the god inside you need to make the outer foundation strong”