As you may or may not know, this past week was National Eating Disorder Awareness Week. There are many misconceptions in society about eating disorders in that some people believe that they are a choice rather than a mental illness. Eating disorders are a very serious disease, and in some cases can lead to death.
Some people think of eating disorders as something that only affects teenage to college-aged girls, when in reality disordered eating and thinking affects people of all genders and all ages. According to The National Eating Disorders Association, 20 million women and 10 million men suffer from an eating disorder at some point in their lives. Eating disorders are in no way a fad or trend, but in recent years they have been increasing more and more in incidence, which is more than likely due to the nearly unattainable beauty standards portrayed in the media.
From magazines to dolls, girls are made to believe from a very young age that they have to look a certain way and have a certain body type in order to be beautiful. From songs like “All About That Bass” by Meghan Trainor, to most recently the new Barbies being released, attempts at body acceptance have started to become more common. While some meet these with joy and love the fact that body positivity is becoming more prevalent, some feel as though these actually perpetuate the beauty standards. Regardless of what happens in the media and in society, there is only one thing necessary for body positivity, and that is acceptance of yourself and the body you are living in.
With spring break coming up, and then summer right around the corner afterwards, everyone is so focused on getting their “perfect bikini body”. This “perfect” body usually consists of being toned and having very little fat on your body. Realistically speaking, this is not attainable, especially in such a short time frame. This kind of standard is a major contributor to the eating disorder epidemic that is so ubiquitous in today’s society. Instead of thinking how you want your body to look in a bikini, and comparing yourself to others, the focus should be on gaining confidence in your body. Everyone has their little imperfections, even those women you see in magazines that seem flawless. In actuality, there is no “perfect”. Everyone has his or her own beauty, despite the imperfections. It can be hard to learn to accept yourself for who you are and how you look, but it is very possible.
There are many simple, but very worthwhile habits that you can start implementing into your everyday life to help you learn to love your body in time for spring break, as opposed to dieting and working out to get the body you think you want. The first, and probably most important, is that you need to stop comparing yourself to other people. No two bodies are exactly alike, so you can’t get down on yourself for looking different than those around you. Another habit to get into is to stop focusing on the negatives and focus on the positives. Instead of looking in the mirror and picking out things you want to change about yourself, look for the things that you love. The more you do that, the more you will see yourself in a positive way. Lastly, it is important to give yourself a break, especially in light of National Eating Disorder Awareness Week. It’s okay to not be on a strict diet, and it’s okay to eat really unhealthy sometimes. Don’t get down on yourself for it, because those thoughts can lead to a much more damaging cycle.
It’s unrealistic to expect everyone to love their bodies all of the time. But, in general, body positivity and learning to love you for you is so incredibly important, especially in our society today. No one really has the perfect body, but as cliché as it sounds, everyone is BEYOUtiful in their own way.
Source: https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/get-facts-eating-disorders