Every day, people are exposed to thousands of media images that mostly reflect the “ideal” body image. How can you, as a young and self-conscious woman, resist the untruthful and derogatory statements aimed at women depicted in ads? Follow these four tips for maintaining a healthy body image.
1. Stop with the negatives. Instead of saying, “Ugh I’m so fat!”, turn your statement into, “Wow, this shirt looks good on me!” Negativity only breeds negativity—and brings you down. In every situation, you can find at least one positive.
2. Realize that not everyone has the same body type. Most models depicted in magazines are photoshopped; the pictures have been altered on the computer to reflect the “perfect” woman when, in reality, nobody is perfect. You cannot change genetics—you can, however, remember that you are beautiful just the way you are.
3. Unfortunately, many models in ads have eating disorders such as anorexia or bulimia to become “ideally” thin. These conditions can be dangerous (and downright deadly) if left untreated. If you think you may be, or suspect someone is, anorexic or bulimic, there are places that can help, such as teenhelp.org. (PS—boys can be anorexic and bulimic too! It’s not just a girl thing.)
4. Instead of picking the “most popular” clothing, try picking the ones that flatter your shape the most. Need a butt lift? Try wearing jeans with pockets. Too much butt? Wear pants with flat pockets in the back. (PSST: seventeen.com, the Seventeen Magazine website, always has great clothing suggestions for all shapes!)
You are beautiful and made the way you are for a reason. Ads that depict stick figure models in tiny clothing sizes are unrealistic and just want to sell one specific product. Be happy with your body; when you’re happy with yourself, you’ll be amazed at what you can do.