Today we live in a world where your exterior is arguably your most valuable social attribute, especially for women. Weight loss pills and gym memberships are advertised to us at an alarming rate, and fat shaming is all but socially acceptable. In fact, our obsession with weight loss has become so significant that certain TV shows have made a competition out of it. For those of you who have never sat down to watch NBC’s “The Biggest Loser”, it’s a reality show where men and women compete to lose the most weight before the season is over. Now on its fifteenth season, the show has gained a large following and a reputable name in the world of television.
However, this last season has also caused a lot of controversy in the media. Season 15 winner Rachel Frederickson has been under fire lately for being a little bit too much of a “loser.” Frederickson first weighed in at 260 pounds and ended her “Biggest Loser” journey at 105 pounds, which ultimately won her the title for season 15. However many people seem to be appalled by her extremely slender appearance. Even the judges were shocked by her weight when they saw her at the finale.
But here’s the issue: That’s what this show wanted her to do, right? Obviously the show didn’t want its contestants to waste away to skin and bone, but this show is all about losing as much weight as possible and being paid for it. And sadly, today the media shows us models at Rachel’s size and even smaller. Women and men are constantly bombarded with photos of people who are unreasonably thin, muscular, beautiful, etc. But now that an “average-sized woman” (who was put on a TV show because she was considered overweight) slims down, America’s up in arms.
See the issue here? People who are overweight are criticized for not meeting society’s beauty standards, but then people are concerned once they lose weight. Of course, when it comes to health issues there is such a thing as being “too thin” and “too overweight.” But that’s not the issue that society is concerned about. You rarely hear someone whispering about a woman’s risk of diabetes or high cholesterol, but people are quick to comment on the tightness of her clothing or the amount of skin she’s showing. Does Rachel look too thin for her stature? Yes, maybe. But she lost that much weight because socially, we’re told that “thinner is better.”
Runway models are mainstays during Fashion Weeks because of how they fit the clothing – nothing else. Their bodies are just as frail looking as Rachel’s, but their occupations call for that. Why are some women given the okay to look a certain way, but others are criticized? In fact, why is anyone being criticized for their bodies? If we have shows on television purely devoted to “fixing” someone’s body, then expect some issues to arise. We’re all only human, and yet we’re constantly bombarded with images of how we should look. If this woman feels healthy and lost her weight in a healthy matter, then let it be. If she is in danger, do not put it in the media – get her help. If a woman looks a certain way, allow her to. If she is wearing something, let her. This goes for men as well. Let them rule their own body.
Why are we allowed to tell someone else what weight they should be? Perhaps we should concern ourselves with fixing the way we look at appearance – no one is concerned about the health factor of weight, but instead we thrive off of the superficial side of our physical appearance. And hey, maybe we shouldn’t be able to sit on the couch, turn on the TV and make a spectacle of weight loss, and then our culture might be a little less eager to criticize who’s doing it right or wrong.