In this world we live in, we are constantly bombarded with images of what is societally appropriate when it comes to women and their bodies. Magazines with supermodels on the covers, the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Shows, and whatever other photoshopped images you can find on social media. We are constantly being told what we are supposed to look like, how to get the body of our dreams so that we can finally be happy, and what new fad diet to try out.
There’s been a new movement taking over social media that has been influencing many women to embrace themselves the way they are and let go of diet culture. It is encouraging women to stop comparing themselves and start loving the skin they are in, no matter the size. There’s a serious problem with weight stigma here in America and this new movement is trying to change the way people view themselves and others. We’re calling this movement: body positivity.
So what exactly is “body positivity?”
It is about embracing who you are as you are. Women are perpetually pressured to change themselves in order to be approved by others and it’s causing a lot of us to be overly self-conscious. How often do you have a friend that has just started a new fad diet or they’re trying to go down a few dress sizes for a special event? There is nothing wrong with wanting to be more active and healthy, but if it’s purely for aesthetic purposes; that’s not the way to do it. There’s nothing wrong with loving and cherishing the body that you have right now because at the end of the day, that’s how you look. So embrace it.
We need to stop shaming others based on how they look or how much they weigh. The number on the scale is simply not as important as we make it out to be. It doesn’t tell you how much of an awesome human being you are and therefore it shouldn’t dictate your life. What people also seem to forget is that size does not dictate health. At all. Inspirations such as Jessamyne Stanley (@mynameisjessamyne) or Dana Falsetti (@nolatrees) are a prime example that being overweight does not stop you from living your life and being active.
Body positivity is NOT about promoting obesity like people try to say it is, but instead it is about not ridiculing those that are of bigger shapes. Loving yourself at any size shouldn’t be looked at as promoting health issues. Someone who is a size 16 is allowed to feel beautiful just as much as someone who is a size 2.
People are always going to have their opinions about how someone is supposed to look but live your life your way. Wear what makes you feel beautiful and flaunt what you’ve got! Ignore the haters and accept that you are beautiful and deserving of whatever you want. No one can tell you how to live your life or how you should look, so continue being your fabulous self.