TW: Eating disorders, weight loss/gain, mental health conditions
On Monday 22nd February, Boris Johnson announced the long awaited ‘Roadmap out of lockdown’ to the nation. In this announcement, Johnson proclaimed that all lockdown and social distancing restrictions could be lifted by 21st June 2021, with even nightclubs being permitted to open on this date. These changes are a dramatic shift from the lockdown rules currently in full force across the UK.
For many, this new plan was the positive news that they needed to hear, and thousands took to Twitter to make their excitement heard. Young people across the country declared that this was the date on which they would get their lives back, and some even took it as far as to name this date a new ‘independence day’. Plans have already begun, with bars and restaurants receiving calls and emails to book tables for the special occasion.
However, there are some downsides to this announcement that many are refusing to see at this time. Amongst the celebratory tweets, there have also been numerous tweets and memes circulating about people getting in shape and losing weight for their first nights out and their prospective summer holidays. Myriads of tweets have communicated people’s desires to ‘glow up’ for summer, lose weight, and get into shape to impress on their first post-lockdown outing. This surge of posts concerning losing weight for June to experience a #hotgirlsummer has placed a vast amount of pressure on those who have experienced weight gain or loss throughout lockdown. The announcement of an exact date is problematic for many reasons, but in the context of mental health, many will have found this to feel more like a deadline than anything else. For those with pre-existing eating disorders or those in the recovery process, this diet culture discourse may cause them to slip back into body-negative thinking. The pressure circulating on social media can result in restrictive dieting that may involve: calorie-deficit dieting, overexerting oneself during exercise or restriction to lose weight quickly. According to NationalEatingDisorders.org, unhealthy diet trends such as these can lead to consequences such as the development of eating disorders and stress disorders.
The tweets, Instagram posts and Facebook comments can also be critiqued for feeding into fat-shaming culture. Memes centred on fat-phobic and fat-shaming discourses became popularised and have continued to be retweeted since the announcement on Monday, and for many, these really strike a chord. These posts associate weight gain with a negative body image and add to the rising pressure to craft the perfect physique in time for June.
For many, lockdown was extremely difficult and therefore resulted in fluctuations in people’s weight. Whether this was from comfort eating, inactivity or stress, it is important to acknowledge that weight gain has been a side effect of lockdown. Another impact of lockdown was how it exacerbated mental health issues, as those with pre-existing conditions found themselves struggling to cope with day-to-day life. After almost a year of lockdown, people are tired and drained, and many have different priorities than to lose weight for the summer.
Throughout these times, we have encouraged ourselves and others to be kind to both our bodies and our minds. And this mantra should continue to and beyond June 21st. It is easy to forget that although we have had a plan given to us by the government, we are still going to remain in lockdown until then, and for many, the struggles of lockdown life are not yet behind them. I urge readers to be kind to themselves during this final stretch of lockdown as it is not guaranteed to be easy. There are certainly still going to be days when you need some comfort food or days when you don’t have the energy to do a workout, which is completely fine. During the next few months, take the time to check in on your friends and family to see how they are coping with the news. But most importantly, remain patient, both with your mind and your body.