Ok, the madness needs to stop.
You might think I’ve been living under a rock lately (and you may be right–this rock being homework and tests), but I’ve just recently discovered this massive trend called the “thigh gap”. When I saw some of the hashtags and Pinterest boards, I thought at first that it was just a phase, like the typical pop-culture-teeny-bopper kind of trend (Yep, I just made that up). But I have to say, guys, this is getting out of control.
Let me explain where I’m coming from: I am in no way bashing or even criticizing girls who are naturally skinny or those who want to be and actually like the look (I used to be very skinny as a teen, now I am 5’7 for 145 lbs – and I am super happy about it). However, I’m getting a bit scared for those who will refuse to eat and hate themselves if they do, because of this type of phenomenon. Blog posts and Pinterest boards on “How to get a thigh gap” show pictures as examples, and those examples are not healthy, toned women’s bodies, with curves. But this is not about curves anymore, it is about health.
Ladies (and gents), it is part of human nature to desire to be beautiful and attractive, but society has created this increasingly unrealistic beauty standard which causes young girls to starve themselves in order to exist in the eyes of the world, and, let’s face it, in the eyes of men. But we all have to realize that this standard is getting dangerous for our health and our self esteem. First of all, having a thigh gap is not physically possible for most people: you can be super skinny and still not have a thigh gap because your bone structure simply does not allow it. It will probably show, eventually, but at that point your health will be in danger, and you’ll look like a live skeletton. Second, the thigh gap trend pushes girls to starve themselves to be a size zero. It puts them way under their ideal weight, and could lead to eating disorders.
Also, I see lots of posts online from girls asking whether or not guys find thigh gaps attractive. If you are reading this and are also wondering about that, then you should know one thing. Guys too get influenced by what they see, on TV or on the Internet. If you make unrealistic standards of beauty a thing, then they might just start believeing that it is the way to go, and it becomes a vicious circle. Plus, guys usually appreciate curves. I never heard a guy look at a girl and say: “Damn, dude, look at her thigh gap”. Have you? Finally, starving yourself to fit in will not make you any happier, as you will always be looking for perfection, which does NOT exist.
Bottom line: Be happy with yourself. Beauty is not, and should not, be what defines you, especially if it comes from a hashtag. And, for what it’s worth, you’re missing out on lots of delicious food.
Photo credit: Pinterest