What do you weigh?
For most women, that’s a loaded question. While anyone and everyone can be affected by their own body image, women face a unique battle. Weight is no longer a personal matter. It’s a major part of a woman’s public identity—at least, that’s how society sees it.
Women’s rights have made amazing strides in the past hundred years, but a myriad of double standards still exist, especially when it comes to appearances.
Male celebrities get noticed for their accomplishments; female celebrities get noticed for their bodies. Male musicians are encouraged to collaborate; female musicians are pitted against each other. However, one Instagram page is working on combating those double standards and celebrating women for who they are—not how much they weigh.
The brains behind the movement is Jameela Jamil, best known for her role as Tahani on NBC’s The Good Place. Jamil isn’t limited to her acting career—she’s also an advocate for ending body-shaming and impossible beauty standards.
In March 2018, she started the Instagram account @i_weigh, which celebrates women’s lives and achievements.
@i_weigh quickly developed a following of women from all walks of life, many eager to share their own “weight.” The account posts submissions from real, inspiring women, including fellow actresses Kristen Bell and Emily Rossum.
The movement started as a way for women to fight against double standards of beauty, but people of all genders have submitted their own stories, showing that anyone can be negatively affected by unrealistic standards of weight and beauty.
What do you weigh?
I weigh working hard to get a scholarship that allowed me to go to school in a city that I love.
I weigh changing my major from a field that made me stressed and unhappy to one that makes me excited for my future every day.
I weigh being the oldest of three sisters. I weigh my love of baking cupcakes. And my love of music. And my nerdy obsession with typography.
At the end of the day, appearances are temporary. What we accomplish with our lives, and the people we touch along the way, are permanent. Let’s step away from the scale and focus on the things that truly matter.
What do you weigh?