In celebration of Body Image Awareness Week, Her Campus wants to put out some good vibes about body image to help collegiettes realize just how beautiful they are.
I’m writing for the girls out there who feel like the media never portrays their body type. Maybe you have more of a stomach, or your thighs are bigger (let’s be honest, thigh gaps are just an unrealistic expectation for most of us, right ladies?!), and you feel pressure to look like the models in the magazines, because that’s what a normal woman looks like, right?
Wrong! The idea of a “normal woman” is a fabrication of what society deems attractive, not a reflection of what we really look like. In fact, the average US woman is a size 16. As women with “abnormal” body types, we don’t get a lot of representation in the media. All we see are beautiful, tall, thin models. And these models are supposed to represent everyone? We need some diversity! Along with the beautiful thin models, we should have beautiful curvy models, and beautiful short models, and beautiful tall models, and every beautiful shape and size in between.
Growing up, I’ve always felt like I wasn’t curvy in the right places or skinny enough. I saw the girls in the magazines and realized I didn’t look like them. I didn’t always wear the clothes I wanted to because “they weren’t made for my body type”. I tried to cover my stretch marks and my cellulite because they are “just plain gross”. It took me until senior year to finally realize that I’m perfect just as I am. Now I know that I don’t have to go to the gym every time I eat a donut. I know that I get to be comfortable in my own skin because I’m beautiful. I know that I’m deserving of love. Sure, I have bad days like everyone else, but I keep my head held high and remember that no one can determine my worth: only I can do that.
And so can you! Your body is perfect just the way it is; no magazine or social media platform should ever make you feel any different. Diversity is BEAUTIFUL. If you don’t believe me, check out Dove’s Real Women campaign. This campaign is out to teach women that every body type is beautiful, despite what other companies want you to believe. Aerie is another company that has embraced body positivity in their ads by removing photoshop from all of their advertisements. Companies like Aerie and Dove are bringing body positivity to light so that young women can feel gorgeous in their own skin. If you ever feel unrepresented in the media, check out this link for more!
Just remember that bodies are meant to be unique: that’s what makes us special. Remember how amazing you are, and that there are thousands of girls in your same boat that love and support you.
Don’t forget to check out Real Women Real Bodies and Body Image Awareness Week! A complete schedule can be found on the event page or RWRB’s Facebook.