Looking in the mirror, Samantha* sees more than we do. She sees the struggles and the transformations she went through to get her health back after a three-year battle with anorexia nervosa.
She now looks at her legs and sees strength instead of seeing her constant battle to keep them from touching.
According to the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA), fixation on single body parts is a common trend, but thigh gaps have reached the point of frenzy.
“It doesn’t make sense if you think about it, but I needed that gap like I needed air,” Samantha said.
The thigh gap is the space between the top of the thighs when someone stands with their feet together.
According to the NEDA, the thigh gap isn’t something that can be accomplished by eating a certain way or by exercising. A woman must have a very specific hip structure and a naturally ultra-thin physique to have a gap. That’s where the problem comes in.
An entire Internet culture revolves around “thin-spiration,” how to get it, and why you need it. Women are not-eating themselves to death in hopes of getting a gap they don’t need (and can’t get) — a gap that could kill them. Here’s some “thin-speration” via Tumblr:
What’s the problem here? She has a flat tummy and thin legs and arms. Yeah, no problem there. The issue is this look isn’t possible for everyone; for example, that look is nearly impossible for a beautiful gal whose body looks like this:
Being a natural skinny-mini is perfectly fine. But trying to be a size 7 with sexy Beyoncé-legs and a thigh gap? It’s time to get real. Own your curvy, thigh touching, soft belly, strong-armed self. Like our favorite celebs:
Love your body, and don’t put a gap where one doesn’t belong.