If you ever scour Tumblr, mindlessly explore Instagram, or go on Pinterest, you’ve probably stumbled across the craze that is “thigh gaps.” A thigh gap, in this context, is a clear space, or gap, that can be seen between the thighs when a girl is standing with her knees together. The obsession with obtaining this unrealistic body feature has been spread over the Internet in the form of thinspiration; the posting of messages and pictures that are intended to motivate women to lose weight. While the idea of eating right and getting in shape is harmless in itself, the promotion of taking weight loss to the extreme is a danger to young women.
First and foremost, it is important to note that thigh gaps are, for many women, simply an unattainable goal by means of healthy weight loss tactics. Whether or not you have a thigh gap depends primarily on your bone structure and your body fat percentage. The distance between your femurs, which also establishes the width of your hips, is a huge determinant in the appearance of your thighs. Women with wider hips are more likely to have a thigh gap than women with narrower hips. It’s as simples as that. Additionally, the angle at which the “femoral neck” of your leg bone is attached to your hipbone can establish how your legs naturally look. The diagram below is an indication of how this angle can vary significantly from woman to woman, and you can imagine how the picture on the far left would create the illusion of a thigh gap more so than the picture on the far right.
I primarily note these biological attributes to prove that having a thigh gap is no less dependent on your inherited genes than the color of your eyes or your height. It’s important to acknowledge that there are some parts of our bodies that we can simply not change. It what makes me, me… and you, you. Unfortunately, many young girls have adopted dangerous methods to obtain a thigh gap anyways. Over-exercising, not eating, and taking diet pills are all examples of the extremes women are going to in order to achieve their perception of “the ideal body.” The sentiment that a thigh gap is the ultimate goal is only perpetuated by the thinspiration that plagues the Internet. Social media has proven to be beneficial to us in many ways, but improving self-esteem is not often one of them.
I encourage all Her Campus readers to refrain from the posting of thigh-gap “propaganda”, thinspiration, or any other images that advertises the false idea of a perfect body. We should all embrace the body’s we were born with by treating them well; proper nutrition, adequate exercise, and respect. Hopefully, the thigh gap will be just another passing craze in the world of women’s health.