If there was one word to most aptly describe college, one could argue it would be “change.” Academically, socially, mentally, emotionally, college is a rollercoaster, with everyone adjusting differently. There are so many programs to help make the transition easier, but one of the biggest changes often gets thrown in the backseat. Our physical changes. College puts an immense amount of stress on our bodies and can affect different people in different ways. We often hear about the “freshman 15,” meaning the 15 pounds people can gain from adjusting to the stress of school and having as much food as we want at all hours. But it is important to realize that many people also lose weight in college, oftentimes unintentionally. Regardless of who you came to college as, it is safe to assume that your weight will fluctuate while there, which is why practicing body positivity is crucial in college.
Many students have only looked a certain way their whole lives, or at least through high school, and the changes to their bodies can be detrimental to self-esteem if seen negatively. Perhaps they were a fierce athlete in high school, but now they don’t have time to play anymore with all the academics or vice versa. Whatever the case may be, just as colleges have a responsibility to promote a healthy physical state, they have a responsibility to promote a healthy mental one as well. Eating disorders are already a massive problem in high schools and combined with alcohol and immense social pressure in college, they increase even more. There is even a condition known as “drunkorexia,” in which to compensate the calories for planned binge drinking, students starve themselves, make themselves throw up, or over-exercise to the point of danger.
This is exactly the type of behavior that low self-esteem due to body image can lead to. While our generation has made great strides to embrace and promote body positivity, we have to make sure that it extends to all different types of bodies, because that is its literal definition. Everyone deserves to feel beautiful. Everyone deserves to feel like they worthy of love. Let’s talk about stretch marks. Let’s talk about cellulite. Let’s talk about collar bones, beauty marks, scars, hair, and every single little mark that makes you who you are. We have grown up in a society that wants to airbrush, cover, and photoshop them away. But all these little “imperfections” are what make you unique, what makes you who you are. Even the girl that seems to have it all together is insecure about something, and while that makes many people feel better, it’s not a competition.
For me personally, while I have embraced my hips and thighs, I still struggle with my height. As a woman, being 6’0 tall is out of the ordinary, to say the least. Growing up I was always the tallest in the class, even over all the boys. When I ran I felt like a lumbering giant, and on the rare occasion that I saw someone similar in height to me, I would think to myself, “damn she is huge.” I never knew if I meant that in a good or bad way. For years heels were never an option, and I would slump to make myself appear shorter. I made it my mission to take up as little space as possible. Being a big and tall girl seemed like a slap in the face to my femininity. It felt unnatural. Feeling feminine was a distant dream. It wasn’t until I discovered the body positive movement that I finally began to reach peace.
It is okay to take up space. It is okay for your body to not look like those in magazines, movies, and tv. As long as you are taking care of your body and giving it what it needs, the rest will follow eventually. Whether you have visible ribs or a comfortable stomach, you are enough. Whether you have soft thighs or muscular thighs, you are enough. You have no responsibility or obligation to look like anyone other than you. Also, ladies, on a final note, please remember to be kind not only to yourselves and to each other, but men as well. Pick up a copy of Men’s Health once. We are not the only ones with unrealistic body standards. They have not been as lucky as we are to embrace body positivity yet. Remember to be kind to those who might not be being kind to themselves. All in all, follow body positive Instagram accounts, watch YouTube videos, subscribe to certain brands who support the cause, pursue whatever it is that reminds you every day that you are different, unique, and beautiful. Your body and your mind will thank you.
