Having spent a lot of time in a bikini in a hot country the last few weeks, almost-naked bodies of all shapes and sizes have been plentifully on display on a daily basis, including my own. There's nothing like wearing a tiny triangle of fabric over your vagina and both breasts to make you feel exposed to the world.
While that image may be food for thought, something which has been on my mind a lot recently is Body image; that which we internalise and externalise.
I would argue most young girls worry about their figure. That is not to discount guys, but on the whole, I would say that it is predominantly the female gender who get hung up about their imperfections. Love handles. Cellulite. Thunder thighs. Bingo wings. Muffin top. You name it, someone is worrying about it. They even have nicknames, for Christ's sake.
Linking to my last post, I think there is a lot of negative press and resultant pressure from the media, especially that of the social variety. I see post after post on instagram about #fitfam, #transformationtuesday, #girlswholift, #cheatday, #BBG, #cleaneating and possibly most dangerous of all; #thinspo (I unfollow anyone tagging the latter faster than you can say 'eating is cheating', though. Seriously.) Not all of these hashtags alone are trouble, however. But many posts claim to be exuding positivity, enhancing the shared experience of those who are working out and eating well, motivating the masses. Yet worryingly there are many, MANY fitness accounts of twenty-somethings with incredible physiques proclaiming "I'm nowhere near happy with my body, but I'm working really hard and I'm on my way" as if that half-pound of fat necessary for Human existence might be noticed by someone anonymous on the other side of the globe and pounced on as if the owner is some disgusting creature from the deep not worthy of human status.
Equally, the foodie/eating accounts can be pretty worry-inducing. I'm not gonna lie, there have been several times I've salivated over an incredible burger/chocolate lava cake/pizza/korean BBQ/cheese fondue/set of churros (yeah, can you tell I love food?) and mourned the fact I'm too far away to access these unattainable, gorgeous creations to release enough dopamine in my brain to satiate my longing. But these accounts make you feel as if for some people eating like that is the norm, while others (pardon the pun) feed you an unreal subsection of the human race who embody Adonis (or truly Narcissus?) with their flawless, envy-inducing bodies. A toxic combination.
The media in a wider sense in no better. How often are celebrities body-shamed, or seek to endorse their weight-loss miracle DVDs, waist-reducing secrets, or fad diets? How often are female celebrities objectified, scrutinised, put under the microscope? When did this become the norm? One 2008 study found that
'exposure to media images depicting the thin-ideal body is related to body image concerns for women'.
And I am sure it's not in isolation.
I have recently found myself scrutinising my body on a daily basis. I am 6 feet tall (183cm), 10 stone 8lbs (67kgs) and work out regularly. I am a perfectly normal, Healthy weight. I eat three good meals a day, and snack often and plentifully. I eat when I'm hungry. Sometimes I binge. I have days where I eat mainly salad. I live my life and go with the flow of what is happening on the day. In the eyes of most people, I live a balanced, healthy life.
And yet I scrutinise myself... no less when I'm wearing a bikini each day. And every day, I reprimand myself for doing so. My thighs are of normal proportion. My stomach is flat. My arms look fine. But every day I have to remind myself to view my body as if through the eyes of another person, and not myself. Your greatest criticism comes from within, after all.
But it makes me wonder - how many other girls are doing this? How many are doing so in lieu of a meal? How many are counting calories? How many are letting the media's opinion creep in on their lives in place of their happiness?
Anorexia nervosa has the highest fatality rate of any mental illness. In the US, 20 million women and 10 million men suffer from a clinically significant eating disorder... yet more than 2/3 adults are overweight or obese. Clearly we have an unhealthy relationship with food, and with ourselves.
Yet I simultaneously do not agree with the huge backlash against the slim and skinny, such as Meghan Trainor's 'All About That Bass', or the belief that a woman is healthy 'regardless of size and how many curves she has'. That is, quite frankly, total bullshit and shouldn't be allowed to be perpetuated.
So all I really want to say in this post is that yes, you should have an awareness of your body. It's important to know how much saturated fat you're consuming, and to comprehend the simple, simple equation representing the fact that consuming more calories than you're expending results in weight gain. But please, do not berate yourself on a daily basis. Everyone has their flaws and dislikes, and you are HUMAN. Be as healthy as you can be. Work out as much as possible. Enjoy the cake. Enjoy the salad. Have things in moderation. Life is for LIVING, not for being miserable... I've said before and will say again; it is far too short and is there to be enjoyed.
