To Hate, Or Not To Hate?: A Post About Body Image

There is a movement right now telling women that they need to love their bodies. Women are being told that if you do not fit the mold of what beautiful should be according to social media and the fashion industry, then who cares? You should embrace your bodies and love the way you look. However, by saying this, are we saying that people who are genetically stick thin, or can't gain weight, should all automatically love the way they look and have no body image issues? Just as fat shaming takes a toll on people's self esteem, thin shaming does just the same.

I think there is an assumption that nonplus-size people always love their bodies and don't criticize themselves. I can tell you, this is not true. Sometimes I hate my body. I am, in all truth, very much under the national average size of women (the average size of women in the US is a size 14, I'm a size 4).

I can hear some of you now. "I wish I could look like you!" "You're so thin!" But it's not about that. I don't think that body image is about literal body image, rather, your mentality about your body.  

For 22 years, social media and advertisements has told me if I'm not a size 2 and 6ft tall, than I'm not beautiful. Now, along with those same advertisements there is a movement saying that I have to love my body and if I don't, than something is wrong with me. Well, I'm human. I can't always love body and I can't always love the way I look.

It's a vicious cycle. We are constantly told that our bodies are not good enough, but then we turn around, something else tells that we should love our bodies. Being constantly bombarded with these mixed messages brings on a whirlwind of confusion. How do you interpret something like this? We can't just drop everything and go "Yup, I'm going to love my body from here on out!" It's just not that simple.

We have to chip away years of a socially constructed idea and social norms, that are now being attacked. Even while writing this post, while being conscious of this constructed idea of beauty and size, I have chosen photos that I like specifically because I think I look good or "thin" in them. It's uncomfortable to talk about. We, as a society, tend to shove away the uncomfortable things and focus on the pretty and sparkly things. However, since it is uncomfortable to talk about, doesn't that tell us it's something worth talking about?

I think loving your body does not start with a movement or bashing the fashion industry. I think loving your body starts with loving yourself. I think once you start embracing your person and your soul while trying to have a more positive outlook on life, everything else, including body image and loving your body, will fall into place. I can't say that I'm 100% there yet. Sometimes I think I'm too chubby, or I don't have enough curves, or my pores to too large, or no matter how much I eat healthy and exercise  nothing changes. But by loving myself and having faith in my person, maybe one day,  loving my body will be a part of loving myself.