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TW : Body Image on Social Media

Hi all 👋

 

Some celebrities are known for promoting some really specific ideas around body image. It is really disappointing to see celebrities endorsing a 'diet culture', and we thought it would be a good opportunity to open up this conversation in the community.

 

Getting to a point where you feel comfortable in your own body can take a lot of work. With social media, movies, TV shows and magazines constantly pushing Euro-centric beauty standards (the ridiculous ideal that being thin, light skinned, having straight hair, a small nose etc is the most desirable way to look), it's no surprise that the majority of us are made to feel like we need to change how we look. This can lead to us having low self-confidence, social anxiety, depression, eating disorders and more. So how do we fight against the untrue views about our bodies that we're brainwashed with?

 

  • Unfollow all those influencers and celebs that make you feel rubbish about your body! Whether they are constantly promoting some load of rubbish diet plan, they're sharing toxic views on exercise and how to 'get shredded' or just being outright fatphobic - get them off your feed! Take some time to look for some new people to follow that have diverse bodies of different sizes, backgrounds, abilities and looks. Seeing a whole range of bodies whilst you scroll can really help normalise that we are all built different and are all allowed to feel beautiful. 

 

  • Get rid of those clothes in your wardrobe that don't fit you anymore. You know the ones you're keeping for 'one day when you fit into them again'? Every time you see them hanging there it's going to trigger you feeling ashamed, guilty, and not good enough. We don't need that! Sell them online, donate them to an op shop or do a swap with a friend. Treat yourself to a new outfit that does fit your body in the present moment, and wear it with pride! And if you're not quite at that point in your relationship with your body, try concentrating on accessories or a make-up look that makes you feel super confident instead. 

 

  • Try adding in some movement into your week. And swapping the thought of exercising to 'lose weight' or 'get toned' and instead concentrate on moving your body to feel good. Movement comes in so many different forms, so find something that you actually enjoy! That could be walking your dog, doing some stretches before bed, rolling around the block, joining a sports club, training for a fun run, going for a swim, dancing in your pajamas, trying out a new class - whatever it is that works for you.

 

  • Chat to your GP or therapist if you're struggling. As I've said, making friends with your body isn't always easy. It can be super helpful to have the support of some professionals whilst you're working on your relationship with your body.  You can also share how you're feeling here in the community, we're always here to support you too. I chatted a bit more about body image recently here, feel free to have a read through 🙂

 

As always, we'd love to hear your thoughts on this topic! How do you feel when celebrities share harmful views about body image? What are some ways you've been able to start feeling better about your body? What's your body's favourite activity that makes you feel good?

Iona_RO
Iona_ROPosted 11-05-2022 12:27 PM

Comments

 
Copper_Tapir
Copper_TapirPosted 11-05-2022 09:26 PM

Thanks for the post. I couldn't agree more. Such rapid weight loss is not good for ling term health. The right way would probably be to follow a regular workout and diet plan.

 
 
Portia_RO
Portia_ROPosted 13-05-2022 12:34 PM

Hi @Copper_Tapir , I completely agree, it's so important to look after yourself when you're trying to lose weight. Personally I've found that exercising regularly and watching what I eat has been great for my body, but also for my mental health, so I think you're definitely right!

 

Just wanted to let you know that we've edited part of your post, as we don't allow people to mention specific weight loss measurements on the forums. Feel free to check out our community guidelines if you'd like some more info on how to talk safely about body image and weight loss 🥰

 
 
 
Copper_Tapir
Copper_TapirPosted 13-05-2022 05:17 PM

Sorry, I'll go through the community guidelines.

 
 
 
 
Iona_RO
Iona_ROPosted 16-05-2022 10:57 AM

Thanks @Copper_Tapir😊

What are some other ways that you could work on feeling more comforable in your body without focusing on changing your size? Is there anything that makes you feel confident?

 
niawithluv
niawithluvPosted 11-05-2022 07:44 PM

This is yet another great post that highlights something that isn't spoken about enough! Thank you so much for bringing attention to this, @Iona_RO

 

Nowadays, it's a lot more likely for people to become too invested in their insecurities and imperfections and the media has a lot of influence in this. The strategies you have listed are great and are definitely things that I will be looking into doing, especially the second point as I am terribly guilty of keeping clothes for the day I can fit into them. I can tell that keeping those clothes has had a negative impact on my mindset so I'm eager to see what changes getting rid of them can bring to my thought patterns!

 

I agree with @fishyie in the sense that social media platforms such as TikTok are being used to represent body types that are not considered to be of 'typical beauty'! I think this celebration of different body types is truly a show of the progress society has made and I'm hoping that this can increase the self-esteem and confidence (self-love is very important!) of everyone when they see people who look like them being adored in the media! 🥰

 

 

 
 
Iona_RO
Iona_ROPosted 16-05-2022 10:55 AM

Thanks @niawithluv it's really great to hear these posts are covering topics the community are keen to about 😊

 

Totally! I actually did this quite recently when I was packing to move house, and found some clothes that aren't my size any more. It can be quite a difficult thing to do to get rid of them, but also feels quite empowering once you do it! Let me know how you go and how you feel if you decide to give it a try!

 

Completely agree, it is soooo amazing to see some social media platforms really starting to celebrate everyone and giving them space to share their stories 👏 As someone who grew up without that, it makes me so happy to see happening now 🙌

 

Anonymous
Not applicable

niawithluv
Super frequent scribe

 
fishyie
fishyiePosted 11-05-2022 03:56 PM

@Iona-RO these are all really great points! I really like the third one about adding movement into your week and framing it around moving your body to feel good, instead of looking a certain way. Sometimes I just don't have the energy to do a high-intensity workout and instead I'll do some more relaxing yoga or just go on a walk and I always get the thoughts of "you're not working hard enough" or "you're not burning enough calories". I like to counter those thoughts with "this is better than doing no movement at all" which I find does help since it's true! 

 

Expanding upon your first point of seeing a whole range of bodies, I find that I've been seeing a lot more TikToks with woman of my body type and others who don't fit the Euro-centric beauty standard who are so confident in how they look. It's really reassuring to see that since those women, although they don't fit the beauty standard, are still beautiful and if I look like them that means that I can also apply that to myself. 

 
 
Iona_RO
Iona_ROPosted 13-05-2022 03:51 PM

Love that @fishyie👏 It's so good that you can check in with your body and choose what kind of movement feels good for you that day. I totally relate with those thoughts of not working hard enough! But I think you've cracked it by counteracting it with praising yourself for what you are doing instead 🙌

 

How good is it when your feed is full of lots of different bodies of all shapes and sizes? My FYP is currently filled a whole range of people dancing to Lizzo's new song - I love it!

 
 
Philippa-RO
Philippa-ROPosted 11-05-2022 04:55 PM

Such a great post @Iona_RO and I particularly love what you said @fishyie about adding movement for the purpose of feeling good, and about choosing to see a range of bodies who don't fit with the beauty standards we're exposed to, but who are beautiful. 

eg. I love watching videos of people like Erik Cavanaugh - such beauty, I could literally watch Erik dance all day. 

 

I often feel sad that we have such a narrow definition of beauty in our society. The most beautiful people I've known would never fit it, and what a loss for society not to see their beauty - not to see the incredible beauty in every single one of us. 💙

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