Unless you are Patrick Star and live under a rock, you have probably heard a lot about body image, body positivity and loving yourself the way you are. You have probably also heard about the sharp rise in eating disorders in the past decade, and the staggering percentages of women with negative body image in both the US and the rest of the world. But do you often hear about it at the dinner table, in the classroom, or when you are relaxing with friends? Now, body image is spoken about in whisperers behind closed doors and on Tumblr blogs, or among groups of close friends.
For some reason, America as a culture has attached a stigma to body image and eating disorders, causing people to speak about it as though it were a taboo subject, something to be ashamed of. I am calling bullsh*t on that. So many people struggle with body image alone, locked up with only that sinister voice in their head. If more awareness is raised and bodies are not shamed and hidden away, that manipulative voice will become quieter and quieter.
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The biggest question, however, is why we as a culture are so negative toward bodies in general. We cover our bodies, hiding parts that are deemed "private," even though half of the population has the very same anatomy. Gone are the days when artists sculpted naked men standing in regal poses, or naked women, cuddling her naked children. The ancient Romans, Greeks, French and other Renaissance countries celebrated human bodies, finding beauty in the wiry muscle, the supple breast, and the toned stomach. Humans were beautiful, bodies were beautiful, and it saddens me that this has changed.
While I am in full support of the body positive movement, and advocate for all people to love their unique shape, sometimes I wonder why there is a need for a movement at all. There is no "ginger positive" initiative to help red heads, nor is there a negative connotation attached to having blue eyes. Your body is your body; it is the vessel to your soul and should be treated as such. Why are humans all of a sudden so shameful of bodies and so hung up on one particular body type? While I realize that the answer to these questions may come for the over exposure of media and various other external forces, it still frustrates me that the body is the one thing that all humans feel the need to pick apart. I may have bad hair days, but I am not ashamed of my family, and it is not socially taboo to say "my hair is frizzy today" though it is taboo to say "my thighs look chunky today." People need to stop being so sensitive or it will never get better. The most efficient way to stop being squeamish about bodies and body image is to keep talking about it.
There is not a person alive who has not had at least one day when they did not like something about their bodies. Whether it is a receding hairline, the size of your thighs, or a zit that makes you look like Rudolph, everyone has something they wish they could change at some point, and that is okay. It is my belief that the more we talk about and normalize discussion about our bodies, the quieter that negative voice in our head will become. That said, people should not be forced to share their deepest, darkest insecurities with the world. Yet if talking about your fear of eating cookies makes you realize how unrealistic it is then you should be able to do it without fear of being perceived as weird or "over sharing."
There have been many instances in my life when I was certain that one cupcake would burst the button of my jeans, and voicing this fear aloud to friends is always the easiest way to quell this fear. Vocalizing issues is so important because it not only allows you to get support from your friends, but you are bringing the voice out of the depths of your mind where things are often exaggerated. If we are ever to have a more positive relationship with our bodies we need to stop hiding them and being embarrassed of them. Now I am not saying to go walk around in the nude, but maybe think twice before you throw on a baggy sweatshirt and hide the masterpiece that is your body.
Maybe the naked Romans had the right idea after all.
