There needs to be an end to body shaming and put-downs. Negative comments referring to body size and image can have a devastating impact on self-esteem. As I’ve been doing research, I’ve come across studies and academic reports linking the media to poor portrayals of body image, but there are also so many cases of negative imagery in daily life among peers and friends. When the media is full of negative issues, why does everyone decide to continue to tear each other apart?
Below is an example of a campaign against media distortion, showing the amount of airbrushing that a model receives after a photoshoot.
Chairs don’t break because people are “fat” – and no matter an individual’s size, it’s not ok to call anyone else fat (“we got ice cream, ‘cause we’re fat”). There is no way to know how remarks about body image will affect others, especially when so many of these issues are hidden and misrepresented. Sometimes, those who decide that they are the larger members in a social circle tell others that they have “thin privilege” and are treated better because of their body size. This is not the place to argue that obesity is a problem in America and people should exercise more, but almost the opposite – in many cases the shape of the body is somewhat determined by nature. With that in mind, there is nothing thin people can do to control their shape, and such comments only risk setting off people who may have other underlying problems.
And finally, to end on a positive note, I found this link posted by a friend on Facebook: the positive influences that shine through lots of negativity:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/09/body-image-heroes-2013_n_4379790.html?1386600574&ncid=edlinkusaolp00000008
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