Body shaming is the action of making negative comments about one’s own or another person’s attractiveness or appearance.

Body shaming leads to withdrawal, isolation, and is associated with depression, anxiety and a whole host of negative emotions, which have a serious impact on a person’s wellbeing.

Why do people make critical comments about the shape or size of someone else’s body? This behaviour is witnessed in the playgrounds of schools and continues through time into the adult environments of work and leisure, where sarcastic remarks are still seen as ‘a bit of fun’, by many, including those in responsible positions of authority. It is a form of bullying which still goes on the world over. There is nothing ‘funny’ about making fun of other people’s differences.

Photos and videos can be found all over the internet highlighting what is not seen as the ‘normal’ size of an individual. Why is it that anyone feels that they have the right to make a comment on another person’s appearance or other differences for that matter? What will this achieve?

Bullies who see and judge when they have no knowledge about the other person, is only revealing their own low self-esteem and immaturity, so I would suggest that they are lashing out to deflect from deeper issues they have inside in their own personality.

I will take the term obesity (body weight that is greater than what is considered normal or healthy for a certain height), as an example here, to make the point, in that the reasons for being over the typical weight range, may be down to one or more of many contributory factors which is nothing to do with someone being uncaring about their appearance. Factors such as:

Food and Activity – Consuming too many processed foods, plus having an inactive lifestyle. Addiction to food. Eating too much can be used as a coping strategy for other issues going on in your life. So many reaons that someone eats too much, or for that matter, does not eat enough of the right kind.

Stress and Emotional Wellbeing – Being anxious and in a negative emotional cycle which can increase the need for ‘comfort’ behaviours, instead of ‘healing’ strategies.

Health Conditions – Diabetes, Arthritis, Heart and cardiovascular issues and may more. Physical and/or Psychiatric symptoms which reduce the ability to exercise.

Genetics – more than 50 genes are associated with obesity, including LEP: Leptin which is produced by fat cells and FTO: Fat-mass and obesity associated gene, which promotes food intake.

https://www.cdc.gov/genomics/resources/diseases/obesity/obesedit.htm

Similarly difference in being taller, shorter, lighter, heavier than normal, we can look at how genes affect our physical development. Skin or hair colour, sound of voice, physical differences and cognitive abilities and many more, which can be explored further searching on the internet by typing in genomes + (your choice) – it only takes a minute to look.

Here are two clickable links for Voice and for Height, just for ease of use of how genes are connected to the way we are.

Voice https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9152557/

Height – https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/understanding/traits/height/*

What about when it is not other people who are doing the body shaming? Self shaming, through criticizing your own body, by making comparisons to others, or when you have low self-esteem (how we perceive and value ourselves to the outside world), little self-worth (an inner belief of not being good enough) and suffer from extreme social anxieties about your body and your appearance to the world. Closer to home, you may be body shamed by someone in your family who shame you into trying to change the way you look.

Helping and the future?

The idea that behavioural changes are required to help the individual overcome the negative feelings that have become ingrained in their lives, is becoming more frequently addressed in the medical and scientific world, as there is growing recognition that surgery and pills is not always the best way forward.

Therapies such as Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy, and Cognitive Behaviour Therapy have shown to be very effective in this regard.  

Body shaming is associated with an individual being obese, underweight, shorter, or taller, or having something different about their appearance, superficial or physical.

The main issue in body shaming is driven by society as a whole, as we live in a social world, most certainly in the Western world,  that concentrates on how we should look to ‘fit in’ with being normal. Anything outside of the media driven ‘perfect’ look, is deemed as missing something in their lives, therefore ‘imperfect’.

Fashion is aimed at a certain category of people, and advertising has a large part to play in how the ‘perfect’ person should appear in society. Vendors sell ‘health’ pills, make up, clothes, fashion accessories, health goods etc, which are all represented as being ‘good’ for your health as well as allowing you to be included in the popular group in society. It was the same in school, where some would do anything to become part of the ‘popular’ kids; to be accepted and liked in society. These Social constructs are the assumptions and preconceptions of a society concerning what it takes to be ‘normal’ and be accepted as such. But that is another subject for another day!

What can we do to make life more manageable, where being different is accepted by all in today’s society?

We could try to be less judgemental of others, or indeed ourselves. Look for the good in all situations.

Spend your time with positive people, not one’s who judge you or put your down.

Talk with someone you trust, even your doctor, and share how you feel. If you feel uncomfortable doing this in-person, write a letter or email explaining how you struggle, while asking for help and/or support.

Consider online therapy by telephone or email? No need to see anyone in person, however you will be getting help the moment you instigate the first contact. If you have no-one to talk with and really struggling, feel free to reach out here.

Thanks for taking the time to share this with me, yet if just by reading this, we can be aware of the problem so many people suffer from, usually hiding their feelings from everyone, we can all help and look out for anyone who needs some support, and make a positive difference to our world.

Steve

Additional article by superstar singer, Ariana Grande, speaks out regarding body shaming, through her experiences on social media and of her fans. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-65248558

Singer Ariana Grande has called on fans to be “gentler and less comfortable” about remarking on her and other people’s bodies after recent scrutiny of her appearance on social media.

In a TikTok video, she said she had a body that is “paid such close attention to”, so “wanted to address” concerns.

It comes after some users commented on her apparent recent weight loss.

Grande said they were “comparing my current body” to “the unhealthiest version of my body”.

The 29-year-old US star explained: “I was on a lot of antidepressants and drinking on them and eating poorly and at the lowest point of my life when I looked the way you consider my healthy, but that in fact wasn’t my healthy.

“I know I shouldn’t have to explain that, but I do feel like maybe having an openness and some sort of vulnerability here will [mean] something good might come from it. I don’t know but that’s the first thing. Healthy can look different.”

She continued: “The second thing is, you never know what someone is going through. Even if you are coming from a loving place and a caring place, that person probably is working on it or has a support system that they are working on it with.

“You never know. So be gentle with each other and with yourselves.” Click link for the rest of the free article.