The empowerment of women’s bodies in America is a rapidly debated topic. It’s a touchy subject for most women, because who really loves their bodies, right? If you’re skinny, fat, toned, or ripped, someone will always have something negative to say about your body. So what makes a perfect body then, and where do our standards come from? A lot of the determining factors revolve around the media we see and hear.
1. “All about bass, bout that bass….”
Don’t get me wrong, I love Megan Trainor just as much as the next girl, but “boys like a little more booty to hold at night?” This song puts females in the mindset that in order to be beautiful and confident, we need to be pleasing to someone else’s desires for our bodies, not our own. Without self-approval, we can never truly be confident and secure in our own skin. It is not enough to rely on someone else’s definition of the perfect body.
2. One size fits none… I mean all
It’s a trap, so just walk away. No woman is shaped or built the same. I’m not sure who originated this idea but they should just be fired from life. Just no. Walk away. The only time this is ever true is with those strechy shirts from the 90's that never stopped streching. So unless you plan on doing a throwback, walk away from one size fits all, always.
3. Photoshop
This a body image article, so you knew it was coming. The pictures you see in magazines are edited. What? Yes, that’s right, the people and bodies you’re supposed to aspire to and be like are not real. These images of half-dressed women are plastered everywhere for all ages to see, and as a young girl these often become a focal point and a goal, but truthfully they are rarely reached and leave only a mess in their path. These images are supposed to represent the best looking, most desirable women, and when the young girls are not met with the unrealistic results, it causes a huge lack of self-confidence that can potentially lead to eating disorders.
4. "Real" Women
There's a big push for curvy, thick, girls right now, and that would be a wonderful thing if it didn't put down "skinny" girls. It seems to be one extreme or another with the media. Girls are either being told to be overweight to be beautiful, or to be unrealistically small. I love seeing the un-edited photos of the "real" women, and I love seeing the unrealistic photos because both bring me something. The "real" women show me that it is OK to be imperfect, but the others show me a goal I would want for my body.
5. A word of advice from Justin Bieber
"You should go and love yourself." Yes you should! It's much harder said than done, but the best image we can give of a women to the women of generations to come is ourselves. Wether you're skinny dippin' or chunky dunkin', love your body, and if you don't, then do something about it. You can do it.
"Don't let your mind bully your body" -- June Tomaso Wood
