By Kaleigh Werner, EIC Lifestyle
I don’t even know where to start because this topic has been a journey for me, to say the least. Body positivity is hard. Societal standards can silently force us to believe our bodies have to fit the mold of the ideal type. In this case, the “ideal type” was derived from what has been desired, largely from men, and others in the past, regardless of what you as an individual are okay with. We don’t realize, but so much of what we are taught online, through social media platforms, or through different lines of communication, infiltrates our mental state and reflects how we feel about ourselves. We are taught that dieting is necessary if you aren’t okay with your body weight. We are taught that we need to exercise everyday, eliminate unnecessary sugars from our diet, eat the right balance of foods from the nutritional pyramid, and whatever we do never let ourselves cheat. Keeping up with this schedule and routine is difficult. People wear themselves out trying to perfectly schedule themselves so their body can reflect that of a skinny and fit type. Yet, the reality is this is impossible and there is no “ideal type” that anyone needs to follow. In order for you to be your very best self and maintain a positive mindset, you have to love your body for how it looks and what it does for you.
Well, that’s easier said than done, I know. And everyone has their own ways of achieving body positivity. Below, some of your peers have written about what it means and looks like in their eyes, how they have grown to love and respect everything their body is in it’s uniqueness!
“Body positivity isn’t always easy, and it definitely fluctuates. Everyone has good and bad days, but it’s all about loving yourself and embracing your body. Something that has really helped me over the past year is journaling. I try everyday to look up “journal prompts for self love” or “journal prompts to better yourself,” and I just reflect on who I am and how I feel. I also try and stay off of social media when I’m feeling upset because I find it easy to compare myself. I instead try to do the things that make me happy. I’m a big advocate of doing things that are beneficial to my mental health. I like going on walks, shopping, or catching up with friends from back home. I’ve also found it beneficial to open up with close friends so we can build each other up to feel more confident and comfortable with ourselves. Above all, my experience with body positivity has been something that I always try to work on because when I focus on self-love, I feel better overall.” – Claire Leibowitz, Freshman
“To fully accept one’s body can take years of practice, at least for me. Insecurity and fatphobia are ingrained in us from the media and diet culture. Body positivity is seeing your body not for what it looks like, but what it can do. Too often, children grow up learning to compare themselves to others and label foods as healthy or unhealthy. We must combat these preconceived notions for ourselves and others. Fat does not mean unhealthy, ugly or undesirable. Body positivity doesn’t just mean accepting your own body, but everyone around us.” – Carly Novell, Junior
“Loving your body exactly as it is, despite our society’s beauty standards and what social media tells you your body should look like, loving it despite all of that, is the ultimate rebellion. The more I learned about self love, body empowerment, body positivity and intuitive eating; the more I learned how many outside sources in our society are trying to convince you that you need to change your body. They make money off of your insecurities and the most empowered choice is to remind yourself it isn’t the truth. You have to see right through all the illusions; our culture benefits off of making women think they are not enough. When I look in the mirror and remind myself I’m more than enough, I’m fighting back against the oppressive patriarchy that pushes you to strive for a perfection they define. Every single woman has struggled to love their body and themselves and if you are struggling, know you are not alone. I’m on the self-love journey right there with you and every woman beside you is too. The more we can embrace our imperfections, cellulite, rolls, scars, and beautiful bodies, the more at peace our lives will be. You do not need to be smaller, bigger, more toned or more this or more that to be happy. It took me years to realize changing my body would never make me happy, I had to find the happiness in myself and own my self-love, not allowing other people to control how much I’m worth based on how much I conform to what society determines as desirable. For me, it started by looking in the mirror and reminding myself how much of a badass, incredible person I am. It sounds crazy but I dare you to do it: look in the mirror, remind yourself you are more than enough and that your body is beautiful and lovable exactly as it is. Do it every day and it will make an impact how you talk to yourself. The only person who can create that self-love for you, is yourself.” – Sonia Holstein, Junior
“All of my standards for everything, up until recently, were the standards of my worlds. As I got older, they started building on top of each other, and the ones from early childhood are so impactful to me as an adult because they serve as the foundation of my memory. This goes without saying, but I only know what it’s like to live in this world as the exact person that I am. Soul and body combined. I can only speak from my own experiences on body image with the body I was given via genetics, and its place in my environments.
My relationship with my body and what affects it – internally and externally – has evolved over my life. I’ve always been skinny, and it’s always been commented on. As a child, people – particularly older men and women – would never hesitate to comment on my physique. My weight, what I was eating, how I would appear to boys and men, how I would appear among other girls and women. By myself, with my parents, to my parents, in front of other people I knew, and in front of strangers. There was always a tug in my stomach when this would happen, and I didn’t exactly know why; why it was inappropriate, why I felt uncomfortable. Why were people looking so closely at my body? In retrospect, it makes me uneasy to know that it always seemed most appropriate for me to respond with “thank you.”
While I truly understand that my body type is now widely accepted in western society, and I in no way can compare this to the negative experiences of other people who do not have said physique, why did that make it okay for people to have opinions on it? This wasn’t really something I “noticed” until getting older because I always felt like I was so much older than I was, and I thought it was “normal” for people to give unsolicited comments on girls and womens bodies. To appreciate a forward compliment from a family friend who was an older man, to trust what my grandmother thought because I was always told she knew what was best for me, to appreciate it when someone had a suggestion on what I should do with my life because of the appearance of my body. So I accepted it, even with that tug in my stomach.
It’s taken many years to get to where I am now. Our bodies are always changing. Our environments, communities, and lives are always changing, too. I have come to realize that there is no use in playing that mental game with myself because of other peoples fleeting thoughts. I am the only one who I will always be with. This is the only body I will ever have. And now, I have the instinctive courage to clap back at anyone who has anything to say, even if they think they are giving me a nice compliment. And fortunately, as a culture, we are veering from engaging in that behavior as a whole, thanks to the girls and women who paved the way by speaking up and telling their truths. As ever evolving as the topic of body image is, we have a long way to go, but we have come a long way.” – Zoe Manor, Junior
“Social media has been a detriment to my mental health and body image. It has perpetuated an unrealistic standard of the “perfect” body. After a long scroll on TikTok and Instagram, I often find myself in a toxic mindset of comparison and jealousy. I remember when I first developed more “womanly” characteristics (boobs, curves, thighs) and feeling ashamed that I was no longer a stick. Feelings of body dysmorphia were difficult to fight and I often found myself succumbing to these intrusive thoughts. Now 21, I am still working on battling unhealthy realities, but I am well on my way to accepting my own body and avoiding jealousy. I’ve decided to wear the clothing I once felt made me look “big” with confidence and pride. I encourage all of you to do the same regardless of how you identify. Love yourself, love your body, and don’t be afraid to eat that pint of ice cream.” – Lauren Ofman, Junior
“Body positivity seems to be a huge movement right now. It’s tough because we live in a society where diet culture is so emphasized, and social media only highlights it. It’s so unrealistic, yet many of us deem it as the “perfect,” “ideal,” and “desired” body, but that’s so far from true…. yet it’s so easy to get sucked into the black hole of insecurity! It’s a horrible example to set for young girls and boys to form their own identities and self worth. When I see brands like Aerie who use models that represent REAL women with imperfections like stretch marks and cellulite, it’s empowering and reassuring because it’s honest!!” – Krista Minas, Junior
“I have struggled with body image for a long time. What person hasn’t? There were a lot of influences in this: my role as a flyer on the cheer team in high school and college, “compliments” by well-meaning friends and family after I lost weight, diet culture and the media constantly giving me tips on how to cut calories. In my mind, my worth became tied to my body and my goal became to always be the skinniest one in the room. In pursuit of this goal, I formed a very harmful relationship with my body and food that would have long-lasting consequences. The realization that started my journey out of this cycle was that health is not a synonym for thin and that I am worth more than the appearance of my body. Devoting time and mental energy to trying to be thinner than I am meant to be is not only detrimental to my long-term health (mental and physical), but takes away from time that could be spent cultivating all the more meaningful and important parts of my life and personality. You deserve more out of your life than perpetually pursuing a goal of thinness. Your body should be a means to achieving all your other life goals, not the end result.” – Maya Konings, Junior
Please remember that everyone is on their own journey and what this looks like to one person, might not look the same for another! Comment down below and let us know what your experience has been or what body positivity means to you!
