Body Shaming: How to Stop It?

Have you ever stopped thinking about how often we are told to change our appearance? Magazines are constantly offering tips on how to lose weight “in days.” Appear slimmer “immediately,” and conceal our “imperfections”. Without truly understanding anything about us, much less our appearance. This is one instance of body-shaming, and it’s everywhere.

Tv shows so often use the bodies of overweight characters as the grounds for many of the show’s jokes. Criticizing elements of our bodies as some kind of bonding experience with friends has become the standard–if we all hate our bodies. It somehow makes us feel linked and united. Body-shaming can lead to a vicious cycle of judgment and criticism. Media and each other’s messages often suggest that we want to alter and we need to look slimmer, smaller, and tanner. And if we don’t, we’re worried that we’re in danger of being the target of body-shaming remarks from someone else.

Body-Shaming Manifests: In Various Ways

• Criticizing your own appearance through a judgment or comparison with someone else.
• To Criticize the appearance of another in front of them.
• Criticizing the appearance of another without their knowledge.

It often leads to comparison and shame, no matter how this manifests. And perpetuates the concept that individuals should be judged primarily for their physical characteristics.

 

Would It Hurt Your Feelings?

If you said no, then you’re good for yourself; you’re self-confident and don’t care what others believe. You can use your trust to assist others who are impacted by body shaming. Refuse to participate in any form of other people’s body-shaming— distract negative comments by responding positively or changing the topic.

But you’re not alone when you said yes. When someone says something negative about you, it is human nature to experience hurt feelings.

But the excellent news is that there are few things you can do to build your trust, feel better about yourself, and learn how to move forward:

1. Do something that makes you happy:

Spend time with people who love you for who you are. Sing in the shower at the top of your lungs. Dance around the room. Watch your favorite movies

2. Do something that makes you accomplished:

Love running, sewing, playing chess, shouting jokes, baking, juggling? We all have unique skills, so discover and frequently do what you do well.

3. Do something nice for others:

Pay it in the drive-through forward. Shovel the walk of a neighbor. Mail a handwritten note to somebody. Small kindnesses can make you feel at the same moment happy, lovely and fulfilled!

 Harmful Effects Of Body-Shaming:

The damaging impacts of body shaming go beyond weight gain. Here are some of the other major risks that body-shaming poses:

1. Depression:

People whose body is shamed because of their weight are at a greater danger of depression and other mental illnesses.

2. Eating disorders:

Body shaming is associated with an enhanced danger of eating disorders such as Anorexia nervosa and binge eating disorder.

3. Reduced self-esteem:

People with weight problems that are soft targets for shamers of the body end up with significant problems of self-esteem. With no one to protect them and unable to protect themselves, these individuals can become reclusions, avoiding any kind of social interaction, whether it’s just going out with friends.

 

How To Spot Body Shaming:

Some forms of shaming of the body are evident. For instance, if someone shouts across the street something lovely like “you fat bitch,” you can guarantee that you’ve been shamed. For all kinds of factors, including their size, height, the color of their skin, gender identity or disability, people are sadly shamed.

But other shaming of the body is not so evident. It can be subtle, and from the individuals, you love it can be aimed at you. This makes spotting even though it makes you feel uneasy more tricky. Some body-shaming examples include:

• Offhand comments that aren’t cruel, but still hurtful.
• Your family’s friendly jibs. “Are you really supposed to eat that piece of cake?” Or “You’re never going to get a girlfriend like that.
• Social media has taken a new level of body shaming. You may have observed celebrities getting stuck for having tops or ‘ moobs ‘ of cellulite or muffin or any of those other ordinary items that make us human.

 

Body Shaming is an undeniably current culture of cruelty in our globe today. What we can do is learn how to avoid falling into this terrible practice and, more importantly, teach ourselves and others how to deal with it.

 

Also Read: How To Help Your Child Avoid Body Image Issues?