Body shaming has become more prevalent in our society. Not long ago, Playboy Playmate posted a photo on Snapchat of a naked elderly woman at the gym and made fun of her body. The playmate was fired from her job and will face criminal charges as well. Now, Children are also not immune to this horrible act.
A school in Mississippi recently kicked out a 9-year-old child because of her body shape. The elementary school has a dress code which discriminates against body types of some bigger children in the school. This dress code favors children who are thin and straight without considering for the bigger children.
The little girl was suspended because she wore a top that was too snug around the waistline. The school banned clothes that cover up a child with larger body features such as baggy shirts and clothes and those that go beyond the knee. The only way the little girl can prevent her clothing from being too tight fitting would be to wear bigger clothes. Such clothes aren’t allowed, so she was bound to suffer discrimination either ways. And she wasn’t the only one who suffered the body shaming attack; a fellow student was singled out for her body type as well.
A lot of people who body shame others may not be aware of what they’re doing. Others believe making people feel ashamed of their body will make them work harder for a better body. However, such statements do the opposite and make them suffer depression and a reduced self-esteem.
What does body shaming involve?Body shaming involves any inappropriate statement or attitude made towards another individual’s size or weight. The backlash against the act resulted in the term “body shaming” to bring a positive attitude different body sizes and weights.
This trend should have an end. In a perfect world, it will be possible to stop talking about other people’s body sizes and weight. In this world, it’s basically impossible to stop people from commenting on other people’s size. But the following can help curtail the act in the long run.
Change how you talk about others.
Most times, people don’t say things to body shame other, but it just doesn’t come out right. We can train ourselves to speak positively about others and avoid making unnecessary references to weight and size.
Focus on empowering your body
Most people are overly concerned about their body. Rather than focusing on how to be thin, set goals that focus on something the body does. It could be moving more, lifting heavier weights, or running faster. It is empowering to realize the ability of the body that has nothing to do with appearance in any way.
Take responsibility
Body shaming is blamed on some people or a certain sex most of the time. However, this isn’t always true. We should all take responsibility for the body shaming attacks without pointing fingers and assure ourselves that our bodies are fine just the way they are and talk about something else.
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