I remembered 6 years ago when I was in class 7. I went to attend my cousin’s wedding there we all cousin sister were getting dressed up together and suddenly someone commented, “hey you are so skinny, do you even eat or not? Or your sister eats your food?” It somewhere disturbed me. But it was only the starting growing up I came across many weird questions like what do I do to be so skinny? I have small boobs so how I manage with bras?
I remember I used to lock myself in a washroom and cry. I had started self-doubting about myself, but this is what ‘body shaming‘ looks like. It’s made of two words but it hurts like hell.
I know 90% of my readers either a man or a woman have faced body shaming once in their life and have come across such weird comments like you are too short, why are you too chubby? Why do you eat so much?
“Beta, have you tried lemon in hot water, it will reduce your fat, don’t wear that dress it’s too short.”
But more ridiculous than this is these are the comments of your family members, parents, siblings, friends and schoolmates, knowingly or unknowingly.
In research, it was found that about 65% of teenagers are mentally affected and living with depression due to body shaming because they think their body cannot meet social criteria. It affects someone’s emotions negatively, reduces their self-esteem, causes eating disorders, anxiety, body dysmorphia and sometimes causing self hurts and suicides.
The question is why actually this occurs, this is because growing up in our society there is a frame for being a good looking person for example you should be tall, should have fair and spotless skin, etc. Your appearance matter more than your inner beauty. Nobody tells you that be happy because you are gifted with legs, hands, eyes and some people don’t even have this.
How can we overcome body shaming? There are many ways but I want to share my remedies which have worked for me a lot. Firstly, take a stand for your own, start practising self-love. Secondly, stop listening to the negative comments, you will say that it is very easy to say but it’s very difficult to do so. But I want to ask you do the person who is commenting on you is full of perfection?
Third, stop comparing yourself with others. Everyone is unique on their own so find your uniqueness. Fourth try to help others who are facing this problem, and if you see some contents which are sharing body shaming on social media then you can report about this on some websites like the media watchdog program. In the end, make people aware of this topic and stay happy and accept yourself as you are because you are unique.