Body Shaming
Body Shaping isn’t a new phenomenon , it has happened in the past , it’s happening in the present and there is no scenario that can ensure it will not happen in future . It has become a part of our culture , some may involve in direct body shaming on his / her face or some may do it remotely behind the screen .
What is Body Shaming - There isn’t any hard and fast definition of Body Shaming . It is a human behavior like bullying a person for the specific nature of his / her body . It is shaming someone repeatedly due to his / her body features which is usually not normal . Body shaming may be bullying , teasing , mocking , humiliating or isolating the victim .This may on account of specific shape , size , weight , skin color , hair ( specially women with body hair not seen as lady-like ) , eyes ( squint or blindness ) or baldness etc. In Body shaming , some people show discriminatory behavior , thoughts , attitude or feelings towards someone for the type of his / her body .
Reason for Body Shaming - Our ‘ selfie ‘ type lifestyle focuses on outward or superficial beauty . We are watching photos ( maybe live also ) of glamorous celebrities in TV shows , magazines , advertisements and social media etc.What we see daily can affect our thinking on physical appearances . Some struggle to copy these standards of outward beauty which leads to negative feelings and judgement about self . Many of us know that these are artificial beauties cosmetically and digitally modified , even then we fall in the trap .
Attractiveness - Also known as ‘ Pretty Shaming or lookism ‘ - An Unattractive person is often a victim of body shaming . An unattractive face sometimes has to face a problem for some jobs / authority .
Endorsement of cosmetics , beautification and fairness creams may also be a direct or indirect cause of body shaming .
Who does Body Shaming - Any one in our society can do it , may be a friend , a family member , a passerby , a student or classmate or sometimes even a medic .
Types of Body Shaming - Body Shaming can be very harsh to subtle or physical to online cyber shaming .
Examples of harsh body shaming may be calling hate words e.g. Fat ( Mota or Moti ) , bald ( Ganje ), blindness ( Andhe ) , black ( Kaala ) . More harsh behavior may be like kicking or throwing pebbles at the person . Teasing words like - no one will marry you due to your body , you need an extra seat in the plane etc.
Examples of Subtle Body shaming - It’s usually in the form of suggestions / subtle comments , sometimes repeatedly like - are you dieting ? negative compliments like having a beautiful face for the size or unsolicited advice on diet , dress or work outs etc.
Cyber Shaming - It can be in the form of Cyber bullying / teasing by email or trolling someone .
Where can Body Shaming Happen - It can happen at any place - at home , school , office , in public , in social media or even in hospitals or doctor’s offices ( where someone goes for medical advice ) . It is more common at school and from peers or family members . Some face body shaming occasionally and some might face lifelong .
Who are soft targets of Body Shaming - Body shaming is mostly about your abnormal body size . Besides size it may be heavy weight , body hair , attractiveness , food , dress , age ( elderly ) etc.
Body Shaming is more common in teens , especially young girls and women .
Is Body Shaming Harmful - Yes , body shaming is harmful . Its effect may be subtle or very serious both physically mentally and socially .
Physical Effects -
Eating Disorders -
High risk of developing Anorexia and / or unusual eating habits .
Weight Gain - Sometimes disorder in eating habits and stress may cause weight gain also .
Unhealthy Habits - It may lead to over exercises or even avoidance of exercises .
Mental Effects - Body shaming may lead to higher risk of depression and anxiety , a feeling of hopelessness and chronic stress .
Feeling of Reduced Self Esteem - This leads to feelings of negative self perception and self confidence .This affects many areas of life including the workplace and educational institutions .
Self Harm - Sometimes shaming can lead to harsh actions like suicide or self harm .
BBD - This causes negative perception of your own body and makes you feel extremely self conscious about your own body image . This causes BDD ( body dysmorphic disorder ) when we get obsessed with perceived appearance flaws . If one is constantly ashamed of own body, his / her performance at academics or office will be negatively affected .
Social Effects -
Self Isolation - Body shaming causes embarrassment and someone to isolate from family members , friends and social activities .
Quality of Life Affected - Can’t enjoy life due to insecurity of own body’s features
Can Body Shaming be Overcome - Yes , there are ways to fight with the harmful effects of body shaming .It will take a time to alter long understanding ideas of beauty . “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder “ is easier said than done in practice . But we can have a beginning . -
1. Cultivate Self Love - We have to build a body positivity attitude about self and others , though it’s a long journey . We have to stop bodyshaming ourselves and develop self compassion . We need to give health priority over outward appearance .
2. Replace Negativity by Positativity - We don’t have control over others’ view on our body but we can focus on our positive aspects rather than living in perceived beauty . Accept and admire your own imperfections and then you can free yourself from judgementing yourself . Develop a feeling - I accept and respect my body as it is without any hate , I am good .
Make a boundary line with your friends and family and say firmly that comments on my body aren’t welcome and acceptable .
3 . Mind Your Food - Whether you are fat or very thin , you will like to amend your food intake . It may lead to your unhealthy / improper food consumption .Mindful eating will help you realize that food is not always the culprit .You can enjoy healthy foods .
4. Make Good Friends - Be in company with friends who are courteous and treat you , as you are , with respect . Avoid those who talk of the imperfections of others . You can also side with others who are also victims of body shaming .
5 . Manage Social Media Presence - Your frequent and Extended presence on social media may cause your loneliness and body dissatisfaction . This may lead to cyber bullying and body shaming . Focus on in person connection with people you trust .
Connect with those who have faced similar shaming behavior and share both experiences . Digging deep into the truth of wellness culture , fitness culture , diet culture and unrealistic perspectives is a nice way to escape a tainted worldview .
6 . You can take advice / suggestions from authentic therapists and specialists .
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