Body Confidence Issues: Why we Need to Ignore the Media and Focus on Ourselves
The media is saturated with debates on body image and confidence. It’s hard not to open a newspaper and see an article about Aiden Turner’s abs in Poldark or hear debates on what’s considered the ‘ideal’ female body. The pressure we put on ourselves for not having the perfect physique is damaging. We need to move away from this obsession and instead, appreciate how we’re all unique and like our bodies for what they are.
The pressure on women to lose weight and conform to a size double zero or look like a model is everywhere. More people are speaking out about such things and advocating a ‘normal’ representation of women’s bodies, and as a result we’re finally seeing a shift. Celebrities have also joined the debate, from Kim Kardashian to Iggy Azaelia. All report having insecurities abut how they look, all don’t conform to the shape you see on catwalks, and all represent women of other sizes, which the world and fashion needs to recognise.
What you won’t find being talked about as much are the body confidence issues men struggle with. The fact is, men have the same types of worries too. We may not be bullying ourselves for not having the model of the moment’s body but we will be looking at Channing Tatum’s abs and then staring down in dismay at our paunches. Thankfully, there are those organisations trying to shed more light on this issue for men and recently, a number of male celebrities have been commenting on it. Both Aiden Turner and Kit Harrington have said they’re not fans of being labelled ‘hunks’ and praised solely for their bodies. They want their acting to be commented on, not their appearance. It begs the question: if those who are considered to have the ideal body feel they’re being objectified and don’t like it, why are we all trying so hard to get a body just like theirs?
This constant focus on bodies like Aiden Turner’s is having a huge impact on how the ‘average’ man feels about his own. The ‘average’ man encompasses so many sizes these days: the skinny guy with no muscle definition, the ‘dad bod’ guy, or the larger guy. Obsession with getting this ‘ideal’ shape can have significantly harmful consequences: bullying from others and yourself can lead to illnesses and disorders, such as depression or body dysmorphic disorder (BDD).
We need to stop obsessing over these crazy searches for the ultimate beauty and instead focus on being healthy, looking after yourself (physically and mentally) and concentrating on liking who we are and how we look. Aside from the impact this has on us as adults, what about the younger generation who are growing up and being bombarded with images of muscle-ripped men? These kinds of images are becoming the norm in the media but we don’t want children to grow up thinking it’s a case of ‘look like David Beckham’ or ‘look rubbish’. We’re finally seeing a shift in the female fashion industry with plus size models walking catwalks and brands entering the market purely to provide fashion for curvy women. And now the male fashion industry is beginning to do the same; only the other month Abercrombie & Fitch sacked their ‘looks’ policy in favour of presenting a truer representation of the male body. We need to keep moving forward in this direction: stop body-shaming ourselves and others and start accepting and appreciating the fact we’re all unique. If we keep doing that, the fashion brands that aren’t following suit now will have to.
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| Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/practicalowl/ |
The pressure on women to lose weight and conform to a size double zero or look like a model is everywhere. More people are speaking out about such things and advocating a ‘normal’ representation of women’s bodies, and as a result we’re finally seeing a shift. Celebrities have also joined the debate, from Kim Kardashian to Iggy Azaelia. All report having insecurities abut how they look, all don’t conform to the shape you see on catwalks, and all represent women of other sizes, which the world and fashion needs to recognise.
What you won’t find being talked about as much are the body confidence issues men struggle with. The fact is, men have the same types of worries too. We may not be bullying ourselves for not having the model of the moment’s body but we will be looking at Channing Tatum’s abs and then staring down in dismay at our paunches. Thankfully, there are those organisations trying to shed more light on this issue for men and recently, a number of male celebrities have been commenting on it. Both Aiden Turner and Kit Harrington have said they’re not fans of being labelled ‘hunks’ and praised solely for their bodies. They want their acting to be commented on, not their appearance. It begs the question: if those who are considered to have the ideal body feel they’re being objectified and don’t like it, why are we all trying so hard to get a body just like theirs?
This constant focus on bodies like Aiden Turner’s is having a huge impact on how the ‘average’ man feels about his own. The ‘average’ man encompasses so many sizes these days: the skinny guy with no muscle definition, the ‘dad bod’ guy, or the larger guy. Obsession with getting this ‘ideal’ shape can have significantly harmful consequences: bullying from others and yourself can lead to illnesses and disorders, such as depression or body dysmorphic disorder (BDD).
We need to stop obsessing over these crazy searches for the ultimate beauty and instead focus on being healthy, looking after yourself (physically and mentally) and concentrating on liking who we are and how we look. Aside from the impact this has on us as adults, what about the younger generation who are growing up and being bombarded with images of muscle-ripped men? These kinds of images are becoming the norm in the media but we don’t want children to grow up thinking it’s a case of ‘look like David Beckham’ or ‘look rubbish’. We’re finally seeing a shift in the female fashion industry with plus size models walking catwalks and brands entering the market purely to provide fashion for curvy women. And now the male fashion industry is beginning to do the same; only the other month Abercrombie & Fitch sacked their ‘looks’ policy in favour of presenting a truer representation of the male body. We need to keep moving forward in this direction: stop body-shaming ourselves and others and start accepting and appreciating the fact we’re all unique. If we keep doing that, the fashion brands that aren’t following suit now will have to.
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