Body image and fashion
Making peace with your body.
In today's society, it seems size 0 and fashion go hand in hand. People are quick to point their finger at the fashion industry, the media and Hollywood; from Ralph Lauren to “Thin Lissy” Lohan. These people are apparently responsible for the fact that there are 11-year olds out there sticking their fingers down their throats.
This blame-shifting can go on to become another social cold war, but the biggest price to pay is the staggering number of young people developing an eating disorder every year. It is easy to become overwhelmed by the media that hangs an invincible halo above the head of every skinny girl with killer accessories. Either you can spend time blaming those external influences or use the time to equip young girls and boys with a healthy body image.
While most parents think that eating disorders only hit girls in their puberty, they must face the scary truth. Girls and boys are at risk of developing anorexia or bulimia as early as the age of 5. I found this out when a mother told me that when her daughter was that age, she insisted on watching her mother prepare her meals so that she could inspect the calories. This means that even in playschool children are comparing themselves, not their personalities; but their body weights.
While children are supposed to play and be, well, children, they were already dealing with adult issues. That is the inconvenient truth of youth and body image. If someone this early in their life already has this unacknowledged distortion of reality, it will only get worse when they step into puberty.
Puberty is a prime time for teens to struggle with their body image because this is when their bodies face hormonal changes. Then, add that to the pressure to fit in with their classmates. Teens do not just compare clothing labels, but scale numbers also. What they should see is the fact that everybody is different. There is no global uniform body size that everybody must adhere to. Some teenagers start developing earlier than others. Some have a temporary layer of fat to prepare for a growth spurt, while others don't seem to gain weight no matter how much they eat.
Our bodies have been pre-programmed by our genes in how to act and grow. If you have tried all the diets and exercise regimes known to mankind and you still can't lose those inches from your waist, well it was not meant to be. Mother Nature is unbeatable.
I have compared my body to female friends, models and celebrities since I was 13, but I now have a switch on the back of my head that comes on to snap me out of it. That was the first battle I won in the war of making peace with my body. Having different body measurements from Heidi Klum does not equal imperfection.
Personal appearance is one of the most significant things for many young people. For many teenagers, wearing the right brand of jeans equals self-gratification and better self-esteem. They look for fashion tips and newest trends in magazines that are bustling with photoshopped images of skinny girls and muscly guys. These teens would have to have the strong mind of Yoda to not associate being fashionable with being 'fashionably' thin.
What is not taken into account is how difficult it is to differentiate the guys from the girls in those magazines, when they even share the same waistline! Don't fall for the false pretense that you will look like the model on Glamour issue 95 p. 49, just because you wear the exact same outfit as her or him. More importantly, neither does it mean that you cannot be as fashionable. It is all about accepting your body and knowing how to dress it. I can tell you there have been numerous occasions where I tried and failed to pull off the hippy waistcoat look a la Kate Moss. Of course, I was blinded by the fact that while she was sporting an A cup, I was more blessed in that department.
The straight catwalk-polished look will never be mine, because I am not 6'4 with legs that can travel to the moon and back. Now that I have accepted this fact, I now only buy clothes that will compliment my 5'2 frame, my D cup and my non-waspish waist. Occasionally, I do succumb to my love of a certain trend and just buy the damn garment and stop caring.
Either way, I am not a slave of the catwalk and I am actually enjoying fashion and dressing up. Clothes nowadays are smarter and there are certain pieces that are designed to compliment every body type. Just flick on the television and you will see shows like “What Not To Wear” and “Gok's Fashion Fix”, where anyone can look like a million Euros with the help of the right clothes.
Once I accepted my body, I became much happier and more confident than I ever was when I was a size 0.
Don't be a slave to a number: it's a typo.
By: Wannita Panchana
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