TW: Body dysmorphia
In the 21st century, women face scrutiny for normal body parts and features including stretch marks, “muffin tops”, body hair, acne, “hip-dips”, and classification of body shapes. These body features are completely normal and even serve purpose to our bodies.
Stretch marks: Stretch marks are a type of scar on the elastic fibers of our skin. These are completely normal in our bodies, and common causes are puberty, pregnancy, weight gain or loss, and muscle gain or loss.
Muffin tops: Muffin tops or lower abdomen fat on women is the extra layer of fat that is needed to protect our uterus. It is the protection of a women's organ.
Body hair: Body hair is as normal on women as it is on men. Women are often pushed to believe that body hair is not sanitary or normal for women. During puberty, adolescents, both female and male, grow body hair. Body hair facilitates sweating, protects skin, and even has nerve receptors.
Acne: Acne is normal on both men and women, at any age, not just adolescence, acne can be caused by so many things and can show on different parts of the body. Acne can be affected by genetics and environmental factors.
Hip dips: Hip dips, love handles, or violin hips, are the slight curve going inwards below the hips. They’re part of the pelvis bone that connects our legs and trunks, supports and balances our trunks, and contains organs. Recently, a popular search has been “how to get rid of hip dips”. The truth is, they are a normal part of our bodies and a unique bone structure that cannot be changed.
Body shape labels: “Hourglass” shape is another popular beauty standard in today’s society. Other body shape labels include pear, rectangle, triangle, inverted triangle, and round. Body shapes can change with puberty, growing up, lifestyle, eating habits, and exercise habits. But they are not an indication of health or beauty.
While media and awareness surrounding body and beauty standards have been centered around women since the beginning of media, men have the same struggle in today’s world. The much less talked about male body standards still affects young boys to older men. Men are often expected to be tall, muscular, and have body hair. From movie stars and music artists to sports players, and everything in between, the entertainment business is probably the most influential in the way men view their bodies.
Muscles: Studies show that 90% of middle school and high school boys have the goal of “bulking up”. Young boys shouldn’t have to be insecure about their muscles or strength. Muscles develop over time and look different one every person.
Body hair: Loss of hair caused by stress, low self-esteem, and even genetics cause men to feel less attractive. Again, a normal part of a human.
Height: The society we live in has conditioned us to think that smaller heights are “cute” and “adequate” for women. And that taller heights are “assertive” and “adequate” for men.
The media will not go away, and we can hope that social media influencers, the entertainment business, and manufacturers become body positives and inclusive. Meanwhile, there are some useful tips to maintain a healthy relationship with our bodies. Unfollowing and removing influencers that do not promote healthy body positivity or make us feel uncomfortable with our bodies is a huge step towards addressing the unrealistic standards we are constantly scrolling through. Positivity helps us through a lot of things in life but we must not turn to toxic positivity. Toxic positivity is pretending that everything is okay and no problems exist. Addressing our issues as well as external issues helps maintain a healthy balance of reality and hope. Remember that the way our body looks is not an indicator of our worth or our health. Doctors and experts are the most reliable to consult in case of concerns about body health and looks. Everyone is extremely unique in who they are and what they look like, therefore it is not fair of us to compare ourselves to others because someone else's beauty is not an absence of your own.
SOURCES
Written by Camila Amaya from Woodbridge, Virginia
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