Welcome to those tuning into GAC’s blog! I’m pleased to have the
privilege of writing the first topic-oriented post.
I was not in the video posted above, so I will do a quick
introduction of myself!
My name is Daphni Sawyer, and I am a senior at
the same Quaker school Alice Paul graduated from, Moorestown Friends School. I
began attending the school in eighth grade, and after watching Iron Jawed Angels in a classroom, I
decided to check out the Alice Paul Institute (which is located only a few
minutes away from my school). Shortly after, I became a member of the Girl’s
Advisory Council, and I have been participating in activities sponsored by API
for a little over three years.
The topic of discussion for this week is body image which
affects women of all ages. In this particular post, I want to focus on the
topic of weight.
Women come in variety of shapes; we are each unique. Although it
is acknowledged that no two bodies are exactly the same, there are multiple
pressures from society on women to strive for the “ideal” body.
Part of the problem is, there are mixed messages. Some are told
they are too thick, others are told the opposite. The reality of the situation
is nobody really knows what the “ideal” is; therefore, many women are
constantly trying to change themselves to fit a nonexistent, abstract concept
of perfection. It’s as if we are all struggling in a race with no finish line,
a wrestling match with no final bell.
The picture above belongs to a stream of similar pictures that
have been produced by many teens and young adults. It is part of an online
movement to bring awareness to the body image issues haunting the young adults
of today.
Also contributing to that same effort, many individuals have
taken photos that have to do with body image and then labeled those pictures
with “Society Killed the Teenager”.
Although these images are slightly saddening, they relay a message
of hope because it shows that many young people want to battle the issue of a
lack of self-confidence in many people.
On another note, there are some very troubling developments in
the messages the youth has been receiving. Online there is a new trend called
“pro-anorexia” in which young adults and teenagers encourage each other to
literally become anorexic. This makes light out of a serious eating disorder
and turns it into a fashion statement.
Even though I have written a lot about how body image is
discussed amongst the youth, as of now 2012, I am not trying to insinuate that
one only starts noticing society’s obsession with weight as a teenager.
In fact, many who currently struggle with their weight claim
that their issues with it began during childhood. First off, I believe all
parents with access to valid nutritional information should teach their
children about making healthy choices. A good number of parents, however, scold their
kids for being too thin, or they insult their children constantly calling them
fat.
If it’s not messages coming from parents, kids can get messages
from others their own age or worse, the parents of those kids.
My camp counselor told me that throughout her life she has been
abused verbally, by both men and women, as well as physically, because she is
considered “heavy-set” and “voluptuous”. However, the first negative comment
she received regarding her weight was from a friend’s mom. This mother refused
to let her child hang out with my counselor, calling her a “slut” even though
she was in elementary school.
And as if the messages we get from the people we know are not
already numerous, the media adds to the pressure. Think about the messages we
receive with magazine covers like the one above. Almost every magazine with a
main story on the singer Adele refuses to show her whole body in the cover
photo. Generally, only Adele’s face is shown. On the rare occasion that a
magazine dares to show Adele’s whole body, it makes Adele significantly
thinner.
With all of these negative pressures on us to fit an ideal body
image, the most one can do as an individual is promote body love. How can we do
that? I suggest that everyone increases the amount of compliments they give
out. That’s right! Even compliment strangers! A few nice words can make a large
impact on someone’s mindset or mood.
Likewise, as we can increase the number of compliments, we can
decrease the number of insults. Women constantly knock down one another, and
honestly, we would be so much stronger unified. If women could band together on
issues like body image, we could help reduce the amount of stressors in our
lives. If one hears someone insult somebody because of their weight, one could
kindly call the person out on it. Simply stating that you take offense to a
statement should not horribly upset anybody (although I can’t make any
promises)!
Let’s make this effort together!
Lastly, ironically enough, October 17th is the National Organization for Women (NOW)’s Love Your Body Day! Everybody please visit their website and join
the fight! http://loveyourbody.nowfoundation.org/
