Breaking Free from The Chains of Fat-shaming

The pressure on women to be beautiful isn't new; it's a real issue today. It's important to understand where these ideas come from and how unrealistic they are to help stop body-shaming. The media often shows women with unrealistic weights, making people think that's the ideal. Not every woman feels this pressure, but many do, especially starting around age 13 when they notice changes in their bodies. In a blog post, "How Social Media Affects Teens Body Image" by Kidguara (2023), it says that to be accepted, teens feel like they need lots of followers, likes, and a great body to show off. They end up trying to impress people they don't even know. My point in talking about this is to highlight the negative effects of body-shaming and persuade people to stop participating in it.

Breaking Free from The Chains of Fat-shaming

The Role of Media and Social Media

Body-shaming has been around since the mid-19th century, but it's gotten easier with the rise of social media. Anyone can leave their opinions on anyone's photos. It's everywhere, but the media is the biggest culprit. Magazines show photoshopped images that women think are natural, and TV often makes jokes about overweight people, making them feel insecure. As I mentioned, women, especially teenage girls, are the most affected. Many go on diets to feel worth something, and some even become anorexic, which can lead to death. That's why we shouldn't have negative comments on social media. The consequences are severe, affecting mental health and self-esteem.

Challenging Stereotypes

The main issue here is that girls should feel comfortable with themselves, but they often get judged for how they look. There's a stereotype that being fat means you're unhealthy. Not everyone will agree with me. For example, big social media platforms like Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter say people shouldn't show off their bodies because it offends others. I totally disagree. The goal is to change society's outdated views on physical appearances. People who are confident and outspoken often get put down. We need to stop judging women based on their looks and let them feel good about who they are. To end body-shaming, the public needs to be educated about the media's misleading portrayal of women's bodies. A shift in societal norms is essential for real change.

Ways to Combat Body-Shaming

We should all keep negative comments to ourselves. People need to stop using social media to body shame others, whether it's telling skinny girls to eat more or fat-shaming. Sadly, 75% of girls feel social media portrays them unrealistically. There are ways to stop body-shaming, like:

• Accepting who you are
• Focusing less on looks
• Spending less time on social media

We should see that everyone around us is the same, no matter how they look. Embracing diversity and promoting inclusivity can lead to a more accepting environment for all individuals.

Addressing Counterarguments

Some might argue with my views, thinking it's fine for women with "perfect" bodies to post pictures, but find it disgusting if an overweight person does the same. People don’t realize the pressure to fit in. In "Social Experiment Changed Her Life" by Nabela Noor (2022), she talks about body positivity by having people talk to themselves in a mirror. It was shocking and emotional to see how people felt about being called ugly, fat, or pig. Such words are disturbing. People might still tell others to diet or exercise more, thinking it’s for their health. While it’s good to want a healthy body, being overweight shouldn't lead to such pressure and name-calling. Understanding that health and beauty come in various forms is crucial.