Bend your Body! Don't crack your Mind!

I have always been, and still am, all for working relentlessly for a fab body (read, the best that your body can be), it pains me, however, to see how social media today is inundated with trends that promote harmful body stereotypes, from the ridiculous 'thigh gap' to the ‘bellybutton challenge'. The point of a challenge is to help you push your boundaries that much more so as to keep you motivated to do something that is in your best interest. These challenges seem to be doing the opposite. 

While on the one hand, people from different backgrounds and ethnicities are taking to the Internet to spread the message of accepting one’s body and loving oneself, it seems like all of those efforts are being rubbished, just by a couple of images that are setting the ‘trend’ for an ideal body.

The 'bellybutton challenge' made people twist their bodies, not for yoga, but to pose for the camera and show off their extremely thin waist-line. The 'thigh gap' is that apparently alluring feminine trait of having visible space between your inner thighs if you are standing with your feet together. These trends got their share of brunt too, but the magnitude of those who participated in such challenges is disturbingly large.

It’s becoming an obsession to have a particular kind of a body. Every month or so, magazines like Cosmopolitan come up with fad articles on topics related to that perfect female body, the lure of a man! You hear how a model got her ribs removed, as she wanted a slim waist. Younger women, especially the vulnerable groups like 'the teens' should be explained that these fads promote eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia, they should be periodically counseled by mothers and teachers to make them understand that genes also play an important role. Somewhere down the line, everything has a counter-effect.

Recently, the ‘ab crack’ has become the new fad. It is a vertical dent outlining the ab muscles which is a result of extreme workouts. The unhealthy aspect of body-sculpting fads such as this one is that they can, and do very often, stem from the need to "prove" oneself on social media rather than making it relevant to actually living your life in an optimum condition of mental and physical health.

Following celebrities doesn’t help either; Girls/ women get pressurized to alter themselves in order to look a certain way. Everyone has a different body type and it is impossible to achieve someone else’s body as your own. Trying to do that may lead to women taking extreme measures: modifying one's body to a level that it may end up hurting is just not worth it. I think this really goes back to self acceptance and being confident about yourself. So what if you don’t have an ab crack from working out? Contouring can do the trick instead! If following a fad becomes the norm,  people may get bullied and it may lead to depression and other complications. Also, extreme insecurities may force people into eating disorders,  these viral trends are only going to make matters worse.

Having said that, it must also be said, that hate it or love it, it is almost impossible to ignore the Social Media. Rather, we could and should strive for physical inclusion through this media, we must make people with all kinds of body types feel included in society. Women from across the country, in fact from across the globe, can come forward (and often do) on Social Media to talk about the effect of these trends and how we can counter them.

I would welcome such a discussion on this forum, right here, if you feel like adding your comments or having your say. Also, if you think that the awareness to steer clear of such negative trends needs to be spread, please feel free to share this piece.

Thank you!