MENTAL HEALTH IMPLICATIONS OF BODY SHAMING

Introduction

When we talk about body shaming, what does it entail precisely? Since every person is unique in terms of size and shape, it's typical to remark things like "you're very slim" or "you're chubby" to make other people feel uncomfortable. Often, without even knowing us or our physical features, magazines offer advice on how to seem slimmer "instantly," lose weight "in days," and hide our "imperfections." All of us have at some point in our lives overheard hurtful remarks similar to those made by strangers, acquaintances, and relatives. Even if it's said in a joke, it can still be embarrassing.

Body shaming is Instilled in our cultures

A website called Break Binge Eating states that during the pandemic lockdown, almost one in two adult women said they were more self-conscious about their appearance. Making women second-guess everything they do might result in a persistent mental battle that eventually erodes their self-worth. Being constantly embarrassed by everything lowers one's self-confidence, which makes controlling them easier. It's a common belief these days that smaller people are healthier and more desirable than larger ones. In the past, being underweight denoted poverty and lack of access to food, but being overweight represented prosperity. The belief that your physical appearance falls short of their ideal and that you should feel terrible about it is a universal phenomenon that affects people of all genders.

Body Shaming in the Digital Age

Body shaming cases are on the rise in India. According to a study by Fortis Healthcare, 90 percent of women acknowledge that body shaming is a frequent practice, and social media is partially to blame. The social platform makes it simple to broadcast destructive remarks about other people. We are encouraged to always strive to uphold the constantly shifting ideals of beauty, and if we don't, we risk being called?body shamers.?Everyone, young and old is tremendously concerned with their appearance and self-image. Too 'Thin?' Is it too heavy?' You Could Be Trolled.

Effects of Body Shaming on Mental Health?

A faultless or ideal body does not exist, and this might influence one's social and mental well-being as well as one's career. It chokes off one's imagination and confidence. You start to feel as though you are not liked by other people; this feeling could also be internal. 70% of teenagers reported experiencing weight-related bullying in the previous few years, according to a survey published on Helpguide.org. You experience a condition that is linked to stress. Typical perceptions of individuals on social media who respondents thought were overweight include the following:

• “To put on so much weight, they must be greedy, unmotivated, and lack self-control”.
• "Fat people are unclean, dumb, and sluggish. While obese males are derided for having "feminine bodies," we (fat women) are continually compared to animals (cows, pigs, heifers).

?The symptoms of anxiety and sadness may be brought on by or made worse by body shaming. You might try to avoid coming to school or other places where this humiliation might happen if you are body-shamed in public or on social media. You can become more reclusive and feel lonely.

Who is the target audience for body shaming?

Negative remarks about any aspect of a person's body count as body shaming, however, bodily size is the aspect of body shaming that occurs most frequently. The following list includes some of the causes of body shame.

• Overweight: - Being overweight is one of the most frequent causes of body shame. Being "too big" or "too thin" can make someone self-conscious about their looks. When someone is labeled as "fat," they experience?fat shaming.?" A minister in Kerala, southern India, came under fire for being overweight and was told to "reduce your stomach a little bit" after posting a selfie with several young children. Body shaming was described by the minister as "a heinous practice". "Body shaming is the worst, regardless of the rationale. This is happening on many different levels in contemporary culture.
• Skinny people: -Even people with leaner builds could face criticism for their weight. It is often referred to as "skinny-shaming," and it may sound like, "They look like they never eat" or "They look like they have an eating disorder."?We need to stop body shaming.?Let's be modern people and one must not fall into the societal norms of having an ideal body.
• Hair on Body: -?Except for those with specific medical issues, everyone has hair on their arms, legs, private parts, and underarms. However, a common misconception is that ladies should wax completely, or else they won't be "ladylike." Body hair shaming examples include telling a lady she needs to shave or calling her "beastly" because she has hair under her arms.
• Excellent looks:?"Face-shaming," or prejudice based on appearance, happens regularly.?More than that, bullying occurs because of one's appearance, a practice known as "lookism." People who are deemed physically unattractive or whose physical appearance is thought to fall short of cultural ideals of beauty are subject to prejudice or discrimination known as lookism.
• Age: -?Ageism, sometimes known as "age-shaming," is the bullying or discrimination of people based on their age. This usually has older people or the elderly as its main focus. They're too old to wear that much makeup, or a comment to that effect, would be considered ageist and demeaning to the body. Reading news articles with pictures of renowned people who appear "bad" or "old" without makeup is also embarrassing. Another kind of body-shaming is when someone is complimented on their lines or loose skin.

?Why Is It Important to Stop Body Shaming?

Self-blame is embedded in the daily lives of many women. They belittle their attractiveness, believing that they don't have the same beauty as the girls in magazines. Keeping such things inside slowly destroys a person. Below are a few reasons required to stop such practices: -

• Teenagers who experience body shame are much more likely to develop depression.
• The result could be eating disorders
• Body shaming makes it harder for obese women to stop eating
• Body shame can lead to unhappiness with one's physical appearance, which can lead to low self-esteem.

Yes, our appearance does matter, but only temporarily. After hearing someone speak, we rate them on their talent as opposed to their appearance, even though we initially judge them based on how they look. How we interact with society and the quality of our souls matter the most. The appearance of a person does not have the power to establish a conversation with others. One should be conscious of their vision and how they are helping others to improve the world. In life, nothing remains the same; everything changes, even our bodies, which we must accept. Everybody is beautiful and we should spread?body positivity awareness.?We can be overweight or thin at times, but what matters is that we maintain our self-esteem. People who are very content and happy in their lives will never bully other people and those who bully others; are not satisfied in their life in every way and are very much underconfident.? So Let us be kind to ourselves and?normalize the unachievable body.

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