by Junita Thakorlal
When I read rude body-shaming comments online for celebrities like Selena Gomez, Rihanna, Emma Stone and so many more, I immediately thought, “That’s it, I’m a goner!” The pressure of being thin and perfect-bodied is so overwhelming that it comes from all angles; even my dad has pointed to my double chin on occasion.
As I shop to find clothes that are appropriate for my body shape, it’s slim pickings if one isn’t gifted in the art of styling clothes. Either my cleavage is too apparent, or my back-fat shows through my dress, or my muffin top spills over the waistband. I’m grateful to whomever invented contour and highlight to at least make my face appear thinner. Ugh!! The struggle is real.
Three in five Canadians are overweight or obese. Research done by the University College London suggests that people who were patronized or hassled because of their spare tires were more likely to gain weight, which seems to defeat the purpose of weight loss. They ate more to comfort themselves and as they continued to gain weight, they became too ashamed to go to the gym and risk even more ridicule from the well-toned. Those treated kindly, however, tended to actually shed pounds.
But let’s be real…although we may revise our sugar and carb intake, are we (and I say we because I know that three out of five of you reading this can relate) really going to hit the gym hard to shed our rolls to get back our perfectly lean teenage bodies? Are we really going to give up patio sipping during the summer to fit perfectly into a teeny bikini that was made for our 21-year-old selves? Are we going to sacrifice the occasional donut or jalebi and opt instead for a sprig of broccoli to have that flat stomach we crave so we can FEEL that we look fabulous?
It’s the age of women, where we empower one another to stand in our own power, where we lead with confidence, where we embrace our bodies and simply ‘own it’. I’m not planning to burn my bra or anything, but I will confess that I’m a curvy girl. Fitness and wellness is something that everyone should follow for better health but rather than focus our efforts on fat-shaming those that don’t fit the mold of ‘size perfect’, we should look towards self-acceptance and self-love. And to that troll in my own head that seeds self-doubt every time I look in the mirror, “shut the f*ck up.”
Celebrity Advice
“If you can’t handle me at my 2007 Gucci Mane you don’t deserve me at my 2017 Gucci Mane.”
– Rihanna
“I don’t have a six-pack. Maybe I don’t even want a six-pack. It doesn’t sound very appealing.”
– Demi Lovato
“If anybody even tries to whisper the word ‘diet,’ I’m like, ‘You can go f*ck yourself.’ “
– Jennifer Lawrence
“I love being happy with me y’all #theresmoretolove.”
– Selena Gomez
“We shame each other online. We’re always too skinny or too fat or too tall or too short. They’re just confirming this feeling I have about myself. I’m trying to figure my body out. It bothers me because I care so much about young girls. We’re shaming each other and we’re shaming ourselves, and it sucks.” – Emma Stone
“I’m not perfect but I will never conform to your skinny standards sorry!” – Kim Kardashian West
“I am not a woman whose self-worth comes from her dress size…Comparison is one long, agonizing death and does not interest me at all.” – Kristen Bell
