It’s nooooooootttt our business (plain and simple).
Much is being said already about “fat-shaming” and its detrimental repercussions. However, there are other forms of body shaming that can be directed at almost anyone. Body shaming is mocking a person’s physical appearance.
Yes, that’s right…anyone can be body-shamed.
This article explores everything that’s wrong with body shaming.
Fat-Shaming
When you hear “body shaming”, chances are fat-shaming specifically comes to mind. It is popular for overweight people (and characters in shows) to be the joke of the show and we as society oddly still accept this form of deprecation as entertainment.
Fat jokes and body-shaming comments are often directed at overweight people by family, colleagues, friends, total strangers.
There’s a chance that you, yes, you reading this piece right now, have been engaged in some form of fat-shaming. You may have directed it at yourself or other people.
In a quick list, this is how fat-shaming manifests;
- Criticizing your weight through comparison with another person’s weight: e.g., I am so ugly and fat compared to Kylie, I’ll never find a date.
- Criticizing someone else’s weight or appearance with that person present: e.g., What are you wearing, so not cool?! *rolls eyes*
- Criticizing someone else’s weight when they’re not looking e.g., Look at her, she looks so gross in that dress.
Every time you fat-shame yourself or someone else, there’s always that image of someone supposed to be better, fitter, sexier, cooler than you, or that other person.
It’s unhealthy, often unfounded comparisons that lead to fat-shaming, and they can become so vicious and affect that person’s mental health.
“You’re so skinny! Eat SOMETHING” (Shaming for Thinness)
Also known as body shaming skinny people.
This form of body-shaming isn’t as popular to discuss as fat-shaming, but I would like the discussion to begin.
Similar to fat-shaming, shaming for thinness always occurs by comparing yourself or others with other people and harms the people receiving it. This form of body shaming can lead to eating disorders or worsen pre-existing conditions.
Why Does Body Shaming Even Happen?
The answer is societal convention. We live in a society where things become normalized for no objective reason; people just seem to believe in it over time, and then it becomes accepted in a specific culture or societal unit until image preference becomes an image mandate.
Let’s not forget that body shaming goes beyond shaming overweight or skinny people. Someone can shame you for anything about your physical appearance; the shape of your legs, the size of your head, even the color of your hair…literally anything that a body-shaming bully can get their hands on that doesn’t sit right with them about you.
Practice This New Approach Today.
You can stop shaming your body and everyone else’s body.
You can make that decision right now because you’re only hurting yourself and other people. If you are already practicing kind words, actively stand up to others whose values of human kindness might be in a state of lapse.
Body positivity is an excellent approach to dealing with other people’s shaming activities. You can learn to stand up for yourself as you would in any situation with a bully.
I hope this helps!
Desmond utilizes his knowledge of education policy from his undergrad, his Masters of Education from Johns Hopkins, and a variety of advanced certifications such as CHPC and LWT to construct prime academic intervention programs and homework/executive functioning support for all his students.
