21st Century Struggles with Body Image

Hello there you beautiful beings of the blog-o-sphere!

Today I thought I would share my opinions on body image in the 21st Century.

*Disclaimer* I am aware that males struggle with these issues regarding body image too and deserve equal support and help; however for the purpose of this post it will focus on the female gender as that is my gender so it is easier to draw from personal experiences and write about :) Just wanted to clear that up!

To all the females out there who hate their naturally curvy bodies, have you ever considered the fact that some of the most famous paintings in the world were modelled after women that have the same body type as you? Painters such as Botticelli, Titian, Rubens as well as many other artists, depicted females with bodies just like yours because of their unique shape and size and natural beauty. In Renaissance times, a body with curves, wide hips and large thighs was something to be desired, something that stirred sensations of lust, and it was even a sign of status and wealth. Artists such as Rubens, Titian, Botticelli and later the Pre-Raphaelites, saw curly red headed women with curves as the pinnacle of beauty.

Just because modern day media promotes stick thin girls in skimpy underwear and stilettos and edits naturally beautiful girls to an inch of their life in magazines and shames anyone above a size zero- it does not mean that you are any less beautiful, it just means that social views have changed and society sucks. Whenever you are feeling down about your body, please remember that there are entire galleries and chapels all across the world covered with images of women that have a body shape just like yours.

 

To all of the females out there who are naturally slim and hate their small butt and boobs, know that you are just as beautiful. We come in all shapes and sizes and skinny shaming is just as bad as fat shaming. Neither are acceptable. We do not need to bring others down in order to raise others up; we need to start accepting all shapes and sizes and take steps towards creating a sense of harmony and equality in the ways in which we treat and talk about one another's bodies. We are all beautiful in our own way, really we are. Living proof that both slim and curvy bodies can be equally beautiful is in the fact that two of the most beloved and sought after females in the media were Audrey Hepburn and Marilyn Monroe. Hepburn being slim and brunette and Monroe being blonde and curvaceous. The two women were entirely different both in appearance and character, yet both were deemed as beautiful and sexy and were admired by the masses.

 

 Beauty is within the eye of the beholder and what one person may deem as 'gorgeous' may not be so beautiful to someone else. Every single person on this planet is beautiful in their own way, some people fall in love with personality far more than looks while others date purely for aesthetics. It depends on the person and how you choose to live your life. The point is that we should not continue to judge people based on their weight or body type, it really is completely and utterly pathetic and it needs to stop. Certain members of society that try to prove that we are progressive and embracing 'plus' sizes, seem to be shaming naturally slim individuals in the process, accusing anyone at a naturally lower weight to have an eating disorder. This is appalling, firstly because eating disorders are a mental health issue and are  not always evident from the exterior, and secondly because it is just putting one person down just in attempts to make another feel better. Why can't we just accept that people are different and every size is okay. I will never understand, maybe it's just me but I honestly cannot even begin to process how someone can hate or bully another because they are 'bigger' or 'slimmer' than society thinks they should be. Base your judgement towards others on actions and personality, not solely on looks. It is shallow and silly. It is time to change and move on from all of this. Mental health issues are sky rocketing and unless people start speaking out and trying to improve things, the numbers are not going to decrease. Children need to know that they are safe and that it is okay to be proud and love yourself. No one should feel embarrassed to be confident within their body or be fearful of being called 'vain' or 'cocky' because they actually love and embrace themselves. That is not the kind of world in which I want to live in. Do you?

Tweet me your thoughts @Olivia_CA95 or leave your musings in the comments below :)

Thanks for stopping by!

- Olivia Charlotte Alice

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