‘Beauty’ Changes
Definitions of beauty continue to change over time and in different cultures, just like clothing trends.
If we look back a century to the early 1900s, natural bumps (cellulite) and stomach rolls were seen as healthy and attractive. Thin women were even sold pills and creams to help them get bigger. Not only were bigger breasts thought to be more attractive, but also bigger thighs and hips.
In China, foot binding was a common practice for hundreds of years. They would break and bind tightly the feet of young girls to try to change the size and shape of their feet. It was a symbol of status and was seen as beautiful. This caused a lot of issues with their feet. Often the bones would remain broken for years and as they would heal they were more likely to break again. Another common issue was infection due to ingrown nails, poor circulation due to the tightness of the binding which would lead to injuries not healing and rotting flesh. Women often became disabled by this practice, all for something that was seen as attractive.
In our society today, being thin has become a status of ‘health’ and seen as attractive and #goals. But at what cost? Obsessing about food, feeling intense guilt and shame over eating, obsessing about the number on the scale, constant body checking, seeing food as the enemy, restricting food intake, starving our bodies, feeling unworthy because of how our bodies look. We look at the foot binding practice in horror but then we harm our bodies for the same goal: perceived beauty.
Beauty trends come and go, so instead of hurting our bodies to keep up with those trends, why not focus on living a healthy life? Nourishing our bodies so they can help us do the things we want to do! Obsessing about our bodies gets in the way of so many things! Your body isn’t what makes you beautiful, it’s a tool for you to use to live life, accomplish dreams, and have fun! Let’s try harder to look at our bodies as a tool instead of as something to look at. If you’re struggling with body image, our therapists can help you!