Body image is a concept that never seems to go away, no matter how far we progress.
It seems to be human nature to judge people on the way they look, thus creating an atmosphere of negativity and influencing the feelings of others.
I think no matter what, we are always going to pay attention to our own body image, but it’s time that we learn to do so in a more positive manner. Younger generations find themselves on the internet more often these days, paying attention to the way celebrities or models look, and so they try to mimic this as they are conditioned to think that bodies we see on television or online are normal and that we all need to look the same.
The only reason that you should be paying attention to body image, is when you try to look at yourself in a better light. We need to learn to be more kind and accepting of ourselves so that we can stay healthy and happy. Sure, it’s not easy to simply say ‘I’m happy with the way I look’ – but there are little things we can do that will help us become more kind to ourselves.
Start by surrounding yourself with friends and family who make you feel good about yourself. In high school, teenagers strive to be friends with the popular kids, even if that means feeling bad about themselves and changing their appearances to ‘fit in’. It’s important to constantly surround yourselves with people who don’t put you down simply because of the way you look. There will always be someone who will tell you that you’re either too skinny or too chubby – and these are the people you need to stay away from.
The 2000s were (and still is) full of negativity around weight. There is a certain idea that girls especially needed to be skinny or look like models in order to please everyone around them. As a result, younger kids started starving themselves in order to lose weight. Eating disorders started rising, almost like a new trend, and people found themselves being diagnosed with disorders such as bulimia, anorexia and BDD (body dysmorphic disorder). Neurology hospital in Dubai and around the world constantly see cases of people damaging their bodies because the internet told them to.
