8th grade-
New school, new people. I was very nervous. Will people find me fat? Will they find me beautiful? I kept asking myself these questions on the way to school.
All year long, I compulsively controlled my diet, freaking out if my calorie intake went even a little bit over the required amount. All year long, I spent hours in front of the mirror, daily, checking from every angle to make sure that I looked "perfect". All year long, I made fun of the other girls- teasing them, and gossiping about them, insulting their appearance, as though the value of a human being decreased if they looked different from a fashion model.
9th grade-
As I started to focus on high school courses, and the academic curriculum, I had to work harder to remain skinny. I played tennis regularly and that gave me enough exercise to be healthy, however, as worried as I was about my figure, I did not want to take it easy. I joined a gym, and started skipping meals. As a result, I was always tired. My grades slipped. But, I lost some weight, and people noticed me more. Compliments like, "You look so skinny", or "You have lost so much weight" gave me a strange sense of satisfaction, and superiority. Another year that I lost; completely engrossed in my appearance.
10th grade-
I let it slip. Over the summer, I'd gained a few pounds- 10 to be exact. My weight was still perfectly healthy 112 pounds, on my 5 foot stature. However, all the compliments I'd received earlier disappeared. Other girls lost weight, and they became popular. I took a back seat, I was forgotten. I felt unhappy, and under confident. Over one year, struggling to cope up with both studies and my weight, I lost 8 pounds, again to gain a sense of achievement.
But, there was still something that didn't quite fit right.
Was my worth dependent on my body? Was it determined by how I look? Why couldn't anybody look through my shape, my shade, my size? Why couldn't I myself look beyond the reflection in the mirror to who I was on the inside?
So, what is the point of my long story? The point is that over the past year, I figured that this isn't just MY story. It is the story of almost everyone who lives in modern society. This is the way we've started thinking.
The point of the story is that now, many people wouldn't even see something wrong in this. They wouldn't notice that there is something fundamentally unhealthy in this way of life.
The point is that this is a grave matter, with grave consequences. And that there is an urgent need for us to start doing something about this issue- the issue of "body image".
New school, new people. I was very nervous. Will people find me fat? Will they find me beautiful? I kept asking myself these questions on the way to school.
All year long, I compulsively controlled my diet, freaking out if my calorie intake went even a little bit over the required amount. All year long, I spent hours in front of the mirror, daily, checking from every angle to make sure that I looked "perfect". All year long, I made fun of the other girls- teasing them, and gossiping about them, insulting their appearance, as though the value of a human being decreased if they looked different from a fashion model.
9th grade-
As I started to focus on high school courses, and the academic curriculum, I had to work harder to remain skinny. I played tennis regularly and that gave me enough exercise to be healthy, however, as worried as I was about my figure, I did not want to take it easy. I joined a gym, and started skipping meals. As a result, I was always tired. My grades slipped. But, I lost some weight, and people noticed me more. Compliments like, "You look so skinny", or "You have lost so much weight" gave me a strange sense of satisfaction, and superiority. Another year that I lost; completely engrossed in my appearance.
10th grade-
I let it slip. Over the summer, I'd gained a few pounds- 10 to be exact. My weight was still perfectly healthy 112 pounds, on my 5 foot stature. However, all the compliments I'd received earlier disappeared. Other girls lost weight, and they became popular. I took a back seat, I was forgotten. I felt unhappy, and under confident. Over one year, struggling to cope up with both studies and my weight, I lost 8 pounds, again to gain a sense of achievement.
But, there was still something that didn't quite fit right.
Was my worth dependent on my body? Was it determined by how I look? Why couldn't anybody look through my shape, my shade, my size? Why couldn't I myself look beyond the reflection in the mirror to who I was on the inside?
So, what is the point of my long story? The point is that over the past year, I figured that this isn't just MY story. It is the story of almost everyone who lives in modern society. This is the way we've started thinking.
The point of the story is that now, many people wouldn't even see something wrong in this. They wouldn't notice that there is something fundamentally unhealthy in this way of life.
The point is that this is a grave matter, with grave consequences. And that there is an urgent need for us to start doing something about this issue- the issue of "body image".
What happened to "beauty is only skin deep"? It seems like that is completely lost. The youth, on a large scale, will often go to unnecessary lengths to look a certain way. One's physical appearance is of too much importance to people.
Does this concern you? Bother you in any way? Do you think that the pressures people feel today are out of hand? Whose fault do you think this is? Do share your views!
-R
Does this concern you? Bother you in any way? Do you think that the pressures people feel today are out of hand? Whose fault do you think this is? Do share your views!
-R
Dear Anjali G
ReplyDeleteउपदेश देना सरल है, उपाय बताना कठिन।
In my view’s, If you start thinking about your physical condition, you usually find that you are sick. Even thinking about your fat scares you - it's a ticking time bomb.
But in my opinion, I would not like to spend my life worrying about what I eat. There is no pleasure worth forgoing just for an extra three or four years in the geriatric ward.
It is also true that we spend our health gaining wealth, and then have to spend our wealth to get back our health.
After everything else, if you wish to keep as well as possible, the less you think about your health the better way.
Regards,
Sanjay Srivastava
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for sharing your opinion!
ReplyDeleteYou know, it's not about being health conscious. It's about being too conscious of one's body. And at some point, that becomes an obsession with one's body, and the need to look a certain way to feel "beautiful".
A large section of the people who are trying to lose weight today aren't doing so to become healthier, but to look more beautiful.
Moreover, the perception of beauty in itself if distorted. For many, the ideals of beauty are film stars and models who are far from "healthy". Their bodies aren't real. They are airbrushed in pictures, and modified with cosmetic surgery, so when people aspire to look like them, often they resort to unhealthy methods. They spend their life worrying about what they eat- which like you said, isn't something you would wan when there is so much more to beauty, and life, than just your appearance!
And we will be talking about the "upay" soon! :)
I can very well relate to what you have written about always being conscious of your looks and personality while in school. It just does not end with school, its a life long process.
ReplyDeleteI too am overweight and was always pretty conscious about it, but I believe we should just be concerned about what we are doing to tackle the problem rather than just being petrified about it!!
Would love to read through your experiences and great work :)
Anjali,
ReplyDeleteI agree that the standards of "body image" have grown out of control. The real question is, is it more important to look good and make school a second or is it better to be conscious about how you do in school and worry about looks later. For many people now, appearance has become a priority and their future is suffering from it. For others, its the self confidence that counts
Ilana
"Does this concern you? Bother you in any way? Do you think that the pressures people feel today are out of hand? Whose fault do you think this is? Do share your views!"
ReplyDeleteI can see so far that this blog has to an extent caught the interest of girls, nevertheless I will share my opinion.
The debate doesn't really bother me or I don't have much concerns with it, but due to the increasing awareness of this matter it can be said that people are now beginning to see past image being equated to beauty, despite this similarity still existing.
The pressures do get out of hand when health effects are brought into the scene. When I see magazines constantly promoting ways to lose weight, one would think it's primarily to get yourself in good shape and to feel good about yourself; to do this one doesn't have to harm oneself's body.
But the Media is to blame when consumers/public perceive the right image as looking like celebrities; what needs to be taken into account is not only the editing of their pictures in photoshoots and airbrushing, but the fact that these celebrities pay as much as £50,000 a year to get a personal trainer, which majority of the population wouldn't be able to thehave access to, to make them the way they are.
The overall final verdict is dependant on various factors.
Imran $