Over the years, we have seen countless efforts to body positivity, and we have seen several errors and many successes. From all the covers of magazines, TV shows, movies, and conversations with friends, what stuck with me most is the same thing that my mom told me when I started noticing my body change for the first time. “We all have different bodies, we all grow differently, and just like all bodies are different, they all require different treatments.”
Now you might think this is just another repetitive article about women and their bodies. But this is about why we should talk about all bodies and what we should encourage and what we shouldn’t. We all at some point have gotten some version of the ‘birds and the bees,’ but not many of us have gotten the ‘Body Talk.’
Growing up in a generation like mine where being a Victoria’s Secret model was probably the biggest honor one can get. I always felt kinda lost as to why everyone compared themselves to someone who was fully developed and clearly had a different lifestyle. Until things were pointed out by other girls, things that were not under my control, and that’s when I started to understand the insecurities that they felt when they saw these models.
I’m thankful to have had my mom by my side during these changes and her constantly reassuring my sister and me that we can not compare ourselves to models, our friends, or even her because we are not all built the same. Having the body talk was the most important thing of my life. It is something so crucial for people of all genders—especially when we are very young and things start getting confusing. We are lost in our minds, bodies, and in this world.
Having the body talk is explaining we are all different. We all have different genetics. Some of us might have an illness, some might have a faster or slower metabolism than others, some of us might need to do extra just to stay healthy. We need to explain that being healthy is not something that one can say, “oh it looks like this,” and it’s a picture of a 6 foot tall model with small measurements. (which exists, by the way, and is not something bad). We need to explain that being healthy is taking care of yourself, physically and mentally. It is knowing what your body needs; exercise, good food, a good sleep. And we also have to explain that sometimes we might not get the time to do all of these things. And that it’s ok if you put on a little weight, it’s ok if you miss the gym a day or two. It’s ok to have fast food once in a while. We need to explain that body talk is about balance.
At the end of the day, body talk is about understanding that our physical shapes may not necessarily be an accurate representation of our health. Humans come in all shapes and sizes. Just because one is a size 0 doesn’t necessarily mean they live the healthiest lifestyle. Larger bodies may not necessarily represent obesity or lethargy. Let’s start conversations about our emotional and mental health. You just need to feel good inside out.
Words by Alessia Giha.
Graphic by Emily Monet.