Rantman

7

Body image. It surprises me how radical both ends of the spectrum are, and how in some ways both of them are wrong.

One side we already know of, the unrealistic perfectionist image pushed down by celebs and media upon us. Though there are attempts to resist this, the status quo still remains that people want a fit, 'attractive' body, and if they don't fit the unrealistic notions and standards set by media they don't feel good about themselves. Even for those who do feel good about their own body, they don't feel that they are the best, if you know what I mean, and that is still not ideal.

Nothing biologically compels women to be skinny and thinner than a smartphone and men to be buffed up like they are unemployed and have nothing better to do than to spend all their time at the gym. And of all things, height? Why would you blame and shame people for something that isn't even within their control? So you are telling me is just because a certain person ended up below 5 feet, means they don't have the right to ever feel that their body is perfect? That they don't even have the right to hope that it'll ever be perfect, that its within their potential/reach if they want to achieve it? Well excuse me but enough of such regressive standards, this body is anyways just a physical shell that contains the person and mind within. There are cultures where fat people are considered beautiful and skinny/thin unattractive, which proves that beauty is indeed in the eyes of the beholder. Why, even Mona Lisa don't stand a chance in today's Hollywood. Normalize beauty in averages. Normalize beauty standards that are actually achievable by everyone, regardless of the hand they've been dealt by life. (Like everyone looks good in black, truly...)

For if you think about, these so-called 'ideal' body types are extremely difficult to achieve, no? If I take it from the Hollywood/celeb stereotypes, a woman should have an angelic picture-perfect youthful face, hair from the Gods and body of an hourglass. Remind me how many people are born with this body type naturally, I'll wait. And how many can change their body to match it if they want to? For all the skin and hair treatments, diet, exercise and the countless other regimes cost money and time. A lot of it. A capitalistic ploy? Maybe, but even more, a play of power. For it is something that most people cannot achieve. Its like they are saying to us "Hey y'all, I look like this and everyone finds it perfect because it is what it is, and guess what, none of you can look this. Almost ever." But yes, much of the beauty industry does survive on these ideals, so there's a capitalistic angle to it too. I see a big hit to the gym and supplement business if muscles go out of fashion, for fitness is different from muscles, and as far as I know there are no actual benefits to being buffed, except the additional strength and looks.

Now, to the other side. While I applaud that people are starting look beyond the conventional definitions of beauty, some statements are being made that might lead to harmful interpretations. Stuff like 'you are perfect in whatever body type you have' or 'whatever body type you have, it is perfect' are not ideal. Why? Because obesity is a medical condition, and so is anorexia. Getting too comfortable in your own skin, in the way you are, might bite you back in the long run. I don't want to be the kind of rude person to say you are not perfect, but we can't resolve our problems by not acknowledging them. Its a 'bury-your-head-in-the-sand' kind of approach, which is harmful in almost all problems in life. Although such cases are a bit rare, there are still chances of it happening, which isn't really ideal.

However, that doesn't justify the actions of the other side, not at all. You don't criticize people for a medical condition. Imagine someone saying something like "Haha, you have a high blood pressure" or "haha, you have a sprain". Not funny? Then why are jokes on body image considered funny? You might say I don't have humor, but the fact is this kind of humor is just a result of social conditioning. Some people think calling someone fat/ugly/thin is funny, and so the individuals around them start to get used to that kind of humor. Comedians do this all the time. But the joke isn't actually funny, we have just been made to feel that it is funny. Or maybe I'm rambling, whatever.

Changing one's body is such a life-sucking quest, if anything people should be sympathetic to the ones with body types that are risky to their health. You can count on it that every overweight person has tried to get fitter in his or her own way, many times. And its difficult. Its much more difficult than it is for the average person, because there's a lot more ground to cover, and its far easier to maintain fitness than to become fit. Plus, if said person has low speed/strength/stamina, which is a common case due to lack of exercise that led to that body type in the first place, which causes every form of exercise to become far more tougher. I don't think you can shame anyone into getting fit. And oh, the lack of knowledge of basic health and fitness...its appalling. So many have the desire, but simply not the right knowledge to act upon it. I knew a person who exercised and wondered why they didn't get fit, when they hadn't made any dietary modifications! You are canceling out your efforts that way!

But what is the ideal body type anyway? I think it depends on your personal preferences, and what you think it should be. For me, I feel the naturalistic body is something I'm aiming towards, not too bulky or out of proportions, but just about average. "Perfectly balanced, as all things should be" kind of logic. For you it could be something else. Whatever it is, please don't let society or media influence your opinion, or at least make it up entirely. For one, keep your goal realistic, for otherwise its just a path to eternal dissatisfaction. And it benefits to make up your mind both for success and for failure. Managing to improve your body is a plus, but not improving it is not a minus. 

So, to summarize, let's reject the plastic stereotypes passed on to us by media, and create our own version of perfection. A version that's actually achievable by us, and is beneficial to our health rather than just our looks. For everyone looks good, in their own way. Except a bad person. No amount of do-overs can save those. Bad vibes are the most toxic, and repel people no matter how you set yourself up. More on vibes, intuition and instinct in the next chapter.