Back in 2022, the ‘body check’ challenge was doing its rounds on TikTok and had thousands of users comparing, measuring and sharing their body proportions and ratios.
While these viral videos might seem like harmless scroll-tainment on your TikTok or Insta feed, the body-type trends that are launching thousands of new fashion lines, beauty products and, in many cases, surgeries (Brazilian Butt Lift, we’re looking at you!) are as harmful as they are insidious.
Whether it’s promoted outright by influencers or tacitly condoned by celebrities, every year sees a new ‘look’, which leaves women whose appearance doesn’t fit the mould to deal with dented self-esteem and increased susceptibility to mental-health concerns, from depression to body dysmorphia and eating disorders.
For some time now, backlash has been building against the monetisation of the female body. The Body Positivity (BP) movement has sought to jam a spanner into the always-spinning body trend wheel-of-fortune, and it’s had some success. Bringing bodies of all colours, shapes and sizes to big-brand beauty campaigns, TV screens and catwalks, the message has been clear: Love yourself. Be happy with what you were born with. Every body is a beach body!
But is there a flip side to these affirmations? Some have voiced concerns that, while it may be a well-meaning cause, the BP movement could cause women who feel less-than-ecstatic about their body to believe that they’re failing to fulfil yet another societal expectation. How are we to make sense of this incessant body image merry-go-round? We asked two experts to share their insights.
“EVER-SHIFTING, EXTREME BEAUTY STANDARDS ON TIKTOK ARE GIVING US ALL A COMPLEX – BUT IS BODY POSITIVITY REALLY THE ANTIDOTE? EXPERTS WEIGH IN…”
TREAT YOUR BODY BETTER IN FIVE
1. Make time for regular exercise
There are plenty of ways to work out that don’t involve a gym.
2. Prioritise your sleep
Sleeping fewer than eight hours a night will wreak havoc on your immune system and vital organs.
3. Eat well and savour it
In moderation, you can still enjoy all your favourites.
4. Listen to pain
This is your body’s way of letting you know that your health is compromised.
5. Slow down and relax
Downtime reduces blood pressure and relieves tension.
WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY…
LINDELWE (LALA) NERIAH TSHABALALA
Body positivity activist and model
Body Positivity is not the destination, it’s the process. I used to think I’d love myself more if I lost weight or gained it in certain parts of my body. I’ve since realised that the point is to love your body from the beginning to the end.
Speak kindly about it and treat it well. Your body needs your love. The Body Positivity movement has certainly given a voice and platform to many people to share their journey and unapologetically unpack body politics, which has helped many to make peace with their body. I was once that person.
One day I popped online and saw a photo shoot with a plus-size model. It changed everything for me. I began to dare to love my body and share my journey. All these years later, I’d like to think I’ve also helped someone else feel good about themselves.
My advice? Be careful of social media. It tends to perpetuate ideas about what our bodies should look like, which is bound to make one anxious and feel unworthy. Instead, focus on building an intentional relationship with yourself, which looks like reading body positive memes and articles, being physically active, surrounding yourself with loving and respectful people, as well as making the decision to correct yourself every time you talk or think poorly of yourself.
ROMI TOLLMAN – Clinical psychologist
The Body Positivity movement has been extremely beneficial and revolutionary in pioneering body inclusivity, validation and affirmation in a world where only thinness equates to acceptability.
This being said, as we have developed in the realm of body inclusivity – and specifically in the field of eating disorders and body dysmorphia treatment – we have found that the Body Positivity model at times creates a notion that one should also meet an implicit expectation for feeling positive about one’s body at all times, which is unrealistic.
We all experience ups and downs in our relationship with our body at different times and at different stages in our lives. I advocate for Body Neutrality within my practice. The aim of this is to slowly release heightened feelings associated with one’s appearance, while acknowledging and validating that the process of recovery entails negative and positive feelings, both of which are valid.
LET’S BE REAL
Reach out to a registered HPCSA (Health Professions Council of South Africa) mental-health practitioner should you be experiencing persistent shame and difficulty in your relationship with your body. You do not need to have an eating disorder or related mental-health challenge to benefit from treatment.
However, if you do have an eating disorder, urgently seek psychological support and health care, as this condition can be fatal.
012 338 9300/1
info@hpcsa.co.za
