Skinny, fair, tall, dark, curvy—not matter how one looks or is perceived, it is highly likely that a person might have had a body image issue at some point in their life. Even stars aren't spared of body image issues as they, too, are body shamed often. To find someone who has been comfortable with the way their body looks, is rarer than winning the bumper prize at a lottery draw. Recently, singer Rihanna, too, was body shamed as a reporter called her fat.
Closer home, actors like Priyanka Chopra, Aishwarya Rai and Sonakshi Sinha have all been body shamed. So, why does this happen? Why is it that we secretly wish for fairer skin, leaner legs or smoother hair?
“Basically, body image is a multi-faceted issue—one, is how your body really is, and the other is the perception of it. Sometimes, our perception also depends on our state of mind. There are certain days when we feel we look too fat or too thin,” says Maneet Walia, a psychologist associated with Credi Health, a service that connects doctors with patients. “It is very important to build a positive body image from childhood. Only if the environment of a child—parents and relatives—make the child feel good about themselves, will he or she lean towards eating healthy food and maintain a healthy weight. But, telling a child that they are fat, could push them to eat more junk food. Not only this, it can also develop anxiety and low self esteem in the child. The child could also associate negativity with eating,” she says.
Sonam Kapoor, in a previous interview has said that she too has been subject to a caustic remarks like "Itni lambi, itni kaali," "Shaadi kaun karega?" by a relative at a family gathering. Priyanka Chopra has famously recounted how a movie producer once pointed out that everything about her is wrong right from the shape of her nose to the shape of her body.
Sadly, families rarely give out positive body image messages and neither does media. Whenever a star's weight fluctuates or they become pregnant, they are often body shamed. Even when a baby is born, initially the remarks are about how fair, pink the child looks—the focus is rarely on its health. “Parents don't ask their children to exercise to improve their health, but to become thin,” Maneet says. She also feels that parents, teachers and elders in the family should be made aware of how their remarks can affect the confidence and self-perception of a child. And, rather than focusing on their physical appearance, they should focus on their talents and positive traits in their personalities.
“Children should be able to openly tell their parents how they feel about their body and point it out if any relative tries to body shame them. The parents can then be reassuring and make the child feel good. Also, the child or the teen can follow a self-care regime where they exercise and eat mindfully to stay fit and not lose weight. This will automatically make them feel better from inside. The other thing they can do is, work on their grooming,” says Kamal Khurana, a Delhi-based psychologist.
Today, the media has become more sensitive to using terms that cause body shaming. Stars have started calling out to magazines and other media for airbrushing their bodies. Yet, there's a long way to go when it comes to blatantly telling a teen that she is dark or fat. The change has to being at home and it has to be soon.
