Whether it’s “size 000”, the “thigh gap”, or the “ab crack”, it seems that every few months brings a disturbing new thinness fad. How can you prevent your child from being drawn into social media’s latest body obsessions and encourage them to put their health and well-being above body perfectionism?
The ever-evolving perfect body shape
From the full-figured beauties depicted by Renaissance painters, to the hourglass figure prized by the Victorians, and from the boyish physique of the 1920s flappers to the shapely curves of 1950s Hollywood stars, there have always been changing fashions in body shape. In today’s era of Twitter, Instagram, blogs, and memes, the latest body trends can spread around the globe within hours, and impressionable young people may find themselves bombarded with images of the latest “ideal”.
Recent examples include the “ab crack”, a visible channel between the abdominal muscles, and the “thigh gap”, a space between the inner thighs of a woman standing with her knees touching. Celebrities proudly share photos of themselves showing these latest desirable features on social media, and some young people try to follow their example.
Unnatural beauty standards
The problem is that these looks are unachievable for most people. The formation of the abdominal muscles and distance between the thighs, for example, are largely determined by genetics. No amount of dieting or exercise will give your child a thigh gap, ab crack, or size 000 figure if their body simply isn’t meant to look like that.
Worryingly, trends for “statement” body parts often promote thinness at the expense of healthiness, and encourage young people to become fixated on one part of their body instead of looking after their well-being as a whole. The look they promote may be physically unnatural and – as with all photos these days – it’s impossible to tell whether they’ve been doctored (after all, Photoshop can give anyone a thigh gap).
Body shape competitiveness
Social media has also introduced a new level of competitiveness into body-shape fads, with people eager to get “likes”, “shares”, and approving comments on their body image selfies. Then there are the hashtag trends, memes, and challenges such as “is your waist narrower than a piece of printer paper?” or “how many coins can you balance along your collarbone?” When their friends start sharing photos of themselves attempting the latest challenge, it’s very hard for some young people to resist trying it too.
And if they’re struggling to achieve the look they aspire to, there’s no end of websites, blogs, and video tutorials that promise to help them along the way. The internet is full of “thinspiration” sites and apparent quick-fixes. Whatever their body obsession, there will be online content to fuel it.
Building body confidence
Young people are undergoing huge, often disconcerting, physical and emotional changes, so it’s not surprising their body confidence is easily weakened. It’s important we keep reminding our children that people come in all shapes and sizes, and that there’s no such thing as the perfect body shape.
Refreshingly, there are signs of a move away from the conventional (extremely narrow) media definition of beauty. The “thigh gap” fad sparked a backlash on social media, as women began referring to their curvy upper legs as “mermaid thighs” and sharing glamorous photos and amusing advantages – from being less likely to drop their phone through their legs to being able to sit more puppies on their lap.
A growing number of advertisers are seeking to redefine beauty standards and celebrate diversity in their campaigns. H&MOpens in new window🔗, MarsOpens in new window🔗, DieselOpens in new window🔗, and BootsOpens in new window🔗 are some of the big names who have followed Dove’s lead in using real women who don’t meet the slim, tall, Caucasian model stereotype. Lingerie brands PanacheOpens in new window🔗 and Curvy KateOpens in new window🔗 use inspirational role models rather than professional models to promote their gorgeous underwear, while Sport England’s stylish “This Girl CanOpens in new window”🔗 ad focuses on the feel-good factor of exercise – in all its sweaty, jiggly, red-faced glory.
Jennifer Lawrence, Serena Williams, Kate Winslet, Sarah Millican, Kelly Clarkson, Keira Knightly, and Kim Kardashian are just a few of the many celebrities who have spoken out against body-shaming after having their weight scrutinized in the media. Meanwhile, the fuller-figured Adele, Rebel Wilson, and Ashley Graham have all reached the pinnacle of their profession in music, acting, and modeling, respectively.
If your child is anxious about a particular physical characteristic, why not share a few of these body-positive examples with them?
