New Delhi, Apr 5(UNI) Are you a victim of body shaming?
If people have even once told you that you look fat, you don't have a pretty face, you are too short or you are too skinny then you are being body shamed.
Several, websites, YouTube channels, magazines and advertisements constantly offer tips about how to lose weight, appear slimmer 'in just 10 days,” and hide your “imperfections”… without actually knowing anything about us. These are all instances of body-shaming, and it is everywhere.
A survey conducted among 1,244 women (between the ages of 15 to 65) across 20 cities (including Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, Amritsar, Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Mohali) in order to gain an insight into the attitudes and perceptions of women about the impact that body shaming has on their psychological well-being and at times leading to stress, highlighted that 90 per cent women recognised that body shaming is a common behavior.
Also, 84 per cent participants reported that women tend to experience more body shaming as compared to men, 47.5 per cent women reported having experienced body shaming at their school or work place.
The survey, conducted by Fortis Healthcare, highlighted that 90 per cent women believed that films and television shows often do tend to make fun of people who do not conform to the standard norms and expectations, 67 per cent women also reported feeling angry because of body shaming, 19 per cent women reported feeling embarrassed about the way they look.
Parin, a second year MBBS student from West Delhi, told UNI that because of her complexion, since her fifth standard only she had remained very conscious about her looks.
She said she used to wear makeup while going to school in her higher classes in a bid to look fairer.
Also, seven-year-old Aanya, a school going girl from Gurgaon, is worried because she 'looks fat' and talks about it with her elder sister how she can become slimmer really soon.
Answering many such queries and inhibitions, Dr Samir Parikh, Director, Mental Health and Behavioural Sciences, Fortis Healthcare said, “In the contemporary world, our perception of physical appearances tends to be significantly influenced by a multitude of factors, including the inevitable role played by the media, peer influences, as well as societal factors. Given such a context, it can be evidently understood how commonly many of us might experience a sense of dissatisfaction with our body image.'
And more so, it also creates a platform which encourages others to be able to judge or comment on a particular person’s body shape or size. Body shaming includes acts of sending provocative insults, and harassing others based on their inability to match up to the expectations related to stereotypical physical appearances, which can be in person, but is also becoming increasing prevalent through the internet.”
Dr Parikh said, “Given the significant role of media influencing our perceptions of body image, be it the portrayals in films, television shows or other social media platforms, it is a common tendency for us to form comparisons which may not be realistic in nature, and as a consequence be unhappy with our body size or shape, or rather even feel dejected that we do not look like that particular model or actor/actress on the screen.'
'We all deserve to feel good about ourselves. And in an attempt to reduce such prevalence of body shaming, there is a need to encourage media literacy, in an attempt to be equipped to recognize and assess the realistic quotient of whatever we are exposed to in the media,' he added. 'We all need to work towards creating a sensitized and aware society who is able to respect one’s own as well as others’ body image,' Dr added.
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