Fat-shaming and anorexia a new trend ?

In an era where body-positive attitudes and a “be yourself” movement is rising, we sadly can still see “fat-shaming” articles and posts on social media. But also, something that we sometimes confuse with promoting the perfect body is encouraging anorexia. Why have I decided to talk about these to notions, because they are closely linked.

To start, let’s talk about fat shaming on social media. When you look on the internet the definition of it, here’s what comes up, “the action or practice of humiliating someone judged to be fat or overweight by making mocking or critical comments about their size”. This is a quite current attitude since as we all know for a long-time skinny bodies where the only one represented on all types of media. But how can people still judge women with curves? How can they destroy every confidence they have? Curvy women or men shouldn’t be treated differently because of his weight, and why the fact that he or she doesn’t have the “classical type of body” should be called different? People shouldn’t be only judging on the appearance; I know it’s can of basic to say but it’s true. Is there a whole shaming on people’s nails, on people’s elbows or whatever, I don’t think so. So why in the 21st century we can’t let people be happy with the body they decide to have?

In a second time let’s talk about promoting anorexia, once again let’s find out the definition; “it is an emotional disorder characterized by an obsessive desire to lose weight by refusing to eat”. As you all can understand this is a disease, it’s not only an expression, so how and why people had and are still encouraging some girls and boys to eat less and less so, in the end, they will have anorexia. When they do this, they twist people’s minds, they convince them their body aren’t looking right, but sometimes it can only be thanks to the example that is shown on social media. Indeed, often models and stars who are considered as idols by some youth promote this new type of regime to get skinnier, or “those pills are amazing so you will look just like me” they say. But you should never forget that social media are accessible to everyone and they can get very dangerous if some kids without parental supervision listen to those advices, or even adults if they, for example, compare their body to this or that person’s.

Now let me explain how both of these subjects are linked, by fat-shaming someone you could be doing it on someone who isn’t confident with his or her body, it could create an eating disorder and then lead to anorexia which can get very dangerous.

It’s not the only way they are linked, but also the fact that these phenomena’s both mostly happen on social media, because the stalkers find it easier to hide behind an avatar. So, by showing and pointing a preference on one type of bodies, people have created real and severe phenomena’s, and they did changed people vision of beauty on social media and in real life too. And that shouldn’t be the case because you have the right to have whatever body type you want as long as you are happy with it and you love yourself, but never forget that you can also find ways to love your imperfections.

-Roxanne