Stel Coombe Heath Wholesome Lifestyle Project
Life is tough, my darling, but so are you Stephanie Bennett Henry
As Women we have shown endurance even in a very masculine society. We juggle home life, work finances, friendships etc. Very often, there is a lack of acknowledgement for all that we do and for that I want to acknowledge you today.
This year we celebrate and promote equality amongst all women no matter what race, size or cultural background.
One thing I deal with regularly is weight stigma not just amongst genders but even amongst women.
Studies in Europe have shown that one in five people with obesity have experienced some form of bias.
The word stigma refers to negative opinions, assumptions, attitudes to response towards a person because he or she is either overweight or has obesity. Weight stigma is unfair. Body size is not always a lifestyle choice. There are many factors that can cause larger bodies such as social, biological and environmental drivers, which can discourage healthy behaviors such as avoiding physical activity can lead to emotional eating or eating disorders. Ultimately, it also affects self-esteem.
I recently watched a story about a young woman who wanted to join a dance competition. She was laughed at and judged for her weight. Many of the dance participants did not want her to be part of the dance academy and tried to have her disqualified. However, this girl persisted and, despite all the teasing and bullying, she actually won the competition out of merit, not because of her body size.
The world obesity federation defines weight stigma as “ the discriminatory acts and ideologies targeted towards individuals because of their weight and size.” Weight stigma hurts people, and it’s less likely for people who are overweight to seek medical care even for issues not related to their weight.
In a very diet oriented society where women are held to the ideal of “thinspiration”, it’s easy to focus on body size. Because of the large emphasis on body appearance, some of these biases are buried deep in the unconscious mind.
As women we need to stand together and support one another no matter what walk of life or what body we live in.
As we celebrate women in all our natural beauty, let’s uplift each other. No matter what the outer appearance. Here are three ways you can start supporting women and reducing weight bias
Compliment others freely
It’s seldom that we compliment women. We judge ourselves very harshly, but we can also project our own securities onto others. We pass our own judgments of ourselves on to others. Sometimes we just get so distracted with life, trying to survive in this masculine world that we forget that there are other women struggling with the same things.
But when we open ourselves to be kind to others, we allow the possibilities of being kinder to ourselves. Don’t wait to receive a compliment. Find someone to uplift, whether it’s someone you know or a stranger on the train next to you.
Stop the comparison cycle
Stop comparing yourself to others. We are all unique, we come in all shapes and sizes and we express our beauty in our differences. When you find yourself comparing, gently recognize this behavior and switch to gratitude. Be grateful for our differences, find a positive quality in yourself and celebrate that and when you see amazing qualities in other women, let them know how much you appreciate that about them.
Find body positive messages
The world has so much to say about bodies and what they should look like. Most of those messages are negative and make us feel bad about ourselves. Find a way to balance out those negative messages with good positive messages. There are many body positive bloggers out there or fantastic inspiration on Instagram.
When we start feeling positive about our bodies we start to celebrate all bodies. We are not just body, we are so much more than just the physical experience and appearance.
Compliment women on their strengths, determination, hard work, passions and talents. As Lady Gaga said “You define beauty for yourself, society doesn’t define your beauty. Your spirit and your faith define your beauty.”
Thank you for being the amazing human that you are. An astonishing woman with so much strength and so much to give this world. I celebrate you today.
