Table of Contents
What’s this
There is a lot of talk about Body Shaming, but what is it about? The two words together refer to one induced shame as regards the physical characteristics. In other words, Body Shaming means discriminate or belittle someone for his physical appearance. Widespread among the comments in social networks but also typical of the words thrown on the street by those who feel they can dare to do it out of ignorance or arrogance, the Body Shaming touches various areas and physical characteristics: weight, wrinkles, features, posture, shapes, etc. The trait being targeted varies, but it’s always about physical characteristics. In some cases, bodies that are too tattooed or with too many piercings are targeted, in others cases of skin problems or water retention. In some cases, sexual preferences also become the object of discrimination. Other times the presence of excessive hair, baldness, skin color, acne come under fire.
Body Shaming in those who receive it affects self-esteem, generates a sense of discomfort, radically undermines personal security. It worsens the management of anxiety and develops an insecurity that in the long run becomes obsession, if the character has fragile and truly vulnerable traits. If the person has a certain awareness of the problem and is trying to solve it – let’s take the example with a young boy or girl who wants to lose weight – the Body Shaming could go to boycott even the best of intentions, bringing discouragement, distrust and loss of goal. Certainly young people are the ones who affect each other with respect to defects of one’s own body and who suffer most from what they criticize each other. Parental management, true friends, brothers and sisters or other family figures becomes essential to cope well with the reactions from Body Shaming. Sometimes discrimination takes on very subtle aspects and sometimes it arises right within the family. Just a compliment too many to the cousin considered beautiful and maybe a unhappy comment to the “ugly” daughter who immediately trigger resentments, resentments, insecurities, fears and injustices and mistrust crystallize.
When explicit Body Shaming falls into the category of crime and sometimes defamation (especially if the offense is carried on persistently on social networks). In some very serious cases, Body Shaming has paved the way for suicide cases and has taken on a role of instigating them (article 580 of the Criminal Code). Figures such as those of and influencers and work fields closely linked to appearance have only increased the focus on extreme care as an end in itself. Often the messages of those who influence the purchase through their image are purely linked to “become like me” and in this way they are created aesthetic canons which are fixed and often cannot in any way correspond to the real data.
How to defend yourself
The first step in defending yourself from the Body Shaming that occurs virtually lies in the scale back the value that is given to comments on social networks. Going back to real relationships, concrete dialogues and detaching from mobile phones and social media helps a lot to circumscribe what matters and what has a very minimal value. Starting to take care of yourself and being in an energy of greater independence allows you to achieve a productive balance in a stable way, independent of the comments of others. Starting a dialogue in the mirror through positive affirmations also allows you to go in the optimistic direction, eliminate shortcomings, inconveniences. The mental path that leads the perception of our body health should also pass through the use we make of our body.
Remember the way you rate yours physical aspect it depends a lot on the mood. Physical fitness has to do with the health of internal organs, with physiology, emotions and the relationship with movement and food. Writing sentences with a positive charge and maybe hanging them on the walls also helps a lot to strengthen your personal power. Ignoring the way you feel when receiving insults or criticism does not help at all, in fact, it becomes really counterproductive. It pays to address the source of criticism directly constructively and start hiring a attitude cool, realistic and confident. An excellent strategy is also to keep a logbook of physical progress and goals, starting to note down character strengths as well. The starting point is in oneself and in one’s talents, in believing in what one wants to carry on and in choosing one’s thoughts, putting aside the disempowering ones. On the wave of this spirit, next to Body Shaming, the movement of Body Positivity is being born; it is a current that goes to counter the controversy and criticism of the body through acts and contents of legitimation of the male and female body, all aimed at improving the perception of oneself.
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