Once there was a 13 year old girl who had never had any discomfort with her own body and as a normal teenager, she liked to hang out with what we used to call  “friends”. These friends made comments about her body that somehow made her uncomfortable. For example, she was very hairy and that disgusted them. Also, most of the time, when  she was going to eat something they would tell her: “Are you really going to eat all that?” This girl was still too young to realize how these comments would have an effect on her self esteem and her body image that nowadays still last. 

 

Body image is how we think and feel about ourselves physically, and how we believe others see us. When we talk about body image, there are lots of ways we can think about it  and the way our body looks.This inside view of our body or the way we perceive ourselves,  influences our self-esteem, mental health, and overall well-being. In today's society, social media, beauty stereotypes and comments made by others have a massive impact on us, especially on teenagers regarding body image. 

 

Hasn't it happened to you that when you look at yourself in the mirror, there is something about your body that you don't like and wish to change? How many times have you compared your body with someone else's like our friends or even celebrities? Well, let me tell you, under the influence of social media, our body image can be affected by being exposed to images that contain idealized bodies or that are considered the “perfect” body type, causing many of us to compare ourselves to peers and celebrities, and that can lead to a negative perception of our body, also known as body dysmorphia. Because of this, many people have developed mental health issues, identity issues, some have committed suicide, or others have developed eating disorders trying to come close to the  unrealistic beauty standards set by society. Everybody is different and cannot be measured by a standard that society has come to consider “beautiful”. So often, we need to conform with these beauty stereotypes and try to achieve society’s approval. 

 

On the other hand, different comments made by people around us can also have such a big impact regarding the way we perceive ourselves. If someone keeps repeating that you are fat, that you are overweight, that you are ugly, or that you should be skinnier to fit in, wouldn't you feel bad about yourself ? “Who are we to judge another's body?” It is our job  as a society to stop the conversations we have about other people and their bodies. Instead, we need to work to remind the world that we are allowed to love our bodies the way they are and that there is no “perfect” body. With that said, we might think that this issue doesn’t have any solution, because it is true, people won’t stop judging others, and social media, which is used daily,  most of the time is used  to promote the necessary beauty standards to “fit” in society. However, because social media is such a powerful tool that has an impact on almost everyone, we can see this as an opportunity to start using social media as an instrument for promoting body positivity and reminding people that all bodies are beautiful no matter what. 

 

What is more, we can’t go around judging people and their bodies just for fun. Do we know what that person has been through regarding their health or body image? We should all educate ourselves on this topic that is an important issue to be treated, so that way we can stop judging people’s bodies and stop thinking they are not “pretty enough”, because all bodies are beautiful.