Happy Friday! Let’s talk. There’s discussion lately re: the idea that thinness, as a body type, is “trendy” (ughhhh) again like it was in the early 2000s. [See this tweet.] Some people say it was never “out.” I fired off some thoughts on this earlier this morning, below.
Have you felt any kind of shift here? Does it feel to you like “thin is in again”? What (or who?) is making you feel this way? How do you think you can deal with it? Maybe the idea of bodies-as-trends doesn’t affect you, but what if you have super-online kids — does that change things?
From a 68 year old perspective, thinness as a desirable trait first emerged for my generation with Twiggy in the early 60’s, followed by the growth of cases of bulimia and anorexia as others followed the trend. It has waxed and waned over the decades, but seemed to be stubbornly persistent because of magazines, film and tv celebrities, and models who stayed on that “thin is in” bandwagon. Dieting became a hot topic, and exercise videos and tapes for at home exercise for homemakers became popular. Before then, exercise was not really discussed because so much was done at home to keep up the house and manage the family. Exercise? Who had time or money to go to classes then? As people became more interested and knowledgeable about fitness and calories, things started to change. We know more now, yet we are all made to be different shapes and heights. It is nice to see the inclusion of all body types today, in magazines, on television, and in entertainment. It is also wonderful to see women who are interested in healthy habits and exercise in all forms. Unfortunately, in a social media world, people more than ever
seem to be swayed by influencers and Twitter and Instagram personalities they admire. If they promote it, people will follow blindly like sheep, whether it is a healthy choice for them or not. I hope we get to a point where everyone learns to make the choices that are healthy for themselves and learn what it takes to stay healthy and strong with regular exercise, and not worry about the number on their dress size or keeping up with influencer’s ideas of how thin they should be. We need to accept what challenges we have been dealt in life, and be satisfied with doing the best we can in our individual circumstances. Otherwise, how can one ever be happy in life? We were not all made to be the same, we can learn to embrace who we are and take care of ourselves so we can embrace the others in our lives.
From a 68 year old perspective, thinness as a desirable trait first emerged for my generation with Twiggy in the early 60’s, followed by the growth of cases of bulimia and anorexia as others followed the trend. It has waxed and waned over the decades, but seemed to be stubbornly persistent because of magazines, film and tv celebrities, and models who stayed on that “thin is in” bandwagon. Dieting became a hot topic, and exercise videos and tapes for at home exercise for homemakers became popular. Before then, exercise was not really discussed because so much was done at home to keep up the house and manage the family. Exercise? Who had time or money to go to classes then? As people became more interested and knowledgeable about fitness and calories, things started to change. We know more now, yet we are all made to be different shapes and heights. It is nice to see the inclusion of all body types today, in magazines, on television, and in entertainment. It is also wonderful to see women who are interested in healthy habits and exercise in all forms. Unfortunately, in a social media world, people more than ever
seem to be swayed by influencers and Twitter and Instagram personalities they admire. If they promote it, people will follow blindly like sheep, whether it is a healthy choice for them or not. I hope we get to a point where everyone learns to make the choices that are healthy for themselves and learn what it takes to stay healthy and strong with regular exercise, and not worry about the number on their dress size or keeping up with influencer’s ideas of how thin they should be. We need to accept what challenges we have been dealt in life, and be satisfied with doing the best we can in our individual circumstances. Otherwise, how can one ever be happy in life? We were not all made to be the same, we can learn to embrace who we are and take care of ourselves so we can embrace the others in our lives.