Positively radiant
Women redefining opinions on body image, self-esteem
At the end of January 2018, beauty history was made when Ashley Graham was picked by Revlon to be the first “plussized” model in history to land a major beauty contract, joining Gal Gadot, Imaan Hammam and Raquel Zimmerman in the new Live Boldly campaign. Graham also broke down barriers by being one of a handful of non-sample-sized models to appear in the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue.
Body diversity has become a hot topic in the entertainment world, as well as in everyday life for women. According to Dove, nine in 10 women opt out of important life activities because of body-image issues. A similar percentage of women put their health at risk to stop themselves from eating so they would lose weight. Cross-cultural research by Dove has indicated that body image has recently reached critical impact levels. But thanks to more outspoken models and high-profile individuals, body image and self-esteem, as these issues relate to women, are improving.
A 2016 study by Bryan Karazsia, an associate professor of psychology at The College of Wooster, examined data from more than 100,000 men and women over a period of 31 years, finding that women’s body-image dissatisfaction dropped by 3.3 percent — a substantial finding. Some of the reasons behind the change include a shift in media depictions, a new body ideal of lean and toned rather than “skinny,” and because a greater number of people in North America are simply larger.
Women can boost their self-esteem and reverse negative feelings about their bodies by introducing new thinking patterns.
• Don’t always believe what you see. Some companies use very small models for their marketing efforts and, through digital photo manipulation, whittle down bodies even further. Some models dubbed “plus-sized” do not actually meet that classification. Models are considered plus-sized if they wear between a size 8 and 12, with some as small as size 6. The average American woman wears a size 16, according to the International Journal of Fashion Design, Technology and Education, and that’s at the lower end of “plus-sized.”
• Shop fit, not size. Some designer clothing that appears on racks may be subjected to “vanity sizing,” where everything from jeans to swimwear is cut small. Rather than focusing on sizes on the tags, women should choose items that fit well and feel comfortable.
• Make a list of positive attributes. The National Eating Disorders Association recommends that women focus on the things they like about themselves and attributes that pertain to more than their appearance.
• Make time for fun events with friends. Activities outside of work can give women a boost of confidence, as well as an outlet to have fun. Events could be a walk at a park or a ladies-night-out shopping trip.
• Choose positive friends. Women can surround themselves with positive-minded people who do not compare their bodies to others’. Women’s positivity can reflect those around them, and finding friends who reflect that can boost their happiness levels and create a sunnier demeanor.
Female self-esteem and positive body images are improving as more women and industries promote body positivity.