Body Shaming Being One of the Major Reasons of Stress among Teens and Children

Body shaming is a term that most of the people are familiar with. Being stuck by some stereotypical ideas, some people knowingly or unknowingly body shame others. Calling them names and giving them advice about their body is a part of body shaming. In a report, it was found out that 93% of girls and 83% of boys were body shamed during their teen years. The results can be much harrowing than one can even think about. Doctors are saying, most of the anorexic patients have faced body shaming and the low self-esteem has led to worse results. By body shaming, most of us have the idea that it is all about fat shaming. But that is not the case. Passing any negative comment about someone else’s look is also a form of body shaming. Teenage boys are often shamed because of the body shape.

Experts are saying that these negative vibes are not just coming from peers or from the rest of the society. The family is involved and sometimes the humiliating comments come as a harsher blow when it comes from the family. Sometimes, making fun of some feature of the body or just throwing random nicknames also affect the mind of the person who is being shamed. 40% of women and 26% of men are shamed by their father due to the height and weight. Around 50 percent of women get shamed by their partners. Research has shown that most men shame their partners saying they do not have an attractive figure or they need to shed kilos to look good.

The role of media

Health experts are accusing the media saying that the ideas portrayed by them are increasing the problem. The society is always creating those examples of a body that are considered the epitome of perfection. The magazine covers are displaying bodies of women with those perfect curves, flawless skin tone and perfect hair. While male bodies are portrayed with well-chiseled abs, no sign of body hair. At times, these reach to such an extent that people looking over those images are getting low self-esteem about their body. Experts are saying that these are giving false conceptions of a human body and simply overthrowing the basic human structure. All women are chasing towards getting that perfect body through strict diet without even knowing the body type. Doctors are saying that every person irrespective of male and female has a certain body type that needs to be embraced.

Fitness is a general thing and that will differ for each individual. The exercise and diet intake capacity of each body is different. Following one same diet for all body types actually affects the body’s natural metabolism. The BMR and BMI are different and so the experts are asking to consult a dietician before they just jump into a diet. The leading magazines are giving tips for weight loss, beach body and perfect abs which the doctors are saying a complete no. Women right after the delivery are constantly pushed towards “bouncing back” into their previous shape. While following so, some are going through a strict regime that consists of strenuous gym routine and strict diet. Doctors are saying that the body of the woman goes through several biological transformations and the body undergoes several natural changes. Pregnancy can be difficult for many mothers and at this moment rather than shaping up the body, the initial concern should be restoring the health. During childbirth, there’s a lot of blood loss and the body must get the required time to regain the health before hitting those strenuous activities.  

How one can fight body shaming

Children, when body shamed by their parents, are found to have high stress levels. They feel that they are not good enough to get the care and attention of their parents. They skip meals or sometimes isolate themselves from a group of fellow peers. This affects their physical and mental well-being.

Parents are asked to take care of such factors and refrain themselves from saying anything negative about their appearances to their child. As parents, shaming is found to have the worst effects. Take care about boosting the self-confidence of the child. If your child is facing the problems of body shaming by peers or relatives, help them focus on their inner growth, making them understand that is more important. Rather than focusing on the weight or look, make sure your child is getting a healthy lifestyle and is fit. Keep a note on your child’s interest. Talk about their inspiration. Suggest realistic personalities over people who are being favorites just for their look and body. The right inspiration will help to channelize your child’s thoughts.  

Shaming over the social media platform is prevalent these days among the teens. Keep an eye over his/her social media accounts. Anytime you find she/he is bullied or shamed, step in to prevent that. Even if your child is bullying someone else, be strict to stop that at the very moment. Be sure that you make them understand that people often face different physical ailments and that could be the reason for their excess weight. Teach them the value of empathy and understanding. Making fun of height and looks must not be encouraged.

Tell your child not to make fun of something that is not under anyone’s control. Giving them the right guidance and helping them follow the right examples will help them handle situations of shaming well. In schools, several workshops are being conducted to assure that children are aware of this. Children who are shamed have adverse effects on their mental health and such programs will help them not to feel negative about themselves. Even if their body has some kind of deformity, they are inspired to happily accept those and not pay heed to those taunts. The training sessions are both for the cause and effect of body shaming. Experts believe that if people know about the consequences of shaming, there might be a fall in the data.