To Know Your Body Is To Love Your Body

Early on, women are taught that how we look to others is important. A confident 10-year-old learns by age 13 her outer appearance matters more for popularity than her personality. Stephanie Shields, a Penn State psychology professor, explains how girls also learn that “one is not ‘supposed’ to be satisfied with their body or their beauty.” There is always something needing to be fixed, whether it be our hair, thighs or hips that someone has told us isn’t right.

Sometimes, you even have to criticize yourself in order to fit in. Think of the well-known Mean Girls scene where they are standing in front of a mirror, each saying something they don’t like about their looks.

Shields explains, ”If a friend complains about her weight, her friends are expected to deprecate themselves in turn … ” with phrases like, “Yeah, but you don’t have my problem hair” or “You’re not ‘fat,’ I am!” Talking about yourself like this can do more harm than you may think.

SOCIAL MEAN-IA

We are taught that our body’s “flaws” aren’t normal. But why do we even view certain features as “flaws” in the first place? We compare ourselves to models and other “attractive” people on social media, wondering why our body doesn’t look like theirs. The truth is that few of us have all the physical features our society considers “ideal,” especially when it is always changing. Many scientific studies have shown that it is easy and harmful for young women to make a negative comparison of themselves after viewing “attractive or ideal bodies.” While the current movement to include all different sizes of models is helpful, these images can still be altered, explains Shields.

Heather Shoenberger, assistant professor of advertising and public relations, did a research study that found that ads with models who are not airbrushed increase the probability that a customer will buy the product.

“I think this finding suggests that people are beginning to prefer real, truthful images of models in advertising, which will increase inclusivity and diversity,” says Shoenberger.

Learning to understand and appreciate the natural, physical qualities that society tries to hide can help us love and accept our bodies.

WHAT IS BLOATING?

Otherwise known as a “food baby,” bloating makes your stomach

feel tight, full and also appear physically larger. After you eat, your stomach has to digest the food to absorb nutrients. When carbohydrates are broken down and fiber ferments, gas is produced, which expands and causes bloating. Eating too fast, too late or getting too little fiber as well as not drinking enough water can all make us bloat even more. Even healthy foods, such as beans and kale, can make matters worse. While there are ways to lessen the discomfort from bloating, such as simply going for a walk after eating, this digestive process is normal and necessary.

WHY HAVE BODY HAIR?

Whether you shave, pluck, wax or trim your body and facial hair is completely up to you. But it’s been a beauty routine since the rise of sleeveless dresses in the 1920s. Our hair, whether on our legs or around our lips, actually helps to regulate our body temperature. When we are cold, the muscles in our hair follicles contract to help keep us warm, creating goosebumps. Similarly, our bodies need to sweat in order to keep from overheating. Our body hair has a short, fine structure that allows sweat to come through and cool us. Meanwhile, our eyebrows, eyelashes and nostril hairs help keep dirt and sweat out of our eyes.

MAYBE IT’S TIME TO CELEBRATE CELLULITE

A big misconception surrounding cellulite is that only people who are overweight have it. Yet, cellulite is a structural issue, and it can happen no matter your BMI. Cellulite, despite being a modern source of insecurity, is incredibly common, as it affects 90% of women and 10% of men. Although it’s rarely shown in today’s advertisements or Instagram photos, cellulite was once portrayed in paintings and sculptures as a way to celebrate the female body. Then, in the early 1900s, the French scorned this feature as unattractive, and American magazines continued this belief.

What exactly is cellulite? It is not fat. It refers to a puckered appearance of skin that occurs when fatty tissues push through fibrous bands connecting the skin to muscle. When the bands pull down the skin, a “dimpled” look is created. Most women develop it naturally after puberty. As we age, our skin loses some of its thickness, becoming looser and adding to the appearance of cellulite.

Kelsey Holland, PHD student and director for the Center of Fitness and Wellness, points out, “A woman’s body is made to reproduce, so it holds onto fat longer. The essential fat that a woman needs is around 10% higher than the essential fat a man needs. Some people’s fat is distributed differently, but we need this essential fat to live.”

TIPS FOR HIP DIPS

It’s easy to find videos on YouTube and TikTok helping girls get rid of their “hip dips,” which refer to the curves you might have right below the hip bones. Now that women with an “hourglass figure” — tiny waist and wide hips with no hip dips — are constantly displayed on Instagram, their body type has become the “ideal.” However, hip dips are a natural part of the anatomy and can actually be a sign that you’re in good shape with well-defined muscles! How prominent they are depends on the way your greater trochanter, the protrusion or “dip,” connects to your pelvis. The dip is created when someone has dominant outer quad and hip flexor muscles — no matter the size of their body. While there are exercises that can help to reduce the look of them, hip dips are 100% normal and should be something to show off rather than work off.

WHAT CAN WE DO?

Understand that many images online are altered and airbrushed. Jessica Myrick, associate media studies professor, recommends being careful who you follow online. “We have control over our media diet, and if we are thoughtful about the type of content we consume, we can foster environments that are more uplifting and healthy,” Myrick says.

While it’s important to practice self-love, it can also seem daunting. This is why it’s also healthy to practice self-acceptance. You can simply accept where your body is at and realize that your body does not define all of the amazing qualities you possess.

Nevertheless, Holland says, “There’s nothing wrong with wanting to improve yourself.” You can accept and appreciate your body while working to improve it at the same time.

Remember, too, that our bodies were meant to look different from each other. Knowing why our bodies are the way they are will help pave the way for accepting, loving and celebrating ourselves both inside and out.