By Vanessa Cort
IN recent years, social media platforms have been increasingly criticised for contributing to the alarming rise in body shaming,
Instagram has been singled out as a major culprit by allowing posts which highlight ‘perfect bodies’, influencing young women, in particular, to strive for this idealised look.

However, body and fat shaming did not begin with social media. For decades tabloid magazines, television and movies have been pushing unrealistic images of what is a desirable female figure.
Writing for Healthline, Carolyn Abate observes that, “There is an established notion, they say, that a thin ‘conventionally pretty’ woman is what all women should strive toward and that anything outside that realm isn’t worthy.”

Happily, people of colour in this part of the world and in Africa do not generally subscribe to the idea that only slim women are attractive.

Indeed, in many African countries, like Nigeria, a thin woman was – until relatively recently – considered unhealthy and in need of some ‘meat on her bones’, while a ‘thick’ woman was openly admired. Even the definition of ‘thick’ can vary considerably in terms of a woman’s size.

Back in 2006 the film, Phat Girlz, written and directed by Nnegest Likke and starring African-American actress, Mo’Nique, attempted to portray a favourable image of a ‘Thick Madame’. But the film received a host of negative reviews, mainly because of what was seen as sloppy directing and a ‘thin’ script.

Entertainment Weekly made the telling observation that the romantic comedy did itself an injustice by actually focusing on the size of the lead character/actress. “Mo’Nique is fat. Almost every scene in Phat Girlz…is about how she’s fat.”

In a kinder review, the San Francisco Chronicle said the film had a lot of “heart and soul” and humorously likened it to the movie, Pretty Woman, “without all the bony butts.”

In a scathing criticism of the current Nigerian bias towards ‘things American’ – which could also apply to the stance of many Guyanese women – Nigerian writer, Morenike Taire, says, “…our adoption of American culture had been so complete at some point that we were becoming more American than the Americans.”

And of course, this spills over into the growing acceptance of the US/European idea of body shape as ‘the norm’ and the spread of bo
dy/fat shaming in countries where plus-sized women were previously accepted and admired.

Generally, body shaming is all about a person’s size/weight and can therefore translate as fat shaming, where women, in particular, are criticised and insulted if they are seen as ‘heavy’ or overweight, though conversely, a thin person may suffer the same fate. Still, a legion of young girls is either pressuring themselves or others to fit into the ‘slim mold.’

Social media, because of its widespread access to people across the globe, has taken body shaming to “a new level” and according to Healthline: “Today, a teenage girl is inundated with a tsunami of ‘perfect’ body images through their social media feeds. In addition, people comment on these (self) images, sometimes in disparaging and dismissive tones.”

Body shaming is considered one of the most common forms of cyberbullying, perpetuating weight bias and causing mental and physical health problems.

African-American, Sabrina Springs, author of the book, “Fearing the Black Body: The Racial Origins of Fat Phobia,” found that during the 19th century white-owned magazines like Harper’s Bazaar, began exhorting middle-class and upper-class women to watch what they eat. This was in a bid to turn attention away from the curvy black woman, who was seen as a threat.

“And they were unapologetic in stating that this was proper form for Anglo-Saxon Protestant women. And so, it was important that women ate as little as was necessary in order to show their Christian nature and also their racial superiority.”

Writer, Ariane Resnick, also notes that, while in our current society thin bodies are thought of as healthy and desirable, historically the reverse was true, as in the 1800s when “plumpness was revered” and considered a sign of health and wealth.
Like Ms. Springs, author Amy Farrell traces this shift to mid-19th century England and the advent of the first diet books, which were centred aro
und women.
Perhaps the most reasonable advice on the subject is given by the ‘Stop Weight Bias’ group, which reminds us that “obesity is a complex disease with multiple causes” and urges us to build a better world free of weight bias, “…where everyone is treated with dignity and respect.”