Like it or lump it?
‘Everywhere you look size matters,’ says one iVillager in her Body Image post. It’s a disheartening statement, but one many of you agree with according to comments you posted during our Body Image Week. More than half (55%) of the 1,500 iVillage members who took part in our poll admitted to being unhappy with their bodies. Only a fifth feel satisfied with the way they look, while a quarter of those polled said that their self-esteem varied to do with the day or time of month. ‘The results horrified me,' confided one iVillager. ‘I can’t believe over half the women who answered have a problem with the way they look. What happened to beauty is on the inside?’
Many of us find it hard to remember that adage when we are constantly bombarded with photographs of perfect women – images the majority of us will never be able to live up to.
Never let the truth get in the way of a good picture
The media's long-term love affair with stick-thin waif-like models shows no sign of waning. ‘Even though I know in my mind that my image is quite good and I’m very tall, thin and attractive, I still can’t pick up a women’s magazine without feeling like a piece of trash,’ protests one iVillager. ‘Women’s marketing is male-dominated and harmful to women.’
‘Let’s face it, we have a lot to live up to if we want to achieve the media image of what a perfect woman should look like,' adds another. ‘Hardly any of us fit that image, but day after day we have the perfect hair, nails, teeth, make-up, waistlines and breasts thrust at us. No wonder the majority of women hate the bodies they live in!’
When mum doesn’t always know bestAccording to some of those polled, body image is influenced by things closer to home. ‘I was doing fine with my weight until my mum came over last week,’ says one iVillager. 'She asked: "Have you put on weight? You’ve got an enormous spare tyre." It really upset me. I now understand that my mum is responsible for my poor body image, because she has one too.’Another user agreed. ‘I have never had great self-esteem or a good body image and it’s because of my mother. She has always criticised me and never complimented me, yet she is large herself. I am not fat but I am a little overweight. It is only since I have matured (I’m 39) that I realise I shouldn’t give in to my mother’s negativity.’
For some, it can be a legacy that lasts a lifetime. ‘I was brought up by a mother who could only show affection through food,’ says one iVillager. ‘Consequently a fat child became a fat adult and even now at 65, I still battle with my weight and comfort eat when stressed. After a very emotional winter, I am trying to remove the 19lbs I put on.’
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