The grass is always greener on the other side, right? We always want what we don’t have. The truth of the matter is, there will always be someone who is prettier, skinnier, smarter, funnier etc. than you. Fixating on beauty trends is bad for our body, mind, and soul. There is a problem when we put all of our focus on certain trends (that may or may not be healthy) we lose focus of what is important for our bodies to function properly. Many people don’t realize the huge impact that genetics have on our appearance, and while lifestyle choices do account for part of the way we look, not everyone is built the same. That is why body trends that are perpetuated by social media and models are not something to aspire towards. We have to take into consideration our body’s frame and make sure that we are not striving towards an unattainable or unhealthy goal. Our bodies should not be subject to trends and they should not be objectified. A person’s physical appearance is the least important thing about life, and when we put emphasis on these trends and try to emulate them, we are lowering our standards for ourselves. Focusing on these unhealthy body trends can breed low self-esteem and even depression. Life is too short for that. Here are 5 unhealthy body trends on social media that we should NOT be striving for.
The good old thigh gap. What people fail to realize is that a thigh gap is largely due to the size of your hips. If you are someone who has narrow hips and thin thighs you still may not have a thigh gap. Someone with wider hips and bigger legs may have one. We have to start accepting ourselves for who we are and control what we can control. If you don’t have a thigh gap and a man makes you feel bad about that, screw them! They aren’t the one for you. You don’t have to please anyone in this life, and you certainly don’t have to starve yourself to fit into unrealistic and unhealthy expectations that are set forth by the media and unhealthy body trends.
I bet we were all equally confused by this when we first heard it. It is referring to the triangular shape of the Toblerone candy bar. It can appear (in some angles) that people have a triangle under their butt between their upper thighs. It appears as though you could fit a Toblerone candy bar through that area, which is so freaking weird to me that I just don’t even care. Since everybody’s body is different, it can be dangerous to try and create this on your body if it does not appear naturally. The question on my mind is who even cares/can see if they have one?
The ab crack, as I am sure you’re all familiar with, is a line in the middle of your stomach. You may think that anyone can achieve this, and if you don’t have it that means you are not thin or toned enough. Unfortunately, the ab crack is purely based on genetics. If you want to achieve it without genetics you may have to drop down to 12% body fat, which is super unhealthy for women, as slender women are usually between 18% and 20%.
This one is ultra concerning. The bikini bridge, for those who are unfamiliar with it, happens when you lay down on your back and your hip bones protrude creating a “bridge.” It is essentially the space between your bikini and hip bones. I’m not sure how we went from overweight being a sign of wealth and attraction, to skeletons but I have never met a guy who wants to cuddle and or hook up with a bag of bones. If I were to meet one who desired that, I can guarantee I would not be into them. That’s some deep psychological issues right there that I don’t want to be involved in. Remember, strong is the new skinny.
Photo shopping the shit out your pictures is definitely a trend on Instagram and in virtually every ad/image of models that you see, and while it is not physically harmful to yourself, it creates highly unrealistic standards. This needs to stop for a myriad of reasons, but people who do it should want to stop because they don’t actually look like that in person. It’s like wearing a super push up bra and then hooking up with a guy and taking it off. Comparatively, it seems like a letdown. We should all want to create healthy and realistic beauty standards to change the way women are perceived in the media as well as everyday life.
Look, I am not for fat shaming, and I am not for skinny shaming. We were all dealt certain cards in life and we as girls should be supporting each other and building each other up, not competing with one another. Once we realize we are all beautiful in our own way, we can focus on more important and less superficial things. Stop letting society dictate what is and isn’t beautiful. Create your own standards, because everything is relative. Attraction is subjective and not factually based. Do not fall under the toxic spell of unhealthy body trends that social media seems to be worsening.
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