Body Image Revolution: How?

Came across this thought-provoking article:  Being plus-size in a skinny world and decided we just had to share it. 

Good news: In America, plus-sized ladies are gradually gaining acceptance. 

"In some ways, I do feel the industry is starting to promote a larger variety of bodies, but if you pick up a Vogue or Elle, you'll find that the magazine is still full of rail thin models. I think there is a lot of talk of change in the film and television industry, which is wonderful, but the modeling industry is a bit behind and is still promoting unhealthy body types.” 

In the article, well known plus-sized model Crystal Renn shares her honest thoughts regarding being plus size in the industry where most other girls are stick thin and her struggle with her own body image. More importantly, she mentioned that she is glad that the media in USA is starting to move towards promoting the  acceptance of bigger body shapes, even if it's taking baby steps. However she is concerned about how unhealthy body types continues to be promoted in the modelling industry.

I agree that the mass media, modelling industry and the famous corporate brands should put in a conscious effort to send out more consistent messages. I recently came across an article that challenges the notion of only thin should be considered beautiful, and how we should stop thinking in terms of size when we talk about beauty. What upsets me is at the very next page, a weight loss advertisement featuring a slim woman stands out to me. How are we magazine readers supposed to think and react, what message should we be bringing home? Definitely food for thought. 

Back to the article: Renn also brings up the need for a body image revolution. The 'real world' is made up of beautiful women who comes in all body shapes and sizes. As much as a huge change do not come by easily, I urge all of you reading this to join me in the movement to integrate a more diverse definition of beauty into our culture and society today.

Hey, embrace your full curves, you're beautiful. :)

I'm Beautiful Because..

Made by BiB

Big Girl You're Beautiful!

PS: The Embed Code is not working, so please click "Watch On Youtube" for a larger/full
screen!

Big Girl (You're Beautiful) is an upbeat song performed by Mika, featuring plus-sized ladies in the official music video.

Mika wrote this song to support his mum who's big size and had been prejudiced against. 

A great song that celebrates big girls, Big Girl (You're Beautiful) encourages them to love their bodies and curves as they're all "in the right places"!

The lyrics "Walks into the room, feels like a big balloon" accurately shows how intimidated and pressured many plus-size girls feel all the time when they step into a room full of petite girls. They feel self-conscious, as if they stick out like a sore thumb. The lyrics follow up with  "I said, "Hey girls, you are beautiful"" like a vote of confidence, saying "you don't need to be so worried, you're beautiful as you are". The lyrics also encourages big ladies not to lose hope in love, as some men simply love curvy and plus sized-women!

So ladies, whenever you're feeling insecure about your bigger-than-average size, just listen and dance along to this song!

However it's being pointed out by some netizens that this song might make thin girls feel a little bad about their bodies. I don't think that's the purpose of this song. Mika simply hoped to show some support and love to bigger girls who thought they can never be beautiful. We all come in a variety of shapes and sizes, whether you're naturally big or thin, we should all embrace our bodies as long as we live healthily. 

Cheers to a healthy body image!

Gone Gaga

Wearing a Meat Dress, Arriving in an Egg, Creating a Perfume that Smells Like Blood and Semen (what?!). What else have lady Gaga done to surprise us?

"Did Mama monster eat one of her little monsters?"

For once it wasn't Lady Gaga's outré costume that dropped everyone's jaws when she appeared in a concert. 

In September last year, Lady Gaga put on about 30 pounds to be nearly twice the size she used to be. She received criticism from various quarters of late for gaining weight. Yet she insisted that she "really doesn't feel bad about it."

She attributed her fuller figure to her Dad's NYC eatery, Joanne Trattoria. "It's so freaking delicious, but I gain 5 pounds every time I go," the pop star lamented. "I love eating pasta and pizza."

A personal history doesn't help. She has battled anorexia and bulimia in the past, and weight issues run in her family. Usually, her gruelling performances offset any high-calorie intake, but Gaga took a 5 week break from her Born This Way tour sometime during July and August. She also went on a vacation with her boyfriend, so it was said that she didn't have a chance to stick to her usual diet. 

In response to the uproar over her weight gain, the diva started the 'Body Revolution' movement on her social networking site (www.LittleMonsters.com)  to "inspire bravery", "celebrate perceived flaws" and "breed some compassion". 

Don't you just love Lady Gaga for being a role model on body image issues? 

Let Beauty Shine from Within

Simple gif made by BiB

Xoxo, from BiB team

Confessions of Plus-sized People

Society makes big people feel bad about being large. The natural reaction is to play into this feeling, and truly be embarrassed.

  

For example:

 1. A self-conscious middle-aged lady would buy five or six donuts and feel like the clerk was disgusted with her; so she would lie and say she bought them for her kids.

2. Sean's friends would try to get him to go to the gym to get in shape. He didn't have the courage to tell them he was large because of his genes, not because a lack of exercise. He also has a fear that the fit and slim people at the gym would throw weird looks at him. So he'd usually make excuses and say he's busy.

3. My overweight uncle broke a chair in his friend’s house when he was was sitting on it. His friends thought a fat person breaking a chair was hilarious. My uncle laughed along with him; he was too embarrassed to tell his friend that the problem was with his chair, not him.

But... why do they have to do these?

Plus-sized/Overweight people do not have to be weak in the face of society. They do not have to succumb to the standards and unfair judgements of the society. 

We should encourage them to

Eat what they want.

Say how they truly feel.

Take it slow and lose weight the healthy way.

And finally, learn not to feel embarrassed or ashamed about their own size.

Let's all not be fatist and try to dominate their lives.

A message for all Plus-sized people:

Declare Peace Not War on Your Body!

According to a poll conducted by seventeen, 90% of teen girls feel anxiety or stress about some part of their looks when getting ready in the morning. 

Ever said something harsh like this about your body?

It's not just on days when we're feeling hormonal or bloated- we are always at war! It's us against our bodies. Sometimes you feel like you've 'won'- by putting together an outfit that conceals all your 'flabby arms , your 'thunder thighs' or other body parts you feel conscious about. Even so, we're focused about one thing- whether we look okay or too fat in our dress. It's exhausting. And most of the time we fail to realize how badly obsessed we are. 

Let's sign the Seventeen Body Peace treaty today and pledge to love, accept and be at peace with our bodies, and not let our size define who we are. 

http://www.seventeen.com/health/tips/body-peace-pledge

http://www.seventeen.com/health/tips/body-peace-pledge

http://www.seventeen.com/health/tips/body-peace-pledge

Because life is too short to be fighting a battle with ourselves and our body all the time. 

I want you to write this down on post-it note and put it somewhere you can see everyday:

Beauty isn't just about my looks. It's my amazing personality and my energy that creates a whole, unique package. 

On a final note: you're beautiful and don't let anyone tell you otherwise :)