What Is Body Shaming?

Anuja Dani
Aug 23, 2023
3 min read

Did you ever stop and give it a thought that how often we are told to change our appearance? Everyone around us is a self-made dietician and they are really interested in constantly offering tips on how to lose weight “In days' ', how fast you can appear “slimmer' ' and hide your imperfections… without actually knowing much about our journey. This is one of the examples of Body Shaming. And don’t we see this everywhere?

Now, let me tell you the actual definition of Body Shaming. It is in very simple words an act of mocking an individual for their physical appearance, saying something negative about a person's body. It may not be a big issue if you are the one laughing at someone, but it can be very disturbing for a person who is the target of those comments.

Nobody….. Seriously! Nobody should have to live in this world where they’re made to feel bad about their bodies by any other people. It can really lead to serious issues like low self esteem, emotional trauma, self-hatred and many more mental health issues. So, now it’s become our responsibility to really talk about it.

Today, let’s see What are the Types of Body Shaming? So, from fat shaming to food shaming, here are 10 types of body shaming we all should know about:

Fat Shaming:

This is so common nowadays, that people literally can take someone from hundred to zero by commenting about their weight. Nowadays it has become a norm, many people get criticized by trolls about weight. They say that you look so fat, what do you eat! Look at you!

No one wants to know if the person has some inner struggles or health issues that might be a barrier. But, do people really care about it?

The most debilitating type of body shaming is “Fat Shaming” which a lot of studies on body shaming are hinged on.

Any type of Body Shaming is WRONG on all levels!!!

Skinny Shaming:

Many people on this planet have “Super Metabolism”, no matter what they eat, they never gain weight.

Also, there are people suffering from eating disorders (a range of psychological conditions that results in the development of unhealthy eating habits. It typically starts with an obsession over food, body weight & body shape). The eating disorders can affect people of any gender at any life stage but especially, found in adolescents and young women.

The studies have observed that up to 13% of youth may experience at least one eating disorder by the age of 20. Imagine a person being body shamed for having a super metabolism and/or suffering from one eating disorder or other!

Body Hair Shaming:

Another form of Body Shaming which is gendered in nature is “Body Hair Shaming”. It is natural to have all forms of body hair and exist for biological purposes, societal ideas of beauty have very neatly categorized it as acceptable & unacceptable body hair.

For example, hair on arms & legs are considered acceptable for men whereas it is considered to be unacceptable or even disgusting for women.

Comments such as “Oh! You must get rid of those body hair if you wish to wear that dress” are the subtle ways of body hair shaming.

Fashion Policing:

Social norms are not only about how you should look but also what clothes you are wearing. Even if clothing comes in all sizes, societal views on fashion and beauty plays a major role in availability.

While shopping you may have heard comments such as “Oh! This makes you look fat/skinny.” However, anyone whose body does not fit in that mold might be restricted to clothes which are meant to cover their bodies or enhance certain parts to help them create an illusion of that perfect body.

Food Shaming:

Oh yes! There is this thing called FOOD SHAMING… While it’s not directly shaming our bodies but it is about our bodies.

Have you ever been told that the amount of food you eat is too much? Yes, that is Food Shaming.

You start questioning yourself, talking down on yourself, berating yourself, hating you for having a meal you enjoy.

Yes, obviously! There is a thing called Portion Control but we should not have to shame others because they want to eat what we do not think is a good portion.

Think about that!

Bottom Line:

Did you ever stop and give it a thought that how often we are told to change our appearence? Everyone around us is a self-made dietician and they are really interested in constantly offering tips on how to lose weight. It’s not just about the Fat Shaming or Skinny shaming. People get Shamed for Body Hairs, Fashion and the Food as well.

We need to give it a thought while talking about such things to the people. That can really have a bad impact on one’s life.