"We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty."
I find this term to be such a catch – 22. I feel a strong desire to be comfortable in my own skin and to be happy with who I am, but I don't want to stay fat forever. Personally I feel that it encourages laziness and a sedentary lifestyle without motivation. When I think about this term, I feel like it's a message to my body saying, “Yeah, go ahead and eat all those cookies and make sure to have that daily midnight snack. Oh, and don't forget to not exercise today too.”
I think the concept is spot on, but the delivery is way off. Size shouldn't matter but health sure as hell should. I firmly believe it is possible to be overweight and healthy just as much as it is possible to be skinny and unhealthy. Making smarter food choices and physical activity seem to take a back seat in this campaign but really they should be forefront.
I feel the same way about “thinspiration” and “fit is the new skinny.” Why do we have to aim for skinny when it's more important and more realistic to just be healthy? It's pretty obvious that society obsesses over tiny waistlines and getting one as quickly as possible. We love instant gratification. Being fit and staying fit is more than a 3 week crash diet. It's a lifestyle, a commitment and entire attitude adjustment. It's hard work. It's overlooked because we are bombarded with diet pills and lose weight fast plans.
I think some major adjustments need to be made and here are my suggestions:
“You Acceptance.” Let's start the focus on being comfortable with who you are in general, because you're more than just a measurement. We certainly don't include the size of our butt on our resumes. There's more to us than that.
“Healthspiration.” I said it earlier; Health should be the most important issue. Lose weight to improve yours, not to impress that bitch at work who made a passive aggressive comment about the size of your sweater.
“Fit is the new you.” Think about it. It's a personal mantra to get into shape and to become healthy. Your own opinion is the most important one. Focus on you and not how others categorize you.
Body image will always be an issue in our society. Only as individuals can we determine the path that will take us from self conscience to healthy living. Will you allow everyone else to tell you to focus on being skinny or will you take charge of your own body and focus on being fit and healthy?