What is body shaming and how can it harm mental health?
by Jacqueline Raposo for GoodRx Health
Four women with varying complexions, hair colors, etc stand together against a pink wall
Key takeaways:
Body shaming is any act that criticizes a person’s body shape, size, weight, or other physical characteristic.
Body shaming stems from a long history that separates people by class, race, ability, and socio-economic status.
Body shaming can have detrimental effects on body image and mental health. But with intention and effort, we can move toward greater body inclusivity.
Human bodies come in all shapes and sizes. And they do amazing things for us, like thinking, moving, and communicating.
There is no “ideal” human body. Yet many aspects of American society try to convince us that a perfect body exists. Body shaming ads and health campaigns encourage us to want it. And we may shame ourselves and others if we fall short of meeting this unrealistic ideal.
This can harm our mental health and make it harder for us to move through the world with confidence. Body shaming is not OK. So what is body shaming, and how can we stop it?
What is body shaming?
Body shaming is any act that criticizes a person for assumed physical imperfections. It most often targets body size, shape, or weight. But it can also focus on physical attributes relating to skin, hair, age, or disability.
Direct body shaming happens when one person comments about or mocks another person. We can also indirectly body shame by gossiping about a person without their knowing. And we body shame ourselves when we criticize our looks or believe we’d feel better about ourselves if we looked different.
Examples of body shaming include:
Gossiping that someone is too old for the outfit they’re wearing
Dehumanizing someone by joking that their hair makes them look like an animal or inanimate object
Telling someone struggling with their body image, “At least you have your health”
Implying that someone needs a makeover and offering to give them one
Telling yourself you don’t have the “right” body to wear a certain outfit
What’s the difference between fat shaming and body shaming?
Body shaming can target any physical attribute. Fat shaming criticizes weight, shape, size, or eating habits. It stems from weight stigma, which falsely assumes that people with larger bodies lack self-discipline or impulse control. Many times, it also assumes that people with larger bodies aren’t healthy.
Examples of fat shaming include:
Advertisements showing thin people as examples of the “perfect body”
Grabbing a friend’s waist and joking about their “love handles”
Believing you’d be more attractive if you lost a little weight
Commenting that someone has “gained weight in all the right places”
Implying that someone shouldn’t eat what they’re eating to manage their weight
Continue reading…
To learn why we body shame, how body shaming and fat shaming permeate social media, how body shaming affects mental health, and what to do if you’ve been body shamed or witness body-shaming action.
