Impact of Body Shaming on Society and Culture

This report discusses the culture of body shaming and its impact on individuals' health and self-esteem. It explores the role of social constructs, gender stereotypes, and media in perpetuating body shaming. The report also highlights the negative consequences of body shaming on mental health and well-being. Additionally, it provides information on organizations and campaigns aimed at promoting body positivity and self-love.

Body Culture and
Society

Table of Content.
INTRODUCTION...............................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY.......................................................................................................................1
CONCLUSION...................................................................................................................6
REFERENCES..................................................................................................................7

INTRODUCTION
Body shaming is the culture or practice follow by the community or the population
to humiliate the individuals on the basis of their physical appearance or the body form
they have. Significantly it is the act of criticizing or providing the judgement on other
because of their own beliefs and values. Body shaming is not limited to just the body
type shaming or the individuals fat shaming (Hasan and et.al., 2021). This practise has
been notices since the older times because of the superstitious beliefs of the society.
This practise by the society alters the individuals health as the discrimination and
regular criticism influence their confidence and the self esteem. This report provides the
significance on the social contract through the gender equality or masculinity and the
way the media provides its encompass on. It also precise about the impact of body
shaming on the culture, their health and the embodiment. Additionally, the report will
encompass the statistics to support the impact of criticism on the health.
MAIN BODY
Body shaming is done primarily due to the prospective to provoke someone
which might include the motive to sell the products or the service provided through the
biggest firms. These are done through the advertisements, they point out the approach
that will link the individuals mins set so as to show the impact of their product. They had
a evident role in creating the stereotype for the certain skin tone,height or the weight to
be recognized as the eligible candidate in the society. Main aim behind it to just
marketed the product they have design to their target audience(Hamilton-Giachritsis
and et. al.,2020). Individuals with overweight are mocked for the lean body and the one
with short height is embraced for their height and appearance. They are the individuals
who don't know how to respect other opinions and identity. Another ground of the body
shaming is individuals are incapable to understand their own feelings so they gets
manipulate easily (Liu and Zheng, 2021).
Social construct is the action or society pre-conceive notion which has been
designed by their own past beliefs and the though process. Primarily it is the beliefs of
the individuals that has been accepted by them to create a difference of opinion on
basis of individuals age,gender or the religion. These thought process are developed
due to their collaborative or the interactive agreement instead of the accurate decorous
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observance. Other than social construct, individuals also observers the femininity or
masculinity. It is observed through the gender stereotype theory which symbolize that
men are usually sensed as more masculine than women as it has been consider by the
society that men has more muscles mass and strength. It also suggest that women are
feminise as compared to the men. This scale of conceptualisation is used through the
Traditional Masculinity-Femininity Scale (Cassidy, 2019).
Body shaming is the social construct as from a history it has been seen that the
society has shape the thought process more than what one actually realize about its
impact. Body image or their enlargement is the biggest concern of today time as it is
both the internal and the external factor of determination. Internal factor symbolizes own
prospective or the though process and the external factor are the conception of what
society perceive. These negative judgemental comments of the society encompass into
high risk of maintenance of Weight in the youth and the elders which also contributes to
altered perception in behaviour and their well-being. To create the good image in front
of society, individuals altered their progression goal according to the society standards.
To accomplish it either they start the immoderate dieting while incorporating strict
obsession irrespective of their body demands which in some case leads to the eating
disorders in them (Bella, 2021).
However, these percipience drawn through the society withhold individuals self-
esteem which is reflected through self criticizing of their own appearance while
comparing it with others. It includes the perception like 'look this face looks so ugly and
dirty. These criticize impacts their own mental state. Other than self criticism, the more
consequence is seen when the judgement is passed by other and even they don't care
about the reflect of the observation on them.These judgements when passed through
the known or friends it works as mood detriment and which is also followed by the
feeling of the irritation and frustration in their behaviour. These criticism badly affects
their level of dignity and worth.
Relationship of body, art and media is critically intend from the last decades. As
there was the proximate rise in the use of internet by the youths which basically incudes
the social media. Significantly, the social media and the increased body concerns has
the exploratory relationship as their was on around increase of 90% in Internet access
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of age group of 18-30 years when compared with last two decades. Adults social-
emotional developments are nowadays directly depend on the type of environment they
are getting online. This includes the dependency of appearing keen in front of others
has developed the societal standards for way they look and about their beauty (Lamont,
Wagner and Incorvati, 2019). The parents and their peers also has a keen role in
creating the perception in adults or the adolescents about the way they look. However,
the media also plays the roles in creating the ideal body image perception in front of
others without estimating its negative impact on the social groups. These feedbacks
from all social platforms including media, art or the internet had a peer feedback in
individuals mind which has been witnessed through their body dissatisfaction behaviour.
This also wedged the self-deprecating commitments for the physical occurrence and the
weight management tips to maintain their body image. They have influenced the adults
in internalize patters for their physical beauty which when is not overcome then lead to
lot of disaffection and the frustration.
One in every third individual in the UK are ashamed of their body type and the
structure. Reports suggest that on a figure of the 61% of adults and around the 66% of
children in UK are embarrassed about the way they appear on the basis of figure and
the beauty standard. Across the UK various communities suffer with contrasting
subjective perceptive of body enlargement or the body shaming. In terms of their weight
there are more than 50% of women who are struggling to modify their body type or
appearance to meet the standards provided by the society. It has been found that
around 31-40% of the individuals have obstructed their diet pattern or have limited their
calorie to be fix in the lean body make up (Moore and Warin, 2022).
Culture in which individuals live makes the significant impact on the way one feel
about their own body and themselves. Different cultural tradition contribute to their body
image in both the manner including the positive or the negative manner. It also
contributes to alter the individuals self-worth. Either the individuals compress their
opinions or they conducive their thought process in such a way so as to posses the
health body image according to the societal views. This encourage the individuals to
focus on their eating and breathing pattern too. Individuals experience pressure by the
society to transform themselves into the lean body standards which are symbolized as
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perfect and the admiring body type by the population (Puspitasari, Tantiani and
Wardhana, 2019).
Media also influences the individuals in very depressive manner as it also reflects
the gender stereotypical traits. It basically seen in everyday behaviour as household
work are only preferred to be done by women as it is been preconceived that women
has good taste on food and can interpret their family members thought process also
when not represented by them too. They are on better way described through the
masculine and feminine. They are the comparison trend through which traits
comparison is done on the basis of their appearance, the action they performed and
their beliefs. Other than this is conceptualized that men are preferred to perform the
work outside the home and has the tall, broad shoulders who are the head of the family
unit. These above evaluated traits are the social expectant of being the man. It also
includes they always need to make decision in favour of their family not on own and it
also includes they need to be strong enough to hide their emotions beneath them.
These forms of body shaming are primarily the ancient superstition which are designed
to differentiate on the basis of the age and their gender. Men who are having the wide
hips and the prolonged breast with the lack of facial hair on their body are body shamed
by the society for being the feminise (Geofani,2019).
The internet primarily the social media is considered as the vehicle for depicting
the ideal occurrence and belief image. It is because the social media including the
Facebook, twitter or the Instagram reflects the individuals point of view as a form of the
pressure or the peer feedback. Internet influence the individuals regarding their
exercise, fitness or the diet they have to follow.
The internet influence the adults for the weight loss or to cut down their diet so as to
shape them into the definite shaped as represented by the society norms. It provides
the standard for invariable comparing of individual with the unrealistic body image and
the flawless beauty standards. These all actions have lead to decreased body
satisfaction and the self-worth. It has been found that 87% of women on record
compare themselves to the social media and this record for the men are 65%
(McMahon, McGannon and Palmer, 2022).
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UK has ranked 6th in Gender equality index. UK government has managed to
design the agenda for the sustainable development goals. Aim behind forming these
groups are to demolish the leading poverty, inequality on the basis of gender or age and
to provide the improve respected for the individuals irrespective of their choice or the
beliefs. UK has passed the Human Right Law in 1998. This law provides the
individualist the right to freedom of thought or the belief which is followed by the right to
speech and voice. Many regulation were formed by the regulatory bodies so as to
promote the empowerment not based of their gender preferences. UN Women is the
UN entity which is designed to support the gender equality or the voice of choice for the
women in the UK. It is formed to crush the troubles faced due to gender differences
which hare commonly the women's were furnish with societal judgement. The
judgements were passed by societies either when they raised their voice for the
demand of equality or have pick out the path assorted from social group modal beliefs.
Centred motive for these organisation is to assist the individuals irrespective of the
gender to prevent them from the humiliation or criticism due to the way out chosen by
them. Additionally, to ensure the security and safety of the individuals so as to hold out
their well-being (Meadows and Bombak, 2019).
Centre of reproductive rights was formed in 1992 which is an international
organisation. It was intent to provide the reproductive freedom as the right of the
individual where the all individual is need to respect or protect everyone choice and
voice. It provides the reproductive health services which is free form the favouritism or
the violence. Different organisation came together to deprive the body shaming by
designing different campaigns to aware the society. Be Real Campaign is one of which
that is formed to alter the individuals attitude towards their body appearance and though
process. However due to the increased humiliation or criticism among the adults there is
less of self-worth so these policies are aimed to pull the health above the appearance to
revert back the mislaid certainty in them (Forbes and Donovan 2019).
However, here the elaboration on the impact of body enlargement or shaming on
the health is render. It has perceived that the diluent individual is the goal for the life.
Body shaming has myriad the destructive consequences on the individual well-being.
To reach the goal designed by the society, individuals restrict themselves for the healthy
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eating while restricting their calorie consumption and hyperactive for their food choices.
This habit might lead to the eating disorder orthorexia. It is the condition where
individuals choose the unhealthy pathways to challenge their healthy pattern or the
eating. This strategy has even turned them for binge eating when they are out of
motivation. Dissatisfied individuals about no changer in their body type or appearance
have made them prone towards the depression which has a momentous role in
attenuated productivity and more upcoming disorders. It has been found that suicide by
the adults due to the body shaming or the criticism is the 4th leading cause of early
death in the nation globally. Other than it can also lead to the devolution of dysmorphia
condition, it is the mental abnormality caused when the individuals aren't able to
compete the certain beauty or body standards sensed by the society. In this condition
the individuals always compared themselves with others and undertake the fear of
offense or the shame. To surmount from the body shaming adults either go with the
plastic surgery to execute the ideal shape and either they take different medication for
the weight loss (Liong and Cheng, 2019).
CONCLUSION
From the above essay report the glance on the body shaming and body
enlargement is showed. It is the stereotypical criticism or humiliation face by the
individuals for the way they look through either while passing the judgement or by
comparing them to the ideal perception made by the societal groups. To overcome it
certain organisation are designed which enrich the support of different choice and
decision. Individuals should be provided with the counselling sessions so as to
encourage them to practise the self-love and accept the body the way it is. Motivate
them about their appearance and worth they hold. One should neglect the negative
people and their opinions.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals:
Bella, C., 2021. Tinjauan Yuridis terhadap Kedudukan dan Kekuatan Hukum Alat Bukti
Elektronik dalam Kasus Body Shaming di Media Sosial (Doctoral dissertation,
Universitas Internasional Batam).
Cassidy, L., 2019. Body shaming in the era of social media. Interdisciplinary
Perspectives on Shame: Methods, Theories, Norms, Cultures, and Politics.
Lanham, MD: Lexington Books, pp.157-176.
Geofani, D., 2019. Pengaruh cyberbullying body shaming pada media sosial instagram
terhadap kepercayaan diri wanita karir di Pekanbaru. Jom Fisip, 6(2), p.2.
Hamilton-Giachritsis, C., Hanson, E., Whittle, H., Alves-Costa, F. and Beech, A., 2020.
Technology assisted child sexual abuse in the UK: Young people’s views on the
impact of online sexual abuse. Children and Youth Services Review, 119,
p.105451.
Hasan, F., Latzer, Y., Diedrichs, P.C. and Lewis-Smith, H., 2021. A qualitative
exploration of motivations for fasting and the impact of Ramadan on eating
behaviors and body image among young adult Muslim women in the United
Kingdom. Eating Behaviors, 42, p.101545.
Lamont, J.M., Wagner, K.M. and Incorvati, C.G., 2019. The relationship of self-
objectification and body shame to attitudes toward and willingness to use
reusable menstrual products. Women's Reproductive Health, 6(1), pp.1-16.
Liu, Y. and Zheng, L., 2021. The influence of sexually explicit material consumption on
body image via objectified body consciousness among gay and bisexual men in
China. Sexuality Research and Social Policy, pp.1-9.
McMahon, J., McGannon, K.R. and Palmer, C., 2022. Body shaming and associated
practices as abuse: athlete entourage as perpetrators of abuse. Sport, Education
and Society, 27(5), pp.578-591.
Moore, V. and Warin, M., 2022. The Reproduction of Shame: Pregnancy, Nutrition and
Body Weight in the Translation of Developmental Origins of Adult
Disease. Science, Technology, & Human Values, p.01622439221108239.
Puspitasari, S.T., Tantiani, F.F. and Wardhana, L.W., 2019. Upaya peningkatan
baseline body acceptance melalui Gerakan Say No to Body Shaming di
kalangan pelajar Kota Mojokerto. PLAKAT (Pelayanan Kepada
Masyarakat), 1(2), pp.110-119.
Liong, M. and Cheng, G.H.L., 2019. Objectifying or liberating? Investigation of the
effects of sexting on body image. The Journal of Sex Research, 56(3), pp.337-
344.
Forbes, Y. and Donovan, C., 2019. The role of internalised weight stigma and self‐
compassion in the psychological well‐being of overweight and obese
women. Australian Psychologist, 54(6), pp.471-482.
Meadows, A. and Bombak, A.E., 2019. Yes, we can (no, you can’t): Weight stigma,
exercise self-efficacy, and active fat identity development. Fat Studies, 8(2),
pp.135-153.
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