I’m confused about the whole body image thing. As some of you know, I’m a neo-feminist and I spend a lot of time reading all sorts of ‘Girl Power’ books. Recently, I’ve been doing a lot of reading on body image. Here’s the problem: what does it mean to have a good body image?
I know what it isn’t. But I don’t know how to define what it is. I know that I don’t like my body. That I feel like I’m at war with it. That I’m uncomfortable in it. That I’m not satisfied with the way it currently is.
But does having a good body image mean giving up? I read these essays and article by all these women who claim to have a great body image because they’re happy being 300 pounds. Is it true? Or is it that at some point we just throw our hands in the air and say ‘I give up! I can’t fight the images that the world constantly throws at me so I’ll rebel against it all together.’
I notice that I don’t see a lot written by ‘normal’ or ‘thin’ women saying that they’re fine with their bodies. Is it just assumed that they are? I don’t think so.
At what point do we make peace with our bodies? And can we do it while still working to improve them? I’m coming to terms with how I look, but I don’t think I’ll ever stop trying to make it better. I want muscles and leanness. I want my curves to be firm and not squishy. Does that mean I can’t accept myself for who or what I am? Or is it that the whole ‘body image’ thing is just another bunch of propaganda?