I can name a hundred things that taste better than how skinny feels, but would you say the same? In the era of a social media-filled world, the digital glow of a smartphone screen is often the first mirror a teenager looks into each morning, reflecting a world of “ideal” bodies and “perfect diets.” For many, this constant exposure paints a picture where health is measured strictly by numbers on a scale.
A reliance on the Body Mass Index (BMI) and body standards has long been the norm for how our society measures health, but it overlooks the intricacy of the human body and mental well-being. With the combination of weight-inclusive care and BMI metrics, healthcare can properly treat all people, regardless of size or age.
As the Body Positivity movement becomes increasingly popular across social media platforms, so does the normalization of Glucagon-Like Peptide-1s, or GLP-1s, which are gut hormones that regulate appetite and blood sugar, according to Cleveland Clinic. The “Ozempidemic” has spread all around the world as people drop pounds like a hot potato. For a teenager like myself, it’s hard to see all of these influencers become thin overnight and feel like you need to follow what they are doing.
The traditional medical system provides the idea that Body Mass Index and weight tracking are essential to properly assess patient health. From an entry in the Indian Journal of Medical Research, weight tracking, BMI, and GLP-1s go hand in hand with tools like weight tracking apps and social media accountability groups in order to provide structure in keeping up with a healthy lifestyle.
On the other hand, growing research suggests that true health lies in the behaviors and feelings rather than the visual result, supporting a weight-inclusive model where the focus shifts toward non-scale victories like improved sleep, strength, and mental clarity, as stated by Dr. Mary Parkinson.
Social media has emphasized the idea of “all bodies are beautiful,” which is mentally relieving, but this kind of attitude can be harmful to someone’s health. Most people online provide a positive outlook on indulging in a sweet treat one too many times and supporting mukbangs. The circulation of negative self-image in our minds and so many different voices telling you that your body is beautiful, causes a shift point of view of what “healthy” looks like.
Binder states that with the media having the ability to shape all sorts of news and awareness, the promotion of healthy activities combined with healthy eating should be circulated rather than the singular idea of a small body or an unhealthy one.
Mohan shares that in today’s society, the goal has become losing weight quickly rather than safely. What many people don’t realize is that healthy weight loss takes time, patience, and the right mindset. Although this process is slower, people often feel less hungry, and more satisfied throughout the day. It can also support a healthier metabolism, making weight loss more steady and easier to maintain long-term.
The simple truth is this: food is not here to scare you, it’s here to fuel you.
While everyone can feel pressure to fit society’s expectations, women in particular have dealt with unrealistic standards surrounding food and body image for centuries. As a little girl I remember my friends introducing me to the word “calorie” and what not to eat at the ripe age of 10! Social media often encourages competition over who can look the thinnest or achieve the “perfect bikini body.” These standards become even more unrealistic when women are expected to balance careers, relationships, and expectations of growing children with working lungs and beating hearts while also being just as thin as they were when they were teenagers.
Social media has the power to create a healthier and more positive perspective on wellness when it encourages balanced lifestyles instead of extreme ones. Encouraging a healthy lifestyle is the most influential and supportive thing the media can promote, as written by Binder. Understanding that every woman requires different needs for different body types is the way we can shift social media to harmonize women rather than turning against one another.
Our overall wellness should come from internal reflection rather than an external one. Can your body move properly? Check. Can your body regulate itself? Check. Can your body rest? Check. Then that’s all you need! Constantly seeking approval from others can damage self-esteem and contribute to eating disorders and long-term health issues. Instead, people should focus on how their body feels, the nutrients it needs to function throughout the day, and the habits that genuinely improve their well-being.
In conclusion, extreme diet cultures and unchecked body positivity on social media distorts what health actually means. To progress from these unrealistic expectations, society should focus on health and individual well-being rather than the reflection in the mirror. By changing the norms that society has carried for decades, we can create a healthier approach to a functional lifestyle and deepen our understanding of different healthy sizes rather than the numbers under our feet.
