BHS LOVE YOUR BODY WEEK
ninalevine'17
THE VEHICLE TO YOUR DREAMS
siridabbi'18
It’s that time again: the bathroom mirrors are once again decked out with positive messages. Love Your Body (LYB) Week 2016 has come.
Last year’s Love Your Body Week was quite adorable, the highlight being the LYB Rally where students were able to write compliments to one another on stickers and paste them on the recipient. In addition to the LYB Rally was the Mini Health Fair, the “Making Strides to Love Our Bodies” all-school track walk, and the pledges made to refrain from negative intra- or interpersonal talk. As LYB comes to a close, it is important to reflect more seriously on its purpose and the issues it attempts to combat.
Statistics will tell you that around 90% of females ages 15-17 want to change at least one aspect of their physical appearance, with body weight ranking the highest. Up to 25% of normal-weight males nevertheless perceive themselves to be underweight due to their lack of visible muscle. And we’ve all heard the complaints about media setting unrealistically high standards for all consumers. The problems are not too hard to recognize. The solutions, however, are extremely difficult to implement. This is because struggles with body-image are born from our internalized sense of what we look like. The key word here is internalized, meaning that it is a conclusion based solely on our own, oftentimes over-critical, ideals. Everyone’s ideals are different and that is what makes negative body images so difficult to counter on a large scale. Yet there are still certain things everyone should keep in mind about their treatment of their bodies.
Sure, you can and should surround yourself with people that remind you of your inner strength and beauty, but true love of your body starts with you. Your body is not just an ornament, it is the instrument of your life and the vehicle to your dreams. For that reason, you should treat your body with respect and assure its health. This may seem a little hypocritical at times: how do you love your body the way it is yet actively work to change it by living healthier? Well, living healthy does not mean changing your body, not always. Living healthy is allowing your body, which looks absolutely fine, optimal conditions at which to perform the amazing feats you strive for everyday. Loving your body, which goes hand in hand, is appreciating the fact that it accomplishes these feats, accepting whatever you perceive as flaws, and contently working toward those optimal conditions.
Easier written than done, I know. A simple way to keep you on track to loving your body is to always remember that health and happiness come first. Health and happiness also come second. And third if you really want to go the extra mile (10/10 would recommend). It’s okay to take it slow; eat when you’re hungry, rest when you’re tired, and keep moving until you realize that every week is Love Your Body Week.
Last year’s Love Your Body Week was quite adorable, the highlight being the LYB Rally where students were able to write compliments to one another on stickers and paste them on the recipient. In addition to the LYB Rally was the Mini Health Fair, the “Making Strides to Love Our Bodies” all-school track walk, and the pledges made to refrain from negative intra- or interpersonal talk. As LYB comes to a close, it is important to reflect more seriously on its purpose and the issues it attempts to combat.
Statistics will tell you that around 90% of females ages 15-17 want to change at least one aspect of their physical appearance, with body weight ranking the highest. Up to 25% of normal-weight males nevertheless perceive themselves to be underweight due to their lack of visible muscle. And we’ve all heard the complaints about media setting unrealistically high standards for all consumers. The problems are not too hard to recognize. The solutions, however, are extremely difficult to implement. This is because struggles with body-image are born from our internalized sense of what we look like. The key word here is internalized, meaning that it is a conclusion based solely on our own, oftentimes over-critical, ideals. Everyone’s ideals are different and that is what makes negative body images so difficult to counter on a large scale. Yet there are still certain things everyone should keep in mind about their treatment of their bodies.
Sure, you can and should surround yourself with people that remind you of your inner strength and beauty, but true love of your body starts with you. Your body is not just an ornament, it is the instrument of your life and the vehicle to your dreams. For that reason, you should treat your body with respect and assure its health. This may seem a little hypocritical at times: how do you love your body the way it is yet actively work to change it by living healthier? Well, living healthy does not mean changing your body, not always. Living healthy is allowing your body, which looks absolutely fine, optimal conditions at which to perform the amazing feats you strive for everyday. Loving your body, which goes hand in hand, is appreciating the fact that it accomplishes these feats, accepting whatever you perceive as flaws, and contently working toward those optimal conditions.
Easier written than done, I know. A simple way to keep you on track to loving your body is to always remember that health and happiness come first. Health and happiness also come second. And third if you really want to go the extra mile (10/10 would recommend). It’s okay to take it slow; eat when you’re hungry, rest when you’re tired, and keep moving until you realize that every week is Love Your Body Week.
