Imperfectly Perfect

Body obsession is mentally draining and an exercise in futility.

- Wangari MuChui

If you had a magic wand that could transform any part of your body, what would you change?

Many of the imperfections you see when you look at yourself are the result of the comparison.

The images of celebrities and models in advertising, mainstream media and social media, represent what society considers to be the perfect female body. Yet most of these images have been carefully selected, filtered and airbrushed to reflect what epitomizes beauty in the fashion world. Bombarded by these images, it is no wonder that when many women look at themselves, they see imperfections where their body parts do not correspond to the images.

The inclination to view one body type as the definition of beauty begins early. In kid’s books and cartoons, heroines usually have similar body features – they are slender, toned and have an hourglass figure. This is in contrast to female villains who are features like abnormally large faces, eyes, nose, fingers, or legs. In addition, for a long time, dolls had slender bodies with long flowing hair. A young girl will, therefore, grow up believing the misconception that a slender figure is superior when compared to a chubby one.

Girls and women whose bodies do not fit into society’s description of perfection, therefore, tend to develop all kinds of insecurities about their weight, height, legs, arms, bum, bust... the list is endless.

It is time for women to perform a radical act – be body positive.

Love your body unconditionally and unashamedly, despite the cellulite, stretch marks, weight and all. You can develop body positivity by asking yourself introspective questions such as these:

1 When was the last time you stood stark naked in front of a mirror and admired your body?