We need to stop thinking of body types as being trends

There are two places where I believe you can get the best temperature check to give you an idea of what’s trending, what slang people are using, and what people are talking about at the moment.

Those two places are secondary schools and social media comment sections. 

Unless you’re a parent/caregiver of a student or someone who works at a school, the former is unlikely to be a place many of us visit once we become adults. However, as someone who used to be a teenager, I remember clearly what the crowd mentality of high school can feel like.

In the early 2010s, we all straightened our hair, wore heavy eyeliner and gave ourselves emo-side-fringes.

In the 2020s, girls wear slick-back, middle-parted buns, and guys rock the ‘broccoli’ haircut- shaved on the sides and curly on top. 

I’m not here to comment on which style looks better, but to point out that if you’re wondering what’s ‘cool’ at any given moment, just ask somebody who has a teenager living with them and you’ll quickly find out. 

The other way you can learn trends is by observing the behaviour of strangers on the internet. It’s like the new form of people-watching. Comment sections can give you as much of an idea of what people are generally thinking as the posts that people are creating themselves. 
 

It’s no secret that ‘thin is in’ right now. It always has been, but it seems especially prevalent now. More celebrities on the red carpet are looking more gaunt and more frail than usual. I’m not shaming anybody’s physique, and I know that weight loss can be unintentional. But we shouldn’t gloss over the fact that there’s a possibility that this reflects a certain pressure they might be experiencing to look that way.

I saw an interesting comment recently (on somebody's video) that suggested perhaps there’s a darker reason for the rise of extreme thinness.

The comment alluded to the fact that rich people have always cosplayed as the poor, often as a way to deflect from wealth disparity. There is a stereotype that less wealthy people are likely to try and create an illusion of affluence by altering their appearance to what they believe will make them look richer.
 

So it becomes this cycle where the rich are copying the poor, and the poor are copying the rich. This also means that rich people have the power to manipulate the actions of the poor because the poor are likely to copy them.

Thinness has been synonymous with wealth for several decades because highly processed packaged and fast food - known to be linked to weight gain - has become the most affordable source of calories in the West.

However with the current economic recession, many people may not only be missing out on healthy meals, but they may be missing out on eating altogether. 

Recently publicised statistics revealed that 14% of children in New Zealand are missing at least one meal per week due to food insecurity.

Starvation is once again becoming an indicator of poverty. But it’s something that’s seen as almost aspirational thanks to celebs and influencers for a while now. Does this mean that the rise of the ‘super skinny’ look was in fact, a prediction of the outcomes of the recession? A way perhaps, to normalise and glamorise people struggling to meet their caloric needs for the day?

Food for thought, I'd love to hear your takes

Whether or not you feel as though you experience consistent pressure to be as thin as possible - this is important to think about when it comes to assessing our own motivations for improving our health, whether there might be subliminal cues affecting those motivations, and also determining what health might actually look like for us.

We must remind ourselves that weight loss or thinness is not synonymous with health, and if want to lose weight for health-related reasons, we should aim to do so in a way that truly does support our health. 

Body types should not be seen as trends, and what’s fashionable on the red carpet (or at Westfield Newmarket during the school holidays) should be kept to clothing and hairstyles. 

The best thing we can do to rebel against the influence of body-type trends is to be unapologetic in our acceptance and respect for our bodies regardless of whether we like the way that they look - which isn’t the same as not caring for our bodies - quite the opposite. 

We can be strong, healthy and fit in all shapes and sizes, and the more we can normalise diversity, the more we can inspire other people to do the same. To care for their bodies, without trying to force them into becoming a shape that would simply be unhealthy to achieve. 

What do you think?

Also - If you haven’t listened already, I have a new podcast episode out about the risks of dieting. Have a listen here. 

Bye for now,

Lx