Bodies Aren’t Meant to be Trends 

The year was 2012 and I had just discovered ‘thinspiration’ on Tumblr. Posts under this tag typically featured a photo of a skinny girl the poster aspired to look like. The trend that stuck out to me the most at this time were thigh gaps: the space between your thighs when you stand with your feet touching. I didn’t have one, and according to Tumblr users, that meant I was fat.  

I was 12 years old, and I already hated my body. However, the 2010s also marked a shift in the way body trends were perceived by the public. The body positivity movement was all over social media, encouraging women (and men) to embrace their natural bodies and love themselves no matter their size.  

This isn’t to say trends still weren’t around. Kim Kardashian’s butt was making headlines and suddenly everyone decided to want a big bum and thick thighs. Women moulding themselves based on what they see in magazines and social media isn’t a new concept, these sorts of trends have been around for centuries.  

In the 1800s, women would wear corsets to give them the ideal hourglass shape.  

In the 1920s, a more androgynous body was the ideal for women. Loose clothes were in fashion, and they were said to look better on women with no curves. Some women resorted to wearing shapewear to make their chest smaller.  

In the 1950s, the hourglass shape came back in fashion. After the Second World War came to an end, gender roles were coming back. The ideal body type for women was one that showed off their curves and was more feminine than the bodies trending in the 1920s.  

From the 1960s to the 1980s, the ideal body fluctuated from supermodel skinny, to a more athletic build. Diet pills were all the rage in the ‘60s and WeightWatchers held its first ever meeting. Fast forward to the 1980 where there was a fitness craze, resulting in women becoming more interested in a healthy diet and exercise. Women still desired to be lean, but they also wanted to be strong. 

The 1990s and early 2000s were defined by their ‘heroin chic’ aesthetic. Heroin chic was the antithesis to what models in the 1980s looked like. Instead of appearing vibrant and healthy, models in the ‘90s looked emaciated with their bones showing, dark circles under their eyes and stringy hair — a look often associated with the use of heroin. The rise of ‘heroin chic’ models in the mid-90s coincides with a spike in the number of eating disorders reported in North America. This trend remained prevalent in society throughout the 2000s and stuck around until the rise of the body positivity movement. 

While the 2010s weren’t perfect, it was a time for women to feel more comfortable in their bodies. Clothing brands were becoming more size inclusive and plus-size celebrities were gracing the front pages of magazines.  

However, this was also a time where social media was used to not only promote body diversity, but also beauty trends. Reality TV stars, such as the Kardashians, and social media influencers began setting the trends, with the most notable one being the Brazilian butt lift. Between 2015 and 2019, the number of people going to get a BBL procedure increased by over 90 per cent.  

As the decade turned, Ozempic came with it. Ozempic is a prescription drug originally used to treat type-2 diabetes. Many people — including celebrities — are using it as a weight loss drug and skinny is now back in.  

Keeping up with these constantly shifting trends can be exhausting. But it can be hard, especially for young girls, to differentiate between what is being pushed onto them and what they really want. 

Social media doesn’t help. TikTok recently banned users from searching for terms like “skinnytok” after an increase in users began spreading harmful ways to lose weight under the hashtag. However, disordered eating content is everywhere on social media, sometimes even disguised as nutrition or fitness. These are industries are worth billions of dollars that thrive off of people’s insecurities.  

So, how do we fight an industry that profits off making us feel bad about our bodies? 

Those of us who grew up with an unhealthy relationship with our bodies may find it hard to get out of this mindset. However, healing is possible, and the first step is acknowledging you have a problem and recognizing that you aren’t alone in your feelings. Upwards of 84 per cent of women in Canada are unsatisfied with their body.  

You can start small with positive affirmations. Find one thing you like about yourself and say it out loud. If you love to exercise, focus on doing exercises that help you become stronger, not ‘hotter.’ Go on hikes, take a yoga class, find what makes you happy and discover what your body can do. Exercise will help you feel more comfortable in your skin, and it has been shown to lower stress and depression levels.  

Lastly, let’s do better with the next generation. Young girls (ranging from Grades 6-12) are already reporting concerns about gaining weight. Start a discussion with the women in your life, discover where their insecurities come from and learn from it, so we aren’t putting the same pressure on our youth.  

My own body is still something I’m struggling to love. But, as I get older, I’m learning to love it for what it is. It helps me get from point A to point B. It helps me take care of my cats. Maybe by the time the next trend rolls around, I’ll be ready to just ignore it.