Alake Olanike Pelumi is a plus-size model and fashion designer. She speaks about overcoming body-shaming and how tough it can be because the society made her feel she has to be a particular size to be beautiful. She is now in love with her body and flaunting what she’s got.
Pelumi created Curvy Pink, a platform where she inspires and motivates plus size women to love and accept their body and maximize their talents.
She wrote:
My definition of body negative is how people see their self in a negative way, when you don’t like anything about your body, unrealistic way of how you see your body. Body negativity can be from the result of body shaming, feedback about your body from peers,family members and friends etc.
Sign and symptoms of body negativity * obsessive self criticize or study in mirror *frequent comparison of your own body to our people’s body size and shape *envy : the body of a celebrity or some one else in the media.
I usually tell people that media is one the causes of body negativity, when the media portray the kind of beauty and the society feel you have to look a certain way or standard size, Women and young girls are now living in a society where their bodies define who they are. Girls are terrified to gain weight and are continually reminded by the media about various new diet products on the market, and the value in weight loss.
They are also bombarded by countless television shows on plastic surgery and the number of cosmetic surgeries in this country are increasing every year. Women today face impossible images of beauty on a daily basis when they watch television, see a movie, or view a magazine. It is estimated that young girls are exposed to 400 to 600 media images per day.
Solution to body negativity/ways to overcome body negativity
1. Fighting fatism
Learn to accept people of all sizes and shapes, this will help you appreciate your own body. Who are the people you admire, who are your mentors, do they preach body confidence create a list of people you admire that do not have “perfect” bodies. Does their appearance affect how you feel about them? Do you know in 1940’s the women that are consider beautiful women like Marilyn Monroe(size14) and Mae West were full bodied and truly plus-size women but today those beautiful women will be considered over weight, fat. Learn to fight fatism( the discrimination of fat people)
2. accept heredity
Always remember that many part of your body can not be changed, 20 percent of your body can be determine by your genes. While they are some aspect of your body you cannot Change. Learn to accept change and change start with you it is inside of you and it start with self respect, self love and body confidence. So it important to focus on your health more than your size and it is important not to compare your body with your friends, celebrities, family member or media images.
3. Think of your body as a tool. Create an inventory of all the things you can do with it, You know I usually say this all the time, learning to express your self with what you are good at,what you are best at doing it might be fashion, beauty, motivation talks, just express your self with whatever you are best at. I knew I loved fashion and I wanted to be a voice to plus-size women I combine it and created @curvypink.
5. Replace the time you spend criticizing your appearance with more positive, satisfying pursuits.
6. Be your body’s ally and advocate, not its enemy.
7. Have this positive mind that your body is perfect just the way it is.
Don’t let your size keep you from doing things you enjoy( fat is not a disease).