Stop Body Shaming Start valuing Talent

Prachi Nigam, a student from Sitapur, Uttar Pradesh, has topped the state board exams with an exceptional score of 98.5 percent in matriculation. However, her achievement was overshadowed by online trolling targeting her appearance. Due to Prachi Nigam having facial hair, lewd comments and outright sexist remarks were made on social media platforms. Is this kind of harassment or trolling to a state topper justified?

In India, body shaming takes on a cultural dimension, often intertwined with traditional beliefs, gender expectations, and family pressures. From a young age, individuals are exposed to societal ideals of beauty that favor lighter skin, slim figures, and specific facial features. These ideals are perpetuated through media, Bollywood films, and even advertising, creating constant pressure to look a certain way, the situation is even worse for a woman.

• Thinness and Muscularity: A slim, toned physique is frequently presented as the ideal for women and men, respectively.

• Youthfulness: The emphasis on youth can lead to discrimination against older individuals.

• Fair Skin: Colorism, or discrimination based on skin tone, has been prevalent in many cultures, promoting fair skin as a beauty ideal.

Specific Facial Features: Certain facial structures, like high cheekbones and symmetrical features, are often glorified.

Here are examples of successful people from different fields who have overcome body shaming, proving that societal beauty standards do not bind success.

Body shaming affects people across different fields, but these successful individuals prove that resilience, self-acceptance, and advocacy can overcome societal prejudices. Their stories inspire others to reject body shaming and create a more inclusive and supportive environment. By challenging traditional beauty standards and embracing diversity, we can work towards a society that values individuals for who they are, not for how they look.

The key lessons from their stories include:

• Resilience: These individuals faced criticism but remained committed to their goals and aspirations.

• Self-Acceptance: They embraced their bodies and used their platforms to promote body positivity.

• Advocacy: They used their success to challenge harmful societal norms and encourage others to do the same.

How to Overcome Body Shaming?

• The first step in dealing with body-shaming is body positivity. Body positivity is about accepting and understanding that feeling good about your appearance is important for your mental health.

• Let your achievements do the talking, not your appearance. Focus on your goal. Ignorance is the best policy.

Conclusion

Inner beauty is the real beauty. Being skinny is ok, Not being skinny is ok.

Being fair-skinned is ok, being dark-skinned is ok. But bullying someone for their body type, This Attitude is not ok.