Growing up in the 60s, I was made fun of for being skinny. In high school, I longed to look like the shapely cheerleaders. In my middle years, I was praised for being thin and having a slight build. What? The same body that was ridiculed in my early years was now something to be praised? My friends who looked not much different than their high school years were now considered chubby and unattractive? This constant shifting of societal beauty standards is confusing and frustrating. One day, being skinny is looked down upon, and the next, it’s praised. It’s like our bodies are just pawns in a game played by corporations to sell their products.

Tired of Being Told How You Should Look?

It’s time to break free from these unrealistic beauty standards and embrace our bodies as they are. We need to stop letting corporations dictate how we should look and start celebrating our unique shapes and sizes. Let’s focus on being healthy and confident, not on chasing an unattainable “ideal” body type.

Your Best Self

You know how you feel, but do you have the best information to keep you on track or guide you to the first steps toward a healthier you? The National Institute for Health, the United States’ primary federal agency for medical research, has a simple Body Mass Index (BMI) calculator and straightforward information to guide you on your journey to being your healthiest, best self.

Be Healthy and Don’t Define Your Worth By Your Size

Forget the pressure to lose weight or look a certain way. At the end of the day, your worth isn’t defined by a number on the scale. Who cares what anyone else thinks – you do you!. If you’re happy and healthy, that’s all that matters. So ditch the diet culture noise and focus on feeling good in your own skin. Your body is beautiful just the way it is.

This is a sensitive topic for many of us. Please share your thoughts on any of the following:

• How have you personally dealt with body image issues or body shaming?
• What are some of the most hurtful comments you’ve received about your appearance?
• Have you ever felt pressure to change your body to fit societal standards?
• In what ways has body shaming impacted your self-esteem or mental health?
• Have you found any effective coping strategies for dealing with body shaming?
• Do you think society places too much emphasis on physical appearance?

These highly rated offerings provide a great place to start for those of us who feel vulnerable in today’s environment.