Everything Girl

Now it is the time of year when people flock to my office out of pure, unbridled…fear. They know that in a short time there will be occasion to wrap themselves up in something even Dick Cheney would define as torture—the swimsuit. Images of gorgeous celebrities and models go dancing through their heads. It is enough to send someone either straight to the diet or straight to the ice cream (though the former causes the latter anyways).

“The way you view yourself is such a tricky thing. You know there are people out there who, though they do not fit the arbitrary ‘ideal’, they feel so good about themselves that you think they are beautiful too.”

The way you view yourself is such a tricky thing. You know there are people out there who, though they do not fit the arbitrary ‘ideal’, they feel so good about themselves that you think they are beautiful too. Consider that Marilyn Monroe was hardly what you might label ‘perfect’ according to today’s standards, but she continues to be seen as an icon of sexy.

In my practice, I see many young women who absolutely do fit our culture’s definition of perfect—yet these ladies feel completely disgusted with themselves. They are no more likely to wear a bathing suit comfortably than someone weighing 100 pounds more than they do. You see, there is a perception issue here. And many women will argue that they do not fall into the perfect category, so it is appropriate that they do not feel comfortable with their bodies. But there is no true definition of beauty—if you think it so, you are right. If not, you are right then too.

My husband is Brazilian, so I have been reading up on the culture in Brazil—in case you did not know, the women there are said to be the most beautiful in the world. An American woman was visiting there and noticed that everyone—even very petite women—wore clothing 3 sizes too small (not afraid to show it off). Another person noted that no matter what your shape or size, you must wear a bikini to the beach. People there do not seem to look from every angle to determine the depth and breadth of their cellulite.
Women feel beautiful there because they were blessed enough to be born women. They do not wait to be a certain size or weight before they can be confident in themselves. And I am not just referring to Giselle here, as women in Brazil come in all shapes and sizes, like we do. It is just that there, all shapes and sizes are rejoiced rather than critiqued.

The way you feel about your body can be a bit of a love-hate relationship. I would encourage you, though, to do all that you can to be kind to what you see in the mirror. If you are waiting to love your body only once you are physically perfect, you will never get to love your body. And that would be the worst torture of all.

Jennifer Pereira is a Registered Dietitian, Licensed Dietitian, and Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist based in Arlington, Texas. She focuses on nutrition and body image here at All Things Girl. Her website is: Nutrition Paradox and she is the creator of a new Online Instictive Eating Program called Born to Eat.

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