Dehi for Every Body

Society has preconceived ideas established in place of what a "beautiful" body looks like, and more often than not, people adhere to it. But if you think about it, society has preconceived ideas established for almost everything, dictating many people what they should do, what they should wear, how they should act, and none of it makes sense. You need to hold the reins of your lifestyle, and your choices. And if society disapproves, well, who cares? Many see this as an act of rebellion, when it's actually just the implementation of the basic fundamental right to freedom - the freedom of thought, of speech, the freedom to live the way we want as long as we're not harming others or ourselves.

 

The by-product of this conditioning is most often seen in conversations among friends or families when a person comments "oh, you've gained weight, do something about it." Unfortunately, this doesn't always come from a place of concern. So many women, when dating, are asked by their boyfriends to lose weight, lose fat, without any sensible reason. Most Indian celebrities are marketed in films and otherwise to have the ideal figure. But what is the ideal figure? And why is it the ideal figure? We can't possibly forever live on the 36-24-36 model.

 

You never know what people are going through. Some people gain weight because of conditions like Thyroid, PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome), and mental illnesses like depression, and because of the medication they take for these conditions. It goes the other way too; many women are told to eat more, tone up, they're jokingly called "skeletons", but they might be suffering from eating disorders such as Anorexia or Bulimia. And well, even apart from the health angle, some people are happy with, and confident about their bodies, no matter the size, and we have no right to strip them off of their confidence just because of what society collectively thinks is "sexy". Men are victims of this kind of treatment too, with people shaming their bodies, telling them they have "man boobs", and whatnot.

 

We've said it before, and we'll say it again: body inclusivity is the first step to body positivity. Dehi urges you to be kind to others, and to your own self, your own body. So the next time you notice a difference in someone's weight, maybe instead of just making a statement, you can ask them a question too: "you've gained/lost weight, is everything okay?" This way, the person on the receiving end won't feel bad and would feel seen instead.

 

Remember and feel John Mayer's words - Your Body is a Wonderland. And don't let anyone else tell you otherwise.