The fashion industry has fed us the images of tall, sleek, photoshopped models who have the perfect dimensions in all directions. It is no wonder that we have cultivated a perfect body image that we are all striving to attain, and we body shame everyone that does not fit that image; a vicious circle thus starts.
This has been the norm of the fashion industry for the last twenty years, and only recently has there been a struggle for change so that other demographics and body sizes are not marginalized. However, the recent positive boy image campaigns are fighting an outlook almost two decades old, and therefore, the struggle is real.
The good news is that we are actually starting to make some headway. Just like the whitening creams are taking a back seat, so is body shaming. Infact, a brand as famous as Dalda, has started a #MeriAwaz campaign that is tackling body shaming. The target audience is young adults and children, who should be raised in a healthy environment with no pressure imposed by society.
Children, especially girls are raised with the expectation to be slim and beautiful and told from a young age what the society expects from them. This is not only unfair but can also pose mental health challenges later on. The clichéd perceptions endorsing eating less, and restricting from participation in sports or pursuing higher education is leading to shattered confidence and impediments in young girls.
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What is Dalda doing?
With its new campaign, Dalda is making headway in combating body shaming and creating awareness regarding needs for positive influences. The brand slogan of Dalda proclaims to be an extension of motherhood—‘jahan mamta, wahan Dalda’—and this kinship to motherhood is where Dalda can effectively raise awareness in mothers to inculcate confidence in their daughters about body image.
Only mothers can give the confidence to stand affirm to their children so that they can pursue their dreams regardless of societal pressures. #MeriAwaz is a struggle to defy the double standards prevalent in society.
The brand arranged for a workshop where all the high-powered influential mothers from all walks of life gave talks regarding confidence and body shaming. Spotted on the panel were actresses like Aamina Sheikh, Ayesha Toor, Samina Pirzada, Aamna Isaani, Mishaal and Sarwat Gillani.
These successful women stressed the importance of teaching the youth to ‘feel comfortable in their own skin’. This is a big feat and one that holds great importance because it is during teenage and the developing years that children feel underconfident and more susceptible to societal pressures. The workshop contained personal anecdotes of the panel members that emphasized on how to overcome obstacles through familial support and confidence.
During the growth years, the mother should indoctrinate in their children the importance of healthy eating and nourishing food, in lieu of being ‘thin and skinny’. Infact, this duty should be extended to include the school, whereby ‘body positivity’ should be taught as part of the curriculum.
Dalda has recognized the role of mothers and has truly discovered that only by involving and educating the mothers can children believe in themselves and stand firm against body shaming. We need to work as a society to believe and practice in inner beauty, fitness and to live a healthy lifestyle. Not only is this beneficial for the physical health of our children, but also their mental wellbeing.
How is body shaming changing?
On a global level, the movement against body shaming has gained popularity and a great amount of success. It can be gauged from the runways of Fashion Week, where plus-size models were seen taking over. Diversity and inclusion have become the new mantra of the fashion world. Most of the designers are trying to incorporate plus-sized models in their fashion campaigns and displays.
The whole struggle is to get past the body size and see the person behind. We need to shift the status of the word ‘fat’ from insulting to ‘acceptable’.
Role of social media:
Social media has played a vital role in changing the mindset of people. Hoards of women have taken over platforms like Tumblr, and Instagram to reject body shaming, especially fat shaming. Body positivity and inclusion is trending. Campaigns like #Fatkini, #ImNoAngel, #Fatshion and #LessIsMore are all trying to encourage young girls and women to find confidence in their body.
Women from all over the world are posting selfies in gorgeous outfits and exhibiting their confidence even with their plus-sized figure. Their force is such that companies and brands have started making trendy plus-sized clothing, and major retailers are getting on board.
The goal of the aforementioned campaigns is to inculcate a positive body image in people and to focus on a healthy and fit body as opposed to a skinny body.
We should be eating healthy, no matter what our dress size. You can seek professional help to design a healthy menu for you. Book an appointment with top nutritionists in Rawalpindi, Lahore and Multan through oladoc.com, or call our helpline at 042-3890-0939 for assistance to find the RIGHT professional for your concerns.
