Demi Lovato, Barbie, and Body Image: Why Being Just Me Is Just Fine

For years….and years….and years, women have been influenced by society to believe that the shape and size of their bodies is everything: from magazines showcasing a “Beauty of the Week” to songs (and now music artists) glamorizing Barbie figures.

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I can even remember riding in the car with my family as a young child listening to this song, singing along to the chorus and having no clue what they were talking about:

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As a child, it was my favorite song. I thought they were talking about an actual house made of brick, since that’s what I lived in.

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Women have been teased, taunted, side-eyed, and overall made to feel horrible about their bodies if it looks like anything less than a supermodel, Halle Berry, Kim Kardashian, or the legendary Barbie Doll.

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There is a major difference between making lifestyle changes for health and wellness reasons, and going through physical, mental, and emotional extremes and turmoil just to fit a certain body image.

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I am glad that Demi Lovato knows this, and I am so glad that she used her platform and celebrity to share her personal story and raise awareness to it:

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Demi Lovato is not alone—so many young girls and women of all ages and sizes have fought their entire lives just to get their bodies to look like that of a Barbie doll. They have starved themselves, suffered severe eating disorders, and battled low self-esteem and depression. Some have even committed suicide due to feelings of failure for not being able to achieve what the rest of the world said they should be.

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Even as little girls, the pressures of body image are high — getting and having what society says is “the perfect body” are even higher.

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I used to be a size 3—heck, I used to be a size 6, and even a size 8—but that was a long time ago. And I used to have a tiny and defined waist, but birthing numerous children over a span of 13 years made it a thing of the past. And since I don’t intend on blowing my savings to get cosmetic surgery, there will be no ‘D’ or even ‘C’ cups in my future. My weight fluctuates back and forth, but usually more “forth” than “back.”

 

 

And you know what……I am perfectly okay with all of this.

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When you put the images of models, dolls, and video girls aside and love yourself for who you are—and for all that you are—you realize that being ‘just you’ is just fine. You will understand that everyone on this Earth was created individually, uniquely, and wonderfully. Our uniqueness is what makes this world in which we live a beautiful place to be—it was certainly not the Creator’s intention for everyone on the planet to fit into the same mold.

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My concerns are not (nor will they ever be) returning to a size 3 or 6 or 8, or having an hourglass figure, or being 36-24-36. I just want to be healthy. And whatever “healthy” looks like on me, I am alright with that.  I embrace my body for what it is and not what society says it should be; for how it was created, not how the media believes is right or wrong, or even beautiful or sexy.

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I believe that my body is beautiful—and the only person that can influence me to believe otherwise is Me.

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Thank you so very much Demi Lovato for being an inspiration, being confident in your body image, and taking a stand to be a voice for the millions of young girls and women all over the world who feel the exact same way.

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What are your thoughts on body image? Share with me below or tell me about it at: melisasource@yahoo.com.

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