Dying to be Fit
Text: Lim Charlotte
We have always been fixated with our body size, exerting enormous pressure on ourselves to conform to the ideal body shape that is in fashion.
During the Victorian era, we wore corsets wound so tight that we could hardly breathe in a bid to attain the coveted 12-inch waist. In the 1970s, we squeezed ourselves into girdles to get the lean build that was in style. Fast forward to the new millennium, and we have resorted to starving ourselves in order to live up to an impossibly thin waif-like body shape popularised by supermodel Kate Moss.
Today, fitspo or fit inspiration is the latest manifestation of our obsession in achieving the newest and most fashionable trend of toned abs and sleek muscles. Referring to images intended to motivate people to exercise and eat healthily, the trend exploded online on social networking sites like Pinterest, Tumblr and Instagram, building communities of followers all over the world.
While fitspo may seem to inspire a healthy lifestyle, its methods instead reinforce our unhealthy obsession with appearance and stereotypes how a healthy person should look.
Fitspo content often feature photos of slim, tanned and muscular women in skimpy workout gear accompanied with motivational messages such as “suck it up now and you won’t have to suck it in later” and “strong is the new skinny.” Put together, they seem to suggest that in order for one to be fit, one has to look fit.
However, not all fit bodies look the same. Psychologist William Sheldon identified three different categories of body types. Depending on variations in fat percentage and muscle mass, the same exercise and lifestyle will produce different results in different people. Yet, fitspo images only highlight the muscular and toned body as a universal ideal, regardless of individual differences.
This is compounded by the fact that most fitspo images represent unrealistic and unattainable ideals for the vast majority of women. Fitness instructor Chichi Kix revealed on her Facebook page that fitspo models have an average body fat percentage of 16 percent - significantly lower than the healthy 20 to 25 percent range recommended for the average woman. The photos were also taken at a time where the model has undergone a restricted diet of food and water, as well as having engaged in overtraining, specifically for the photo shoot. Such images represent a fleeting moment in the model’s life that cannot be maintained in the long run.
However, many women are unaware of this and fall prey to the trend’s false promises of getting a “healthy” body, which they may never be able to achieve. As a result, some fitspo enthusiasts suffer from orthorexia nervosa, an eating disorder where the patient becomes obsessed with workouts and healthy eating, and is never satisfied with the way she looks.
The fundamental problem thus lies in our obsession with our body shape, stemming from a lack of self-confidence and the need for affirmation through conformity with the latest ideal body shape trend. More often than not, this leads to unhealthy effects on our minds and bodies. It is time that we shake off this superficial obsession and focused on other integral internal qualities, such as intelligence and character. After all, we are more than the sum of our body parts.
Tags: commentary/editorial
We have always been fixated with our body size, exerting enormous pressure on ourselves to conform to the ideal body shape that is in fashion.
During the Victorian era, we wore corsets wound so tight that we could hardly breathe in a bid to attain the coveted 12-inch waist. In the 1970s, we squeezed ourselves into girdles to get the lean build that was in style. Fast forward to the new millennium, and we have resorted to starving ourselves in order to live up to an impossibly thin waif-like body shape popularised by supermodel Kate Moss.
Today, fitspo or fit inspiration is the latest manifestation of our obsession in achieving the newest and most fashionable trend of toned abs and sleek muscles. Referring to images intended to motivate people to exercise and eat healthily, the trend exploded online on social networking sites like Pinterest, Tumblr and Instagram, building communities of followers all over the world.
While fitspo may seem to inspire a healthy lifestyle, its methods instead reinforce our unhealthy obsession with appearance and stereotypes how a healthy person should look.
Fitspo content often feature photos of slim, tanned and muscular women in skimpy workout gear accompanied with motivational messages such as “suck it up now and you won’t have to suck it in later” and “strong is the new skinny.” Put together, they seem to suggest that in order for one to be fit, one has to look fit.
However, not all fit bodies look the same. Psychologist William Sheldon identified three different categories of body types. Depending on variations in fat percentage and muscle mass, the same exercise and lifestyle will produce different results in different people. Yet, fitspo images only highlight the muscular and toned body as a universal ideal, regardless of individual differences.
This is compounded by the fact that most fitspo images represent unrealistic and unattainable ideals for the vast majority of women. Fitness instructor Chichi Kix revealed on her Facebook page that fitspo models have an average body fat percentage of 16 percent - significantly lower than the healthy 20 to 25 percent range recommended for the average woman. The photos were also taken at a time where the model has undergone a restricted diet of food and water, as well as having engaged in overtraining, specifically for the photo shoot. Such images represent a fleeting moment in the model’s life that cannot be maintained in the long run.
However, many women are unaware of this and fall prey to the trend’s false promises of getting a “healthy” body, which they may never be able to achieve. As a result, some fitspo enthusiasts suffer from orthorexia nervosa, an eating disorder where the patient becomes obsessed with workouts and healthy eating, and is never satisfied with the way she looks.
The fundamental problem thus lies in our obsession with our body shape, stemming from a lack of self-confidence and the need for affirmation through conformity with the latest ideal body shape trend. More often than not, this leads to unhealthy effects on our minds and bodies. It is time that we shake off this superficial obsession and focused on other integral internal qualities, such as intelligence and character. After all, we are more than the sum of our body parts.
Tags: commentary/editorial