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30th January 2024
03:10pm GMT
Selena Gomez recently reflected on how much our bodies can change between our late teens and late twenties. It is a change that many people struggle to accept because society fools us into thinking there is only one way to look- flawless. They expect us to remain at the same weight, have clear skin, and cellulite-free bodies, but that's not the reality.
Our bodies change so much from year to year and do you know what? It's not only perfectly normal, but it's also perfectly okay. There's no shame in your body changing shape, whether you go up or down a dress size. Your body's purpose is not to look good. It's the reason we get from A to B, the reason we breathe, the reason we can talk, listen, and watch the world go by.
So why does society care about the least important thing? How pretty do our bodies look? Growing up in the era of the Special K diet, I was conditioned into thinking being more than a size 12 was wrong. People like Bridget Jones and Natalie from 'Love Actually' being considered 'fat' has an impact on a girl, and it's hard to shift.
I struggled to accept my new body and felt ashamed of how I looked. I was perfectly healthy but all I could focus on was the label on my skirts. Going from one size to another felt like a crime because society has shamed anyone over a size 10 for years.
But then I discovered the 'Average Girl Size' community on Instagram and slowly started to improve my self-confidence. The 'Average Girl Size' community is exactly what I wish I had during the time when all women ate were bowls of Special K. The empowering community is for mid-sized girls, so anyone between 12-16, who want to celebrate their bodies and style. If you look up the hashtag on Instagram then you'll see some of the most beautiful and fashionable people embracing how they look.
It takes you away from societal pressures and encourages you to love how you look, no matter what others say. It is slowly but surely improving my view of how I look and what my body looks like. It's a powerful movement that is only going to have positive impacts on women who have felt like they're not good enough because society placed ridiculous pressure on them.
The 'Average Girl Size' community is giving people their confidence back. It's reminding us that all bodies should be celebrated and life is too short to live off bowls of Special K.
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