Last updated on January 27th, 2025 at 09:53 pm
In western culture, we are taught that a perfect body is something to aspire to. However, the idea of body perfection is a lie.
Ideas of body perfection sucks because:
- They’re not attainable (for anyone) because its subjective
- The’re often racist
- They ignores the body’s purpose (which spoiler alert-is not to look pretty)
- They causes body guilt, shame, and anxiety
Striving for body perfection can not only increase guilt and anxiety, but it it might also be the precursor for dangerous behaviors such as compulsive exercise or eating disorders.
This article will explore some of the reasons why focusing on “the perfect body” in ourselves and others can be problematic and sometimes downright dangerous. We’ll also map out tools for what you can do to respect your body and improve overall body image.
Why Body Perfection is A Lie
Body Perfection is Subjective
Each person has a very different and distinct view of what beauty is. When you are trying to achieve the “perfect body,” you will always fail because you are basing your standard on opinions which fluctuate from person to person.
You might say to yourself “I”m trying to achieve a standard for myself-not others” but this can’t actually be true because YOU were also influenced by culture, media, and medical infrastructures which all are dictated by the opinions of other people.
Body perfection is subjective because:
- Each person has their own standards for a desirable body
- Most people focus on their own features they find desirable or undesirable for how they feel your body should look
- Each subjective opinion will shift from day to day as new trends come out or diet culture convinces us there are more body flaws to correct
Achieving body perfection is a never ending climb because our opinions of ourselves are influenced by the opinions of others which are constantly changing.
The Perfect Body Is Different In Every Culture
Every culture has a different idea of desirability of bodies based on their genetic blueprint and cultural practices.
Body standards shift from culture to culture based on:
- Natural genetic variations of the population
- Access to resources such as food and outdoor spaces
- Patriarchal influence on citizens
- Accessibility to media
- Access to shelter
What is considered body perfection in one culture will be vastly different as you travel the world. This makes the feat impossible.
Your genetic blueprint may also make it impossible to achieve certain body standards in one culture or another forcing you to feel continual guilt and shame for not achieving physically impossible traits.
New Body Flaws Are Added To Diet Culture Daily
Body perfection has an ever escalating standard in Western culture. It’s impossible to achieve because:
- Each day new body flaws are marketed
- Standards for attractive features change from one year to the next
- Body perfection ideas often require youth which isn’t sustainable
Poor Body Image Is Common In All Body Types
The goal of diet and wellness culture is to keep you dissatisfied with your body at all times. This means that the marketing industry for diets will work hard to make sure that the perfect body is unattainable for EVERYONE by constantly increasing its criteria.
Think about it, we’re all walking around in different bodies and almost no one is completely satisfied with their body regardless of its size and shape. This means that regardless of what your body looks like, Western culture will work hard to tell you it’s not good enough.
It is in the best interest of the diet industry to keep you dissatisfied with your body so that you continue to invest time, energy, and money into the system chasing the perfect body.
Poor body image is common even if:
- You have thin privilege
- You genetically have conventional beauty traits
- You fit medical standards of the ideal body size
- You fit the racial standard for beauty in Western culture (often white and nordic or those who look to have the features of someone white and nordic)
Bodies Are Instruments Not Ornaments
Most people forget on a daily basis that the purpose of a body is actually not to look good. Bodies are designed to be functional, not ornamental!
The purpose of your body is to:
- Perform the tasks of day to day life for you in this world
- Protect you from environmental stressors
- Protect you from illness and injury
- Perform work
- Perform in sports
- Allow you to enjoy food
- Allow you to connect with others physically and emotionally
Your body is an ally. It is not a problem to be solved or a project to be worked on.
Chasing the perfect body could cause you to neglect your emotional wellbeing. It could also cause body harm in the instance that you might compromise the nutritional and physiological things that your body needs to try to achieve body perfection.
You could even develop disordered eating habits or an eating disorder if you are constantly trying to perfect the way your body looks.
Body Neutrality Vs. Body Positivity
So you have decided to ditch the unattainable goal of achieving the “perfect body.” What’s next?
While many people encourage body positivity and simply “loving your body,” I encourage body neutrality instead.
Body neutrality helps improve your body image because:
- To even love your body means you won’t always like it (body’s constantly change!)
- We can respect and honor our body without the intense desire to love every part of it
- Taking the focus off your body allows you to focus on your other talents, dreams, and aspirations
- Focusing on what your body can do versus whether you like how it looks gives you freedom
The goal of body neutrality is that you are not thinking much about whether or not you like the physical appearance of your body much at all throughout the day. The priority of the perfect body is instead replaced with a focus on your talents and the things you enjoy doing.
Tips to Ditch Body Perfection Standards
Some tips to start dismissing the desire to perfect your body include:
- Doing a social media purge of accounts that focus on beauty standards and cosmetic fitness
- Stop body checking
- Stop dieting
- Stop compulsive exercise
- Get rid of clothes that don’t fit
- Keep a list of body positive mantras
- Ditch the scale
- What Is A Non Diet Approach - January 27, 2025
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