To all the women out there who worry about their body, this is for you?

[cosmos]

1.) All women that exist are ''real women''. If you're a woman and you're fat, skinny, curvy, square, circle, triangle, whatever, then you're a real woman. It's complete an utter bullshit that people deem a particular body type (usually a voluptuous/curvy body) as "real"; this is a pathetic attempt to discredit women of other body types (usually skinny body types, as backlash to the media's frequent portrayal of this as an ideal) as being real/desirable. The message serves only to boost the ego of curvy women by deriding that of skinny women. No woman should try to boost her confidence by tearing down that of another woman, and no woman is deserving of insults about her appearance, regardless of her body type, because all women are subject to being hurt by these insults.

2.) There's no such things as an "ideal" body types. There is no one body type that is objectively superior, save for a body that is healthy, and this includes a wide range of figures, from women who are voluptuous to women who are thin.

3.) Men's desires in regards to women's bodies is entirely subjective. In other words, what a man finds sexy/beautiful/pleasurable VARIES. Some men like skinny women. Some like curvy. Some even like actual fat women (there is a culture that actual praises being overweight). Some men like large breasts, some like small, some don't care and like butts instead, while others like legs. Get it?

4.) What men an/or society find beautiful/attractive shouldn't matter in the first place. Women should strive to change their bodies according to their standards only. Ideally, they should strive for what makes them healthy and/or happy. They should never do it for social acceptance. People should like you for your personality and character, not your looks. Those who don't aren't real friends.

5.) We need to stop worrying ourselves to death over what the media deems attractive. They have the freedom and the right to express their views on beauty, no matter how fallacious or warped those views may be. The reception (or what women take from it) depends on solely upon them and their mental/emotional strength. In other words, it is up to women to come to the conclusion on their own that the media's portrayal of ideals is warped and false; we shouldn't have to change the actions of the media and spoon feed this to women. Women should be encouraged to derive their own views of beauty, and to think for themselves rather than accept what the media has to say or to change it in their favor.
Thoughts, additions, commentary?
Thank you guys for your answers thus far.

[Interesting]

Thank you

[687]

You are right. All men and women are REAL men and women. I hate it when people say "real women are this" and "real men are this". And many different types of men prefer different body types on women. That is a fact.

[Stunnah]

Kitty, I agree 1000% ! The article brings up a good point that we should not want to look a certain way to feel accepted by anyone whether it's for someone we're attracted to or to those around us. It should be the other way around. Those around us should accept all different bodies.

Unfortunately as this article touches on, media and other's views, more specifically societal norms and standards are so powerful in our lives that we feel there is a "right" and "wrong" way to be. When in reality... Media is made up. Media wasn't here when the Earth first came to be. Therefore all the ideas portrayed in the media are made up. Which ultimately means, there is no certain way we should or shouldn't look. Only the stereotypical way we should look.

I find myself the same. I am a skinny girl with the tiniest bit of curves. I always think (thank whoever, that i have these little curves otherwise i'd look like a stick) ..I always wish to have bigger assets and thicker thighs. Because that is what I find attractive. Yet I come across many girls who which for what I have and tell me theyd rather skinnier thighs than thick..

Everyone wants those perfectly shaped faces, and perfect curved bodies.. while some do have them, most of them don't and it's the help of technology and photoshop that make these women look so desirable.

For many, which you would never hear or see on the media, they find the more 'natural' look sexy. Example, women who have stretch marks. In the media that is undesirable, but for some people, stretch marks makes someone look more natural and therefore more attractive in some people's eyes.

Beauty is a matter or perception.. More so, beauty starts from within and shines outward. Beautiful personality, and way about someone will make them seem just as beautiful on the outside !

Great article. You're right. Many women will feel more confident from reading it.

[Kollejira]

I agree, but I would also like to add that this also applies to men. All men that exist are real men. It doesn't matter if he's stereotypically masculine or not, chivalrous or not, muscular or not, tall or not, lean or not, etc... If a man exists, he is a real man.

Different women are attracted to different things, too. It's not true that a short man has no shot. Look at Humphrey Bogart or Lil Wayne. And I don't think most women place nearly as much importance on genital size or on having a 6-pack as men think they do. Some women even like smaller genitalia, larger/smaller bodies, etc...

I'm not saying that there aren't preferences that are more common among men or among women (more men like a BMI of 20 than of 15 or 30, more women like a man moderately taller than them than a man shorter than them or much taller than them), but that traits like height and BMI don't define you or your compatibility with partners.

[Haley]

Yes and I would like to add...that this should also count for men.

I feel mostly attracted to males who resemble teddy bears.
Yet I hear men here complaining that they need six packs to be liked by women?!?