By: Kayli Spears, MFT-Intern
A 2020 research article on body shape ideals in the United States yielded that women “reported conflicting pressures to be thin while also having the desire to have curvier and fuller bodies” (Hunter et al., 2020, pp. 240). There has been yet another shift in the perception of the “perfect body” in the United States over the last couple of years. Similar to the changing of the seasons and the trends that come and go, society’s ideal body fluctuates as well. How can anyone win with what is “in” or “popular” when standards are constantly shifting? In a world that does not permit an abundance of control in our lives, people can often attempt to hold tightly to the things they do have control over, one being food consumption. Crashing the calculator that resides in your mind is possible through renewing your mind to the truth of your worth and value as you are.
While cultural factors weigh into an individual’s understanding of body ideals, one truth remains across the board: 2nd Corinthians 5:1. “Now we know that when this early tent we live in is taken down, we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made of us by God himself and not by human hands.” Our bodies will fail one day. Gravity will run its course, and the ebb and flow of beauty standards will continue; however, the contents of what our tents or our bodies keep dry are the timeless contents. We are given finite time on Earth. How beautiful might it be to spend that time nourishing the contents that produce glory for The Kingdom?
Life has a way of getting busy, with the concern of outward appearances to surface and high-jack our understanding of Truth. To further discuss freeing yourself from the shackles of the ever-present calculator, I invite you to schedule an appointment with me, Kayli Spears, through our portal at dwatherapy.com, or call our office at 806-780-0003.
Be blessed and be a blessing,
Kayli
References
Hunter, E. A., Kluck, A. S., Ramon, A. E., Ruff, E., & Dario, J. (2021). The curvy ideal silhouette scale: Measuring cultural differences in the body shape ideals of young U.S. women. Sex Roles, 84(3/4), 238–251.
https://doi-org.acu.idm.oclc.org/10.1007/s11199-020-01161-x
