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In one of my more recent posts, I briefly wrote about the obsession many people (mostly women) have with their bathroom scales and the undue pressure they put on themselves to keep their weight from doing anything but go up. This got me thinking about how and why we’ve become fanatics about our outward self-image. Why are we willing to pop chemical laden diet pills and force our bodies into starvation in an attempt to be thin? Why do we feel inferior or less sexy than those with “super model” physiques? I pondered these questions and many more, searching for some sort of explanation as to what drives this innate desire to be thin.
First, I believe that the compulsion to be skinny is instilled in girls at a very young age. Images of extreme thinness are plastered across magazines, catalogs, billboards, websites, and televisions. The phrase “sex sells” has truly become a benchmark in successful marketing. Advertisers link sexualized images of young, thin female bodies to tangible products in hopes of establishing a correlation between being skinny and being deemed socially and physically appealing. The sad truth in the matter is that these images are unrealistic and often fabricated versions of the typical woman’s body.
Did you know that…
- 400-600 advertisements bombard us every day; one in eleven has a direct correlation about beauty.
- One out of every four college-aged women uses unhealthy methods of weight control.
- The pressure to be thin is even affecting girls as young as 5 and 6 years old.
- Objectification increases self-consciousness, body anxiety, heightened mental health threats (depression, anorexia nervosa,bulimia, and sexual dysfunction), and increased body shame.
- Only 4% of women around the world consider themselves beautiful.
It is no accident that youth, extreme thinness, and cosmetic surgery are increasingly promoted as an essential criterion of beauty. Young girls and women are internalizing these stereotypes and judging themselves by unrealistic standards.
With these frightening statistics on the rise we must ask, what can be done to curb this epidemic of gross distortion of body image?
On a global level, we can rally in support of the outspoken and forthright advocates that are shedding light on the detrimental effects of habitually monitoring our body’s outward appearance. On a personal level, we can live by example and join the droves of women that are adopting the phrase, “Strong is beautiful.” The sport of CrossFit, in particular, has embraced this concept and is recruiting women of all ages, body types and backgrounds. In doing so, women are learning to accept their natural body types by finding beauty in their strength. The obsession to lose weight transitions into the motivation to perform new skills and lift heavier. The goal is no longer to be skinny; the goal is to be strong. By shifting their focus, these women are seeing unbelievable results based on their performance, not on their starvation tactics.
Unlike other training regimens, CrossFit offers the support and knowledge base most people need in order to make a sustainable lifestyle change. CrossFit is about creating a stronger, healthier version of yourself. It is not about counting calories, choking down diet pills with diet soda, running on the treadmill for 2 hours a day and being tormented by your bathroom scale on a daily basis.
The CrossFit philosophy, if you will, is one that focuses on the cardiovascular health and muscular strength; it is intense, yet a highly supportive and encouraging environment. The camaraderie is what herds the sports devout following; the results are what drive people to stick with it. The proof is in the pudding; the internet is flooded with countless success stories highlighting incredible physical and mental changes, and others are finding inspiration in their transformations and following suit.
CrossFit is more than an exercise program, it is a lifestyle. In addition to producing exceptional results, it changes women’s perspective on body image. Moreover, it educates those that want to change their eating habits and abandon fad diets and the monotony of the treadmill once and for all.
While it’s easy to join the critics that bash CrossFit, there’s no denying that it is creating a new breed of confident, strong, determined women that are healthy and beautiful. CrossFit is about redefining yourself from within. It’s about self-realization and self-improvement. It is about rejecting the undue burden and duress to be aesthetically flawless by the standards set forth by mass media. It is about living an active, healthy life that embodies wholeness.
Do I believe that CrossFit will single-handedly alter the minds and lives of women everywhere? No. Every woman has a unique genetic make-up just like every woman has a unique set of experiences. There are countless social and cultural constructs that determine a woman’s psyche. The point is that despite the many differences that determine a woman’s individuality, every woman deserves to feel beautiful inside and out. If CrossFit is responsible for reshaping even one’s woman’s perception of herself for the better, then that’s a win in my book.
STRONG – 1
SKINNY – 0
