How to Defeat Sizism Syndrome

Setting aside all the clichés and jokes about whether or when ‘size matters,’ it’s a glaring truth that the impact the ‘ideal’ female image projected toward young women is no laughing matter. Images of the perfect female body are everywhere—movies, magazines, billboards, and (for crying out loud) even in television commercials for a big name health club and spa (that shall remain nameless here).

On some level, you may know that this ideal image is just that—an image. You tell yourself that a piece of glossy magazine paper can’t hurt you. You may not actively strive to live up to someone else’s perception of how you should look either. But, on a deeper level, you may be questioning your self-worth based on a comparison of these perceptions and the real flesh-and-blood you. In other words, you may worry that you’re not good enough to hang with the right crowd. If this fear speaks to you, then you may be suffering from the dreaded but silent disease known as sizism syndrome.

Here’s another truth about women and society: We’re taught from an early age that expressing anger just ain’t pretty. So, what happens when you feel angry whenever you look in the mirror and realize that you’re not the perfect female ideal as defined by the media? At first, you suppress that anger. But, eventually, you internalize it, directing it toward yourself. After all, who else is there to blame for not being a Perfect 10? This way of thinking is a sure-fire recipe for a lifetime of insecurity, social withdrawal and depression, coupled with eating disorders, yo-yo dieting and other destructive behaviors.

Okay, now take a step back…back to the last time you looked in the mirror. This time, though, see yourself for who you really are, not for what size you are or how you compare to others. Acknowledge that you weren’t created from a mold. In other words, you are a unique, synergistic sum of your parts and can’t be defined by the size or shape of only one or two.

Ready to give your sizism syndrome some more medicine? Here are a few more tips to swallow (sans the sugar)…

• While you’re on the journey to shed pounds and get fit, lose track of numbers. Strive to achieve a healthy weight and body mass that’s right for you instead of trying to become a size whatever.

• Honor your body and the wonderful things it can do by participating in social activities that promote healthy movement, such as dancing, hiking, swimming, bike rides, etc.

• Celebrate your body! Forget about skinny jeans and tank tops, if they make you feel uncomfortable. Surround yourself instead with soft, colorful fabrics that flatter your personality as much as they do your shape.

• Eliminate words and phrases that spread sizism from your vocabulary, whether you use them to judge yourself or others based on appearance.

• Turn off the television and donate those celebrity magazines to your dentist’s office. Taking a break from media and advertising that promote The Ideal Image can do wonders for your own perception of real beauty.

• Respect your body. Aside from feeding your brain positive affirmations about your body image, make sure that you eat right and get enough rest.

Best of luck!