Body positivity – why women are tired of skinny stereotypes - Body Image

I am writing this for 15-year-old me, teased for having a flat chest.

I am writing this for 25-year-old me, at war with her post-partum body and newly rippled skin.

I am writing this for every woman who feels quite frankly exhausted by fighting her own reflection.

I grew up in the Nineties, where skinny was sexy.

In 1999, Victoria Beckham was asked to weigh herself on live TV after having her son, Brooklyn.

This was the era of Friends, where Monica was at the centre of fat jibes and Rachel was aghast when she learnt an acquaintance had gained weight.

‘Hips or thighs,’ she says, one hand covering her mouth in horror.

Fast forward to 2022, and there is, thankfully, greater representation both on screen and social media.

Women are celebrated for losing weight, especially when in the public eye.

Even celebs are speaking out about the pressure in the film industry, and labels above the UK average of a size 16 are becoming more common.

I recently went on holiday and opted f...

Body positivity – why women are tired of skinny stereotypes