May 4 , 2019
By Tsion Fisseha
I was in sixth grade when a skinny cousin of mine looked at me from head to toe and uttered words that would upset and affect me for a long time.
“You’re getting fatter by the day,” she said.
I hated the idea of eating food after that, and worse, looking at myself in the mirror. All I kept thinking about were my flabby arms and tummy. I wanted to be thin. Not fit, just thin.
People rarely shy away from speaking their minds in Ethiopia, however simple and insignificant the matter may be. It is a favourite pass time. And one of the most popular subjects is physical appearance.
If one is thin, then that person must be poor or stressed. Likewise, if one is fat, then that person is wealthy and pacified, at least that is the popular assumption. Or someone is chubby because that person is bad at taking care of their body. The list goes on. These thoughts are thoroughly communicated without the fear of causing anxiety and depression on the receiving end of a conversation.
Body image is a concept that has evolved throughout the ages. The concept refers to a person’s perception of their own body as compared to society’s predefined standards. It includes the memories, experiences, assumptions and comparisons of one’s own appearance.
This concept, as expected, varies from one society to another but is and has always been a significant idea that eluded and eludes our understandings. Body image could be of both positive and negative attitudes, both holding their own connotations. It does enormous damage to one’s psychology which leaves a huge imprint and takes quite a lot of years to get rid of.
Due to the predetermined standard that is set by society and exploited by the media, an obsession of altering one’s body sets in, which can be followed by eating disorders. This also leads both male and female individuals to have an assumption of others being more attractive than them and eventually developing low self-esteem.
Body image has slowly but surely become a relevant topic in Ethiopia. Having the desire to have an hour-glass figure or a muscular feature has become an obsession.
A compounding factor is social media, which has been found to be a significant catalyst in widespread body and weight dissatisfaction among girls and women, according to a study titled “’ Selfie’ Harm: Effects on Mood and Body Image in Young Women” by Jennifer S. Mills et al.
This is not to say that physical fitness is unimportant. It is something that we all should aspire to for the sake of living a longer life unencumbered by diseases. There is nothing wrong with starting a weight loss diet or hitting the gym.
The problem appears when all the equipment and remedies are used for the wrong reasons. Body image has more relevance in the thought process of a person than the actual body one carries. Much of our work should be focused on loving our image before attempting to change it.
“You are no less valuable at a size 16, than a size 4. You are no less valuable as a 32A than a 32C,” said Mary Lambert, an American singer and songwriter.
We should not allow external bodies to have an immense effect on the way we feel about our own. Only when we believe our worth can we truly achieve a positive body image. Physical health starts from how healthy our mind is - fixing the former without the latter is pointless.
PUBLISHED ON
May 04,2019 [ VOL
20 , NO
992]
View From Arada | Jun 10,2023
Sunday with Eden | Nov 16,2024
Obituary | Feb 29,2020
View From Arada | Jul 18,2021
Life Matters | Apr 02,2022
Radar | Oct 16,2021
Sunday with Eden | Feb 01,2019
My Opinion | Sep 07,2019
Viewpoints | Aug 10,2019
Viewpoints | Feb 17,2024
My Opinion | 129335 Views | Aug 14,2021
My Opinion | 125634 Views | Aug 21,2021
My Opinion | 123659 Views | Sep 10,2021
My Opinion | 121488 Views | Aug 07,2021
Dec 22 , 2024 . By TIZITA SHEWAFERAW
Charged with transforming colossal state-owned enterprises into modern and competitiv...
Aug 18 , 2024 . By AKSAH ITALO
Although predictable Yonas Zerihun's job in the ride-hailing service is not immune to...
Jul 28 , 2024 . By TIZITA SHEWAFERAW
Unhabitual, perhaps too many, Samuel Gebreyohannes, 38, used to occasionally enjoy a couple of beers at breakfast. However, he recently swit...
Jul 13 , 2024 . By AKSAH ITALO
Investors who rely on tractors, trucks, and field vehicles for commuting, transporting commodities, and f...
May 17 , 2025
Ethiopia pours more than three billion Birr a year into academic research, yet too mu...
May 10 , 2025
Federal legislators recently summoned Shiferaw Teklemariam (PhD), head of the Disaste...
May 3 , 2025
Pensioners have learned, rather painfully, the gulf between a figure on a passbook an...
Apr 26 , 2025
Benjamin Franklin famously quipped that “nothing is certain but death and taxes....
May 17 , 2025
The soaring price of milk is becoming increasingly unaffordable, uncovering a deepeni...
May 17 , 2025 . By BEZAWIT HULUAGER
Ethiopian Investment Holdings (EIH) has stepped into the Treasury Bill (T-bill) marke...
May 17 , 2025 . By NAHOM AYELE
In a sweeping move that has triggered applause from regulators and alarm among small...
A new measure from the Addis Abeba Revenue Bureau (AARB) makes commercial landlords p...
Loading your updates...