Friday, March 14, 2014

Things That Shouldn't Be Things: Thigh Gaps

I read an article on Hello Giggles about Target absolutely botching some swimsuit photos on their website and I was disgusted. Even Target has fallen victim to this whole notion of a thigh gap. And that makes me really sad.

 Yup. She's missing part of her crotch. And inner arms.





I don't know about you, but I'd rather have my thighs touch than be missing part of my rear.

Target has since apologized for these unfortunate photos and taken them off their website, which is good, but I wish so much this hadn't happened in the first place. This is absolutely NOT the message we want to be sending girls of any age, or even boys for that matter. We shouldn't accept this as reality. But at least now we know that even Target photoshops some of their photos. We can take comfort in knowing that the photos you see aren't real.

But let me be clear, I don't think it's bad to have a thigh gap. Everyone has different body structures and no one should be criticized for how their body looks. But to me, having a thigh gap doesn't really signify much of anything. Conversely, not having a thigh gap doesn't signify anything either. It does NOT mean that you aren't skinny if your thighs touch.

What angers me the most about this whole thigh gap thing is that for some people, it is anatomically IMPOSSIBLE to have a thigh gap. Society is pushing girls to try and attain something that very well may not be possible for them. The result? Eating disorders, poor self-esteem, unrealistic expectations, and an overall unhealthy lifestyle.

My mom had an old exercise video like 20 years ago where the lady said that the ideal legs touch at the thighs, knees, and ankles. Now the ideal legs don't touch at all. If we always tried to make our bodies conform to whatever the current "ideal" is, we would never be able to keep up. This idea of a "thigh gap" is a fad. It's a trend. We shouldn't let what society considers to be ideal influence how we perceive ourselves because society is always changing. And I really hope the idea of having to have a thigh gap goes away, quickly.

So this Spring Break, rock your swimsuit. Don't think about if your thighs are touching or not. Don't think about what you don't like about your body. Just don't think. But rather try to create an atmosphere in your life that promotes healthy living and loving how you look. Encourage those you know and encourage yourself to be happy and not get caught up in how people are portrayed in the media. Because chances are, it's not real. But you are real. And we should all embrace that.

Excited That: In two hours, I will be on SPRING BREAK!
About To: Eat lunch.
Going To: See a play tonight with Husband :)
Happy That: The weather is improving, albeit slowly.
Days Until Christmas: 285

4 comments :

  1. Have fun on spring break! I completely agree with your thigh gap ideals. Even at my thinnest, my thighs still touched.

    ReplyDelete
  2. The "apology" Target offered was for getting caught taking their photoshopping to an extreme. They, and every other major retailer, advertiser, and magazine on the planet, will continue to photoshop their images.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I always thought I was fat in high school because my thoughts touched. Now I would love to have the legs I had in high school again!! Thanks for writing this Annie! You are 100% right!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I kind of hate you for having spring break...

    ReplyDelete

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...