So, I would personally like to call upon the people in our society to refrain from body shaming because one never knows what a person might be going through physically or mentally.
Among men and women, losing and gaining weight is absolutely natural during the course of their lives, but women have to suffer much more criticism in comparison to men.
The physical, mental and emotional system of women is way more complicated and complex. A female with professional or household responsibilities has a lot to tackle in her everyday life. She has to play the role of a daughter, wife and mother by sacrificing her own well-being.
Sleep deprivation, stress, childbirth, eating disorders, deficiency of vitamins and hormone fluctuations are common in every other woman these days. These lead to symptoms like bloating, skin problems, hair loss, weight gain, weak bones and depression. Imagine a woman struggling with these issues while also juggling with her daily responsibilities with a smile across her face.
On top of all this, she faces objectification and has her flaws pointed out as if she doesn't dwell upon these things every time she looks in the mirror.
Those who are in a habit of body shaming women conveniently forget that she might be dealing with medical conditions of some sort. Statistics show that the majority of women nowadays suffer from medical conditions like diabetes and PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome), high blood pressure and cancer (breast and ovarian). These numbers are increasing with each passing day.
Being body shamed doesn't make things any better for her. Instead, it takes her one step closer towards depression while she continues fighting her own physical/mental battles.
Being a health-conscious person myself, I find it very difficult to cope with a slight weight gain over the past three years. Severe vitamin D and calcium deficiency, as well as knee pain, not only got in the way of my workout routine but also triggered changes in my body mechanism, which eventually led to weight gain.
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Though I can say that I've been comparatively lucky as my weight gain problem was manageable, but I do feel like I can relate with all the women dealing with involuntary weight gain. This experience has been hard considering I don't feel like I have the same control over my body when I was a bit younger.
So, the problem is not only with those men who have little or no idea about the physical struggles women have to deal with from an early age, but also with women who judge and comment on the appearance of other people. This practice is not only unfair but unacceptable as well.
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One can't set specific parameters within which every woman must fall. The beauty standards that society has set for women are not only unrealistic but degrading. A woman is not and cannot be defined by her appearance whether she is a few pounds less or more.
People should accept responsibility for their words and realise the consequences of unwarranted comments on someone's body. If it's not your body, then you have no right to pass any comments.
If you really want to help someone you personally know and care about, and who happens to struggle with weight fluctuations, what you can do is support her by understanding her situation and making her feel comfortable instead of indulging in criticism and body shaming. Such an attitude only makes her feel as if she's not good enough or is not trying hard enough because I assure you that she is doing her best.