nonindependent abash: A woman's body shape doesn't define who she is or her worth as a ...

Written by: Adwoa Fosu on October 18, 2012

This article has been read 714 times.

Hollywood?s notion of the perfect female form should not be held up as a goal or requirement

It seems as though, for decades, we have been hounded by the idea that real women have curves. The ideal body shape is supposedly an hourglass with the perfect measurements of 36-24-36 to match. While this killer body seems to be quite rare ? and I say rare because Hollywood has to make a big deal out of anybody who has one ? it has become the epitome of health and sexiness.

To some extent, I can see where society is coming from. As a slender woman, I truly admire those with curves; some clothes just fit better on those with full bosoms and full hips. But, is it fair to say that a woman isn?t a woman unless she has an hourglass figure? For one thing, not all of us were born with such a ?desirable? shape. Women?s body types run the gamut from straight to pear-shaped to inverted triangle, and none of them are more or less feminine than the others.

It is not fair to say that someone has a boyish figure just because they have size A breasts and little curves, just as it is not fair to say that someone is fat because they have double D sized breasts and wide hips. The bodies we have are what we were given; there are some things we can do to improve them, but for the most part we must work with what we?ve got.

Body shape does not determine health, either. One?s physical fitness is determined by many different factors such as muscle tone, level of endurance and strength. It pains me to see so many of my friends embarking on diets just because they wish to be smaller in size. But here?s a newsflash: Skinny people aren?t necessarily healthy people. Just because someone happens to be a size 5 does not mean they would be able to successfully complete a 5k marathon.

That being said, there?s nothing wrong with seeking a little self-improvement. I believe it?s a task that we should all take up at least once in our lives. But as women we need to make sure that we are improving ourselves for the right reasons. We must not get stuck in the mentality that there is something wrong with our bodies.

As a matter of fact, being so diverse is part of what makes being a woman and being a human beautiful. Each of us has a unique aspect about ourselves that we must truly embrace before we can feel comfortable in our own skin. I know that when it comes to self-esteem, things are much easier said than done, but if we make the effort to accept the bodies that we?ve been given it won?t matter what anyone else has to say about them.

So, again, is it true that a real woman has curves? Yes. Christina Hendricks and Beyonce have curves, and they appear to be real women, but a real woman can also have love handles, a six pack or a bald head. Why? Because, while there are many physical features that are consistent with being a woman, it is what we have on the inside that classifies us as a group. Simply put, a real woman has two X chromosomes.

Now, what separates those of us with two X chromosomes from each other is confidence. The women whose bodies we admire carry themselves with an air of confidence that is very strong. They could be wearing twenty pairs of Spanx under their outfits, but we would never know because they are putting out a message that they look good, and we believe them.

We can exert this same kind of confidence by dressing for our body types and believing that we look good. At the end of the day, our bodies are our own; we must be the ones to behold our own beauty.

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