EFFECTIVE STRATEGIES TO SHUN OTHERS FROM BODY SHAMING YOU

Family gatherings and reunion or get together with friends can bring enormous joy and connection. But for many, tensions arise when family members or a friend make direct (or indirect) body shaming comments, or comments that promote an unhealthy relationship. Body shame is never good for anyone. Feeling ashamed of your body or appearance can make it difficult to engage in healthy habits and even prompt eating disordered pattern.

Apart from family or friends body shaming takes place mostly in schools and workplaces where the subject is often exposed to negative comments regarding their appearance.

Body shaming is spreading rapidly in India and it is directed mostly at women as compared to men. As per a report, 47.5% of women said that they experienced body shaming in school or workplace and of that 32.5 % said they were mostly close friends who made those comments.

It also has a link to depression. Above all, when family members or friends make body-shaming comments, they advertise an obsession with body size, shape, and structure. And fortify the idea that our worth should be determined by what we see in the mirror or through the eyes of others.

If you have friends or family members prone to this way of body talk, here are a certain strategy for kind ways to redirect these conversations. Try them and see how it works. It is never too late to create healthier dynamics when it comes to body image.

Here, top psychologist Shivani Misri Sadhoo shares effective strategies to shun others from body shaming you.

Ignore It And Change The Topic

Someone from your family or friend circle may say “you have gained too much weight”. You should try to ignore it and look to change the topic. Like you can ask the person “hey, how are you?” This will lead to a conversation on a different path altogether.

Look To Use An “I Statement” Followed By The Topic Change

Let’s say that a family member asks you have you tried that diet I suggest to you?  You can say I think I am capable enough to look after myself. By the way, have I told you that I am going to buy a new car? This response will help you to divert the person’s attention.

Include Your Kid Into It

If someone says how skinny or overweight you have become. You can politely say to that person that you are trying to teach your kids that it is not the looks that matter but it is the person. Thus, we do not allow such comments in our house. Maybe it will be better if you can avoid them here. In this manner, you can send a strong message across the table.

Ask For Help

A family member may say to you, look at my belly fat. You will get it too. Genetics are hard to avoid. Then, you can respond by saying see I want to tell you that I have made a resolution to do best for my body with grace and kindness. Those comments can put me off track. Would you like to join me? It would be great if we can work together for the betterment of our bodies. It may force the other person to think seriously about it.

Always Be Honest And Focus On Your Feelings

Someone may refer to you and say that dress is not suiting your body. You should say that your comment is really vague and they make hard for you to spend time with him or her. I want all of us to enjoy the gathering. Would it be possible for you to stop talking about how I look? By this type of response, the other person will be aware that you are not going to swallow their comments.

You need to remember that your family members or friends may think that they care for you when they make those comments. Or they maybe projecting their own insecurities onto you. A little empathy added with a clear statement of your situation on body shaming could go a long way.