What is the Perfect Body Type?

In the celebrity world a few months ago, Stacey Solomon spoke up about being ashamed of your MumBod. As a mum of two, Soloman has said that she wants to remove the negativity surrounding post-pregnancy bodies.

I completely agree. You spend 9 months carrying a child who could, realistically, live to be 100 years or over. You go through all of the endeavors, pains and aches of carrying a bump in front of you. From morning sickness, to aching breasts, from food aversions to back ache, it feels like when those first nine months begin, they may potentially never end. Yet why is it, that when women give birth, and finally get to see their little bundle of joy, that it doesn’t take long before they’re crying in front of a mirror and heading straight to the gym. Even when some of those women arrive at the gym, they aren’t showing off the fact they’ve just brought a life into the world. In fact, they’ll cover up every inch of their body, too ashamed to show even a slither of skin.

In honesty, this post wasn’t going to be about pregnancy bodies, but of bodies in general. Why do we hate ourselves so much? Especially when we will never really agree that there is a ‘perfect’ body type. There are only three different body types. You may immediately think, “Thin, Fat, Average.” Well, yes, but there is more of an explanation. As I’m sure you’re aware, everyone’s body works differently. That’s the hard part to understand. We all assume to be the same, and we all assume that if there are Victoria’s Secret models on TV, we should be able to get to that size too!

Wrong.

Ectomorph body type is lean and long, with a difficulty of building muscle.

Endomorph body type is usually pear shaped, with high body fat and tendency to store that body fat.

Whereas, Mesomorph is a body type of high metabolism, well-built and responsive muscle cells.

Unfortunately, we all have to come under one category, and guaranteed, it’ll be one that you don’t particularly like the look of. It is almost certain that humans just don’t like the look of their bodies. You think the gentleman down the road who spends most nights in the gym likes the way he looked/looks? If he did, why would he spend so much time trying to change that? You think the girl who wears really nice clothes, skirts and shirts, likes her figure? Why would she try her best to buy the nicest clothes to make her body look better?

We barely recognize that other people feel the same way that we do, and that’s the sad part. That’s the part that brings us down the most; feeling alone. Not only that, but when people around you start to slander their own body, we feel the need to tell them that they don’t look the way they think they do and that they have a nice body. Yet, we fail to tell ourselves this.

I decided to take my searches to Google. I simply typed in “Body.” The only thing that pops up, are very slim women and models in body suits, with the exception of a gentleman with more muscles than Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Although, the search “Body Image” had a completely different outlook. The search consisted of a lot of woman, of all different sizes, branded “The Perfect Body.”

Yet, when I type in “The Perfect Body” it doesn’t take long before a picture of a slim woman in a bikini shows; the third and seventh picture to be exact.

It’s contradicting and this is why it doesn’t surprise me that adults are confused about their bodies, let alone children and teenagers. In a strange round up way, we all have distorted body images. We all see ourselves slightly different to the way everyone else may view us.

Although, in some cases, negative body image has a massive impact on people’s lives. It becomes an obsession. Eating disorders are the most common developer of negative body image. There isn’t just one eating disorder; there are in fact, three. Anorexia, Bulimia and Binge-eating Disorder. Not one worse than the other, all just as life threatening. These disorders can become so intense, that they’re able to take a life.

Not only do we shame our own bodies, but also in some circumstances, others may do the same. If we don’t eat lunch; “Are you anorexic?” Or, if we eat too much, we’re immediately eating our feelings and something must definitely be wrong. This may not only bring on feelings on negative body image, but one may become self-conscious and paranoid, “Are they telling me that I actually need to stop eating?”

There are no limits to how a bad body image can make one person see him or herself. Delving deep into a depression, they find it hard to escape from, leading onto more problems and difficulties.

If you’re struggling with a negative body image, seek the help and advice from your local doctor. Get to the bottom of it before your thinking pattern is in too deep.