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1st August 2024
03:03pm BST
We all like to joke about almond moms and only having iced coffee for breakfast, but there is one creator in particular who has gained a lot of attention for her mindset in regard to body image.
I won't name this particular person, because I don't think her message is worth spreading.
In short, her whole philosophy is that skinny is always better. She prioritises small portion sizes, drinking water, and walking to 'cancel out' meals.
Wanting to lose weight isn't problematic, and neither is her method, per se.
However, I think there is a serious problem with valuing being 'skinny' over anything else.
However, she has a surprising amount of supporters on her account.
A big misconception on her account is that the backlash is due to people being jealous. This view comes from her fans too.
It's clear from her page that image is everything to her - she rarely smiles, she poses her face in the same way in each frame.
Her comment sections are filled with women and girls with a similar mindset.
"I'm always embarrassed to order a salad because I feel like they mock me," one wrote in regards to her family and friends under a video.
In fact, many seemed to have the perspective that friends and family looked down on them for 'clean eating' or forced them to eat more.
Some people definitely project their own insecurities onto others, but I don't think this is always the case.
In my experience, if your friends and family are consistently showing concern for your eating habits, you likely have a problem that you're unaware of.
This is also a recurring theme she discusses on her page, friends and family who don't support weight loss journeys.
Frankly, the only time I've voiced concern over someone's weight loss journey is if they're going about it the wrong way.
Having seen friends develop the same mindset, it's easy to recognise when someone is starting to struggle.
But what about the young, impressionable teenagers who come across her content?
I remember being as young as 10 when I first became self-conscious about my body, and that was without any social media.
How must it feel at the age to hear women give the best tips for getting rid of 'thunder thighs'?
When you have a goal in mind, there's nothing wrong with making adjustments to your diet.
But only allowing yourself protein shakes for breakfast and vodka waters on a night out is surely no way to live.
At the end of the day, it is her choice. It's also up to the individual whether or not they want to use her tips and advice.
However, how she talks about her body and her weight is not normal.
There is so much more to life than obsessing over meals and spending holidays abroad calorie counting.
While many are fixated on her eating habits, I would argue that her mindset and personality are the bigger problem.
In her eyes, skinny equals better.
"My hot take? I would rather be called a 'bone' any day over 'thick' or 'fat ass.'
I hope for her sake she grows out of it because life is too short to only care about how you look.
We take so much for granted in this life. Why waste time on something so trivial like diet culture?
Sometimes I catch myself filling a Boots basket with makeup I don't actually need, or beating myself up about how I look in photos.
At times like this, I'm reminded of a video by the creator Serena Shahidi.
"I think we place too much emphasis on looks when it comes to building confidence because some of you haven't read a book in years...don't have a sense of identity outside of the internet, and can't speak in public," she said.
While the delivery was blunt, I think a lot of people need to hear it.
She goes on to say even if you are the 'prettiest girl in the world', why does that matter in the long run?
Prioritising hobbies and having real interests is better for developing and building on your confidence.
There should be other interesting things happening in your life because let's face it, our looks naturally change over time.
We're not guaranteed anything in life, and it's probably best to direct our attention elsewhere occasionally.
