The Suffocation of Skinny
I've had this idea to write this blog since early August. It's now October, and I'm just now sitting down to write. Like most blogs, where do I even begin with this topic?
The suffocation of skinny is real. I'm not sure if other women relate, but the pressure to be skinny feels even more intense now with the famous GLP-1s that have become seemingly everywhere—from celebs to everyday people to commercials on TV and advertisements online. The suffocation of skinny is real, and if you feel it, I just want you to know that I feel it too. Some days, I can't seem to catch my breath.
Growing Up in the Era of "Skinny"
I'm on the later end of Millennials—1995, baby! I feel like ever since I was young, it was all about being skinny. I remember watching celebs I loved, like Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, and Hilary Duff. Everyone would talk about their bodies. It's as if they were trying to ensure their weight wouldn't exceed a certain number on the scale. Whenever they gained a little weight, I remember seeing it criticized in the magazines. Even on TV shows and movies, I remember hearing comments and watching storylines that revolved around female weight.
The fact that I can recall some of these things so clearly is a testament to how this affected me and my brain as I grew up, learned, and figured out the world. I started to internalize messages that have created thought processes in my mind—thought processes that still have to be rewired when I look at myself in the mirror most days. Not to mention, I have always been a bigger girl and have been made fun of for my weight at various ages growing up.
A New Level of Pressure
Now, there's been a new level added to this—for me at least, and I would say for most women, and possibly even the younger generations of women who are watching. First, I'd like to preface this by saying that I am aware that GLP-1s can be very beneficial for health, and some individuals truly require them due to chronic diseases.
With that being said, I think that many women are using them not just to be considered "healthy" for labs and how they feel, but also because they want to be skinny or lose those extra five pounds they can't seem to lose. Have they ever considered that they don't need to lose those extra five pounds their body has been reluctant to shed for the past two years? Maybe your body is stable at that weight for a reason.
I think we're walking into dangerous territory, choosing skinny over sustainable, healthy weight loss. I don't want to make this all about those injections, because that's truly not the point. But I do feel the pressure of wanting to be thin because so many others have lost weight so easily, and my brain still feels less than because I'm not skinny.
The Double-Edged Sword
When I was at my lowest weight, people would comment on it. They'd say, "You look so good, you're so skinny," or "You are skinny." Yeah, for a second I was like, "Really? Heck yes! I'm skinny."
But then came the other side:
"I can't keep this up."
"I've never been skinny before."
"I'm going to gain weight again, and everyone's going to know."
"I'm not in a good place mentally, emotionally, or physically... But I'm skinny and I look good, so that's good."
That's really what my brain thought. It was a double-edged sword I'm still fighting with, and I'm afraid I might for the rest of my life.
What About the Next Generation?
I'm really worried about the daughters who see their moms, or aunts, or their mom's friends get really skinny. They hear these remarks about people's bodies, and they think that skinny is better, that it's superior, that that is what they should strive to be.
But what happens when their bodies aren't meant to be skinny?
They get suffocated.
They can't get skinny—because that's not how God designed their body.
(Yes, we have to take care of our bodies and steward them well—eat well, exercise, manage stress, etc. But that's not the point I'm trying to make here. I'm not saying just be fat and unhealthy.)
God has uniquely designed each of our bodies. Some taller, some shorter, some with wide hips, some with narrow hips, some with blue eyes, and some with brown eyes. The list of individualistic qualities extends to the very DNA within our bodies. We're not made to be the same, just like we're not called to be small or shrink or be skinny.
What Really Matters
I don't want to look back at life and realize I was so obsessed with the smallest size I could fit into or how thin I looked. Because, quite frankly, no one remembers that when you're gone. I don't think anyone is going to get up at a funeral and say, "She was a great person, she was so skinny, and I loved that about her." I know, it sounds ridiculous.
I just want the next generation not to be suffocated by the outer world and what's going on, by the messages they pick up, because right now there's a serious narrative circulating that being skinny is better. (Another thing with the shots, too, is that if someone loses weight and looks really good, people normally just assume they got on the shots—not true at all. I'm even subject to this judgment too, and have been when I lost weight.)
I know that I need to ask God to search my heart in this matter, given how passionate this topic makes me and how upset I become. I know there are things in my heart and mind that need to be uprooted and pruned. But I'm also thinking about the many generations of women behind me, who are growing up right now.
Honestly, the history of skinny is still relatively new—only around for about 100 years, but really taking off in the 1990s. Think about that.
We have to stop letting culture and what society deems as "better than" dictate our worth. We need to return to our Father and consider what He says about our bodies.
What Scripture Says
"Don't you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought at a price. So glorify God with your body." — 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." — 1 Corinthians 10:31
“But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.’” — 1 Samuel 16:7
A Message to You
If you are struggling with body image and feeling suffocated by the pressure to be skinny, may I just grab you by the shoulders, look you in the eyes, and tell you:
You don't have to be skinny. To be loved. To be liked. To feel good about your body. You don't.
But take care of your body—you don't have to be skinny.
A note: If God made you naturally thin or skinny, please don't take offense to this blog. Your body is good too. This isn't about one body type being better than another—it's about rejecting the pressure that says we all must be skinny to have worth. Everybody God designed is beautiful and purposeful, including you.
