Main Report:
According to a recent Telegraph report, society constantly reminds women how their bodies should look: thin, wrinkle-free, and conforming to unrealistic standards imposed by the media. However, when it comes to obesity, this pressure intensifies. Women with higher weights not only struggle with beauty stereotypes but are sometimes even deprived of basic human rights, such as feeling safe in public spaces, equal job opportunities, or even the right to motherhood.
by Faeze Aghamohammady
Research shows that women who face humiliation due to their weight are more susceptible to eating disorders, depression, and anxiety. Some resort to risky weight-loss surgeries to escape this pressure—procedures with irreversible consequences—or even avoid pregnancy simply because they fear that weight gain from childbirth will lead to social rejection. This fear has gone so far that some women choose not to become mothers at all, solely because society has ingrained in them that obesity equals ugliness and worthlessness.
Body Acceptance, Not Neglect of Health
The key point is that defending the rights of plus-size women does not mean denying the medical risks of obesity. It is possible to promote health while combating shame. The problem begins when society views obesity not as a physical characteristic but as a sign of moral weakness or lack of willpower. This perception leads many women—even those medically within a healthy weight range—to feel compelled to adopt extreme diets, excessive exercise, or unnecessary medical interventions just to be deemed acceptable.
Women Have the Right to Love Their Bodies Without Fear of Judgment
When a woman is shamed for her weight, the message is clear: Your existence is conditional on your appearance. This not only destroys self-esteem but also discourages women from making important life decisions, such as having children. Society must respect women’s right to self-worth, regardless of their weight, instead of imposing unrealistic standards. As long as we equate womanhood with thinness, we cannot claim to care about gender equality or women’s mental health.
Body Acceptance: The First Step Toward Real Self-Care
Women who accept their bodies without fear of judgment are more likely to seek preventive medical care, maintain balanced lifestyles, and embrace motherhood with peace of mind. Yet, as long as body shaming persists, many women will continue to suffer in silence or put themselves at risk—just to meet society’s arbitrary standards of “good enough.”
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