Bodies Beautiful

Many things contribute to our physical appearance, and we often focus on nutrition and physical activity to change our body shape to reflect the ‘ideal’ we are presented with every day through media and advertising. This fails to consider the contribution of genetics. Good nutrition means I am taller than my mother and grandfather, genetics mean I will never make it to 177 cm!

As for that ‘ideal’ body shape, we may recognise that many of the images we see of models and celebrities have been photoshopped, but do we really consider this when we look at and compare ourselves negatively to them.

Throughout art history, painters from Botticelli, Titian to Renoir to Gauguin found beauty in the bodies of women who would never fit into a size 0. By today’s standards, not one of them would get past the photoshop department, not even Venus who was considered one of the most beautiful women of the Renaissance.

So give yourself a break this week, from the portrayal of women who magically appear 20 years younger, just by using some miracle cream….. apparently? Stop trying to reshape and resize your body to meet the media’s portrayal and obsession with an unrealistic and unattainable beauty. Rather, maintain a healthy body through nutrition and exercise and check out some of the old masters to see the beauty in the bodies of women who really do come in all shapes and sizes.

Photo is of Jennifer Lawrence. Do you think it needs to be photoshopped? Someone did.