43 comments

The Thinspiration Problem: Where Do Fashion Bloggers Factor In?

thinspiration one imageBody image and health are two topics not often touched on over here at IFB. However, all the recent thinspiration controversy has caused Terms of Use and Community Guidelines updates on some of the most popular social sharing sites. Pinterest, Tumblr and Instagram have all recently taken steps to try and ban, eliminate and discourage content that promotes eating disorders and self harm. These outlets have become home to large communities (mainly of women) that support dangerous diet habits and encourage anorexia.

In the fashion world, thin has almost always been in. From models on the runway and in print, to celebrities on the red carpet, many fashion-following women have come to worship and aspire to a certain physique. Aside from whether she's flat-chested or well-endowed, tall or short, this ideal centers around being thin. With our daily lives becoming ever more saturated with media, these images and ideals have become increasingly present and pretty much impossible to ignore. Even these policy adjustments and efforts on behalf of Pinterest, Tumblr and Instagram have only been mildly effective. A current search for “thinspiration” or “pro-ana” on Pinterest or Tumblr still returns hundreds of images and posts.
thinspiration multiple images
Just being women, we struggle with body image enough, am I right? Now factor in being an internet-savvy clothes horse who gobbles up images and content on fashion blogs, Tumblr, Instagram, Pinterest, and all our favorite fashion news sources in addition to television and magazines.

While we don't think that the fashion blogging community embraces or participates in thinspiration, it certainly feels at times that the bloggers who rise to fame often fall into the same model-esque physical mold that traditional fashion media embraces.  The same goes for editors, socialites and fashionalities we admire.

As consumers (and lovers) of these media outlets, we're very curious about how our community views this topic. We want to open up a discussion on IFB about body image and blogging, content regulation on social sharing platforms, and anything else that comes to mind when you read about these issues.

 

Do you look to your favorite bloggers for body image inspiration as well as personal style? Have you encountered pro-anorexia or thinspiration content on Tumblr, Pinterest or Instagram? Do you think that ‘real girls' are under-represented in fashion blogging?  Share your comments below!

 

For further reading on these issues, IFB recommends:

 

[Image credit: Found doing a search for ‘thinspiration' on Pinterest on 4/25/12.]

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

43 Responses

  1. Sandra

    It’s so alarming and scary when I come across thinspo images when browsing through Tumblr, Pinterest, and Instagram. Bodies of rail thin girls with text placed over them reading “Nothing feels good as skinny feels” and such. The battle with body image and the media on young girls is a long drawn out one that won’t be stopped until drastic changes are made.

    It all has to start with the way the media portrays what beauty is and what standards it puts on women. I would love to see more real average women on the cover of magazines and ads, people whom most of the general public can actually relate to. Even educating people on how much Photoshopping and manipulating of the images we see are done and to remind them that the models we see are supposed to represent this perfect fantasy that is not representative of reality.

    It’s a long road we have ahead on the issue of body image but I think it’s about time that real change is set to happen.

    Reply
  2. Farah

    Absolutely agree! Real girls are definitely under represented in Fashion Blogging. This has always been “in” in the Fashion Industry and it will only STOP when the media and brands stop portraying in their ads that “thin is the way to be”. They have to stop using photoshop in women’s bodies on magazines. I agree that there has to be some fixes to create an all around aesthetic of the shoots, but women should be portrayed with their real weight. especially since this is a health issue that is grasping every single woman at certain points in their life.

    Reply
  3. Emmy

    It is a sad fact that in fashion, it is those who are thin and young that are “glorified”, and fashion blogging is no different. As mentioned above, it is mostly those who fall into this “thin and young” category that seem to do really well. Is it fair? Of course not! But it is certainly a long road ahead:(
    On a side note, does anyone remember when Rumi from FashionToast posted a pic of herself in a bikini? She got a lot of hate and comments like “Eat something”. That is definitely wrong as well!

    Reply
  4. Laura Gosselink

    I’m really against thinspo and other sort of thing. I think this has to do with a size thing. Media tells us we all should have size 34. But all the people on this planet are individuals, so you have to treat them so.
    For example, I have size 34. This is something wich suits my body. I’m not to think and not to thin. If I would have size 38 it wouldn’t suit my body (two sizes bigger) and I would be to thick. A friend of mine has size 38. But she looks good and healthy. Not to thick, not to thin. So what I mean is that you cannot say a certain size is to thick or to thin. You have to look at yourself as a individual and see what suits you.

    There is one big different between the ‘flat-chested’ models and what the media tells us. These models are thin and mostly have cup A (wich makes sense). The media (photoshopped images or videos) tells us to be thin and have cup C/D/E.
    Now I see a problem, so what do we do? We take a boob job so that we’re not ‘flat-chested’ any more. We all wanna be ‘real-girls’ right?

    Reply
  5. lisa

    Like many other bloggers, I find thinspiration content on the web disturbing and sad. But I take some issue with the use of the word “real” to imply girls who aren’t thin. I’m in my twenties and on the petite side, and while I’m not rail thin I’m still pretty slender; it’s just how I’m built. Does that make me any less “real” than a girl who has a different body type?

    I think the best thing that parents can do to combat how thinspiration and media images can dampen young girls’ self-esteem is to praise young girls for what they DO as opposed to what they look like. Compliment them on academic achievements, athletic feats, and acts of kindness instead of how pretty they look. That was how my mother raised me, and while I love fashion and style, I value integrity and intelligence much more.

    Reply
    • taylordavies

      Hi Lisa, I think you’re right and the word “real” doesn’t really express what we’re getting at. “Real” women truly do come in all shapes and sizes – and some of those sizes are naturally thin! So no, you’re absolutely not any less real than a girl with a different body type. Can you think of a better term or word to use? I’d *love” the help/inspiration 🙂

      Reply
    • Rachael

      Yes, Lisa, you are so right! We’re all real, regardless of our clothing size. The use of the word “real” to describe girls who aren’t thin is just another way of distorting body image. I’m what I consider average as far as BMI and I’m a 4/6, yet people tell me I’m really thin all the time. I’m not, I’m just healthy. And real.

      Reply
  6. Treacle

    It’s so funny you should post this because just this week I made The Lingerie Addict a Body Snark Free Zone (http://thelingerieaddict.com/2012/04/lingerie-addict-body-snark-free-zone.html).

    While I’m definitely not in favor of pro-ana websites, one of trends in talks about body image that I find super distressing right now is how people think it’s okay to insult or degrade or abuse thinner women. And you see that in everything from the “real women have curves” memes to the Alexa Chung pile on a few days ago.

    One of things I like about the fashion blogging community is that it shows fashion, beauty, and style aren’t just the prerogative of a certain body type, age, or income. And I hope that fashion bloggers everywhere can keep promoting and spreading that message of diversity.

    Reply
    • Chelsey

      I totally agree. I dislike body issues of any type. Seeing thin girls being photoshopped even more on magazines to hearing real women have curves..they both have a negative connotation to the opposite body type. Some people are born petite, some are born curvy, and some are petite with curves. I think the focus on media should be about health. Health is beautiful, regardless of size.

      Reply
  7. Chp_dzn

    The pressure is always there! In fashion blogging it seems to be catching up now! It’s a scary trend because this was one outlet that encouraged creativity the most without pressuring anyone to look a certain way. We need to keep it this way!

    Reply
  8. madeleine gallay

    This is such a heated issue. Yes of course it would be great to take all the sites down that advocate for bulimia, anorexia, etc.

    The issue is so nuanced. For many, beginning in childhood, weight issues begin a health decline with diabetes and many other issues. A mom recently wrote about her struggle, conflicted because of her own issues, to keep her girl child’s weight down. Perhaps she wasn’t likable enough and was totally ripped and shredded. BUT so many parents have no choice but to care about their kids weights because of the health risks.

    Then the self image that begins in pre-school. Wee ones judge themselves against the chirpy cute ones and a lifelong battle ensues.

    Magazines cutting down on photoshopping should help. Franca Sozzana is helping a ton by keeping the issue active.

    Israel went so far as to require a certain body measurement index for models and to me government interference is more scary.

    So confused by the venomous comments left on the Sartorialist’s blog when he posted a street shot of an attractive woman with curves and, quelle horror, mentioned that she had sturdy legs. She did!!!! But she also looked stylish and cool.

    The collective “we” would love to see beautiful stylish models on magazine covers, not necessary to have jutting clavicles and hipbones, but beauty is nice.

    Reply
  9. Rachael

    I think blogging is an excellent way for real girls to represent their style. Of all the bloggers I follow, not all are what I would consider thin, yet they all do awesome things. Eating disorders are a scary thing and my heart goes out to those trapped in one. However, I don’t think that censorship will cure them. The thing about healing eating disorders is that you can’t get better until you decide to. Limiting negative influences is something that the afflicted have to do for themselves in order for the healing to be real. If social media sites try to do it, it will be ineffective, as those thriving off of “thinspiration” will only find other ways of fueling their disease until they decide to change. Opening the door to censorship will only lead to more restrictions in other areas.

    Reply
  10. Chanteau Garrett

    I have never look to my favorite bloggers for body image inspiration. I grow up tall (5’8) and thin but after giving birth to my son I gain weight. Inspiration comes from the heart and soul and not from a individual body image.

    Reply
  11. Nels

    Whether the writer of a fashion blog is female, male, or transgender, it’s usually pretty easy to tell when the writer is uncomfortable in her or his body no matter what their size, and those blogs don’t last too long. It’s sometimes like the person is seeking affirmation more than sharing their spirit.

    On the other hand, I’m not a fan of blogs where the writer is constantly complaining about their bodies, especially if they are complaining about something society favors. There was a guy I stopped reading because he thought it was so hard to find clothes since he was so thin, and he didn’t look unusually thin. Maybe he was hiding something? I see he no longer blogs.

    Reply
  12. Candy of CandyForToes

    As someone who has lost over 70lbs in the last 15 months, I am so tired of the anti-skinny campaigns going around social media right now. I’ve seen the pro-ana movements on Pinterest and Tumblr, but this campaign has trickled over into regular girls’ lives. I’ve seen perfectly healthy women picked apart because their legs were “too skinny” or they “looked anorexic”. Growing up I was underweight, not by choice, but it didn’t matter because I was bullied constantly. Then I became overweight in my final year of college and grad school. Once I graduated in December 2010, I knew I needed to make a change. I’m now a healthy 125lbs at 5’6. If I dared to post a picture of myself on Tumblr I know someone on the anti-anorexia crusade wave would rip me to shreds saying I need to eat a cheeseburger… it’s already happened!

    Posting pictures of skinny people doesn’t cause people to “catch” an eating disorder just like posting a picture of drugs doesn’t make someone high. There is a fine line between protecting people and pure censorship which violates our first amendment rights. A photo of a skinny girl walking down the runway for Chanel shouldn’t be banned because her ribs are showing, it’s not like it’s child porn! I’m scared to think that Americans have lost touch with basic freedoms and common sense. If I want to post a picture of a pretty outfit online, I shouldn’t have to worry about the model being too skinny and potentially getting me kicked off some social media site.

    Reply
    • Piper Alexander

      Candy, I think your analogy is a bit flawed. Drug abuse isn’t fueled by viewing images, but poor body image, which can definitely lead to eating disorders, sure as hell is fueled by viewing images.

      I think we all need to stop using weight, or the way someone looks, to determine whether we label them “healthy” or not. Health and weight are not directly correlated. That means we need to stop telling skinny girls to “eat a cheeseburger” and we need to stop telling bigger girls to lose some weight.

      My issue with “thinspo” boards is that, from what I saw, a lot of the inspiration is based on putting down bodies that are not “ideal”, or thin, which I think is silly and offensive.

      Reply
      • Vintage Style Queen

        Candy, I agree with you to a point and posting pictures of thin people doesn’t cause the eating disorder, but it can stoke a fire that’s already there and can be trigger for that person to take it further.

        Piper, I agree with you also just because someone is under weight doesn’t make them any healthier than someone who is over weight.

  13. Eva

    I find it offensive that people talk about “real girls” as opposed to skinny girls. Thinness doesn’t make a girl any less real.

    Reply
  14. Sugar and Chiffon

    I agree with the article that most of the more successful fashion bloggers have model-esque proportions. I often wonder if my blog would be more popular if I were thinner, taller, tanner, etc. It’s a sad reality that our society tends to see “thinner” as “prettier.” I applaud social networking for trying to combat this approach, but I feel like their efforts are mostly futile. It sounds cliche, but it makes me sad that our society seems to value physical beauty rather than inner beauty and the appreciation that everyone is beautiful in his or her own unique way.

    Reply
  15. Crystin

    Maybe I’m biased but it does seem that most of those fashion bloggers who rocket to the top are either rail thin or curvier women. As someone who is somewhere between the two, I’d like to see more of the “in-between” women make it big.

    Reply
  16. Vintage Style Queen

    Like a lot of the other comments on this post, I find it quite sad and a bit depressing when girls/boys look to so called thinspo sites to get advice on weight loss and I stumbled across one site who I won’t name, but in her she calls herself a healthy anorexic! The last time I checked there was no such thing.

    I don’t look to blogs for body inspiration as I don’t think that it’s a healthy thing to do, with age I have accepted my body for what it is. I also think that the girls/boys who look to thinspo sites for encouragement are already in the cycle of low self esteem.

    One final point I would like to make is this, I’m not sure banning these sites is a good idea as they will only spring up else where, however they could maybe put warnings on them about the content.

    Reply
  17. Brigid

    I don’t really see a point. All this does is make these pro-ana fools go to a new location.

    I don’t think thinspo is always bad. For example, on days where I’m just feeliing too lazy to run, seeing someone skinnier than me (they don’t have to look like they’re starving) can give me enough motivation to get outside and exercise.

    I don’t udnerstand how “real girls” can be underrpresented in blogs. Anyone can make a blog!

    Also, using “real” to describe someone who isn’t skinny is pretty offensive. Size 2s are still real people.

    Reply
    • Sarah

      My thoughts exactly! It’s not bad to be motivated by the health of someone else to become healthy yourself. Of course the pro-ana deal is something horrible and completely unhealthy and different, but I’ve seen comments under pictures of healthy, thin girls that are completely rude and full of rage. We should celebrate health and be happy for someone looking his/her best, whether for that person it’s a size 2 or 14.

      Reply
  18. kd

    I’m not even gonna get into this but I will mention that I have a pinterest board titled How Curves Should Look and as a swimwear designer, emaciated skinny bodies will never be a go to for anything. :: Kanye shrugs ::

    Reply
  19. Ruth Crean

    This is actually the reason I started my ‘What I’m Wearing’ posts to show that I’m proud of the size that I am. Even though I’m a UK size 14/16 I’m still excited about what I wear, and really enjoy putting together unusual outfits.

    I felt that this was non properly represented in the fashion blogging world, mostly all I saw were slim hipster girls looking a tad generic. I want to see real women wearing real clothes, not just the ones who feel they are thin enough to have fashion posts.

    To be honest it was a little scary at first, but I’ve gotten great feedback and it’s really encouraged me to continue doing the posts.

    Reply
  20. Jaspe

    It took me a very, very long time to be okay with how my body looks. I went from überfatty to way to skinny, mostly because community made me think that “That’s the way it’s supposed to be or else YOU are the abnormal one”

    Over the years I got to love my own body, the way it looks naturally and I learned that health is most important !

    I struggled for so long, it just breaks my heart to see people encourage anorexia! WHY on earth would someone be in that position and on top of that encourage others to get sick too ??

    On the other side, you can’t ignore that the people “on top” are 99% skinny ( whether by choice or because they are just like that). I can see why someone would put the link between success and “skinny”.

    As said by Lisa, it’s important to let young girls know that intellect and not physical appearance is important!

    Reply
  22. Lindsey Young

    I think this topic has been around forever and will never fully go away… Many woman do have an “ideal” body type they would like to achieve and most often that type is an unhealthy “pro-ana” level. I do feel a lot of fashion bloggers out there fall into that category of having that perfect double zero figure and for most of us regular woman that is just unachievable. I will never discredit how fabulous those woman look or how honestly jealous I am of their svelte figures, but for me I just know that will never be practical. I think knowing what works for your own personal self and trying to live a healthy life is the best anyone can do. If you workout great, but if you don’t you shouldn’t feel shamed into thinking that is the only way you can achieve that perfect body.
    I think posting articles like this is the perfect idea to keep awareness levels high. It is when these topics are not talked about that things get worse. So thank you IFB for giving us a refresher in this controversial topic! The more knowledge we have in these areas the better off we will all be. We can look for warning signs and be more active in people’s lives who maybe are suffering from these body image disorders!
    http://lindseyyoung.net

    Reply
  23. Andrea Howe

    I would never look to a style blogger for body image inspiration. That’s the whole point of real street style/style bloggers – they’re supposed to be real life women. How sad to think that some would.

    Reply
  24. kate

    Hey guys,

    I wanted to comment on this post because when I was in high school, I had some issues with food. Ok, an eating disorder. I used to look at pro-ana sites for motivation to continue starving myself and overexercising. Of course, this was before sites like tumblr and pinterest got big, and I don’t know, maybe had they been, I would have started a thinspo site. Not necessarily to encourage other women to become anorexic, but because I wanted attention, and the support of other people. (My excessive dieting itself was a product of lack of control over my life, a cry for help that no one would answer.) This is why I think a lot of these sites are created, especially the ones with self-photos taken during weight loss, or logs of daily calories. I’m not saying I support these sites at all – they encourage a harmful, unhealthy way of life. Taking down the sites may help, but those looking for thinspiration can just find it elsewhere: fashion magazines for one, online clothing retailers, movies, ads, the list goes on. Even if the government were to ban an unhealthy idealized body image (and how would this be defined, since as earlier commenters have stated, we’re all real women, regardless of size) from all forms of media, it wouldn’t eradicate eating disorders or the pressure some people feel to be thinner. I think as bloggers our duty is to raise awareness of what real beauty is: all sizes, all shapes, and most of all, our individual styles, personalities, and opinions.

    I also want to add that though my struggle with body image and self-esteem may be lifelong, I’m happier with my body now than I ever was when I was extremely thin, I have a positive relationship with food and exercise, and I find inspiration every morning while perusing my blogroll. Not inspiration to be thin, but how to truly be beautiful, from within, which all of you demonstrate so well. I hope those looking at and creating pro-ana sites will find the help they need to accept and love themselves.

    Reply
  25. Monique

    I wrote about this topic a few months ago on my blog & on Chictopia about the use of the word “real” to distinguish between thin & curvy.

    I do think that the fashion bloggers who get the most attention certainly fit the”ideal” standard of beauty — most of them can easily be models — and I think it detracts from the reason why people have flocked to fashion blogs in the first place. We’re all looking for something that we can identify with. Unfortunately, on top of the fashion magazines and the like, fashion blogs are adding to this notion that you have to be, quite frankly, thin/tall/caucasian to be considered beautiful (or for brands to even want to work with you).

    Here’s the post on Chictopia: http://www.chictopia.com/photo/show/523324-Whats+a+Real+Woman-nude-bodysuit

    x Monique

    Reply
  26. leslie v

    I cant speak for every plus sized girl out there but I am going to speak for me on this. As a chubby chick( which I am not afraid to admit i am and for the most part I embrace) , to be immersed in a community where a our choices are severely limited and b where skinny girls rule and are abundant, it is hard, it makes me feel a little less about myself because I am like if I am skinnier I could fit in those pants if i were smaller I could thrift and have more options, ect ect. Every time my heels get higher I am reminded by pressured toes that dressing like a skinny girl is going to be extremely painful if I don’t loose weight. The plus size images that are online from retailers aren’t the typical plus sized woman I have met very few thick women who still have a flat stomach. that makes me self conscious. Have these images attributed to my dieting, oh yeah, this is a country where image is everything. And before someone argues that statement let me point out if it wasn’t everything none of us would have blogs and vlogs and all my fellow hairstylist and makeup artist would be completely out of jobs. Is it the marketers or more fit girls fault no. I dont blame them, its the era that we live in.

    Reply
  27. Synthetic

    “Real girls”? I’m thin and I’m as real as they come.
    What bothers me most is how society thinks it’s OK to stick it’s nose in my plate if I’m thin. I know my opinion might not be popular, but you can’t tell thin people to stop being thin or to stop posting photos of themselves on their blogs. Eating disorders are, well, disorders, and should be treated as such.
    I don’t think some girl got sick with Anorexia just because some thin fashion blogger posted photos of herself.
    And to answer your question- no. I don’t look for body image or health inspiration in the fashion blogs I read. People come in all shapes and sizes and if I want to be healthier I’d consult a physician, not a fashion blogger.

    Reply
  28. Ana Carneiro

    Hot Topic, that’s for sure!
    I’ve been reading some of the comments as well and here’s what I think:

    More add campaigns, fashion magazines and, of corse, blogs, should indeed feature curvy women to whom most women can relate with.
    However, and like other people have written, banning pro-anorexia sites off the net will not keep people from developing eating disorders, they will always find it elsewhere. But controlling them would be a start.
    One thing that should never be controlled are the photos people share of themselves! For instance, I easily put on weight, but my friend Andreia looses weight when she’s under stressed and no matter how hard she tries to put on weight, she hardly ever does!

    I have never, and will never, admire one blogger over the other because of their skinny appearance! In fact, one of the blogs I follow and love is The Cherry Blossom Girl, and it’s not all about her beautiful sets! One of the things that inspire me the most in her blog are the photos in a bathing suit or lingerie, because she’s curvy and I can relate to that!

    Reply
  29. Julia Amodt

    I think now more than ever real girls are being represented, especially on fashion blogs. The magazines have always shown the coveted body shape, but fashion bloggers are usually regular people without extreme workout regimes, makeup and hair stylists. Society forgets those details and we idolize models or celebrities with perfect bodies but even their “look” as a whole. Blog pictures tend to not be super Photoshopped, so we as readers relate to them. Since Fashion blogging is becoming more important in the industry, hopefully it will change our view of what’s considered “beautiful”.

    Reply
  30. Mandy

    With all due respect, this doesn’t seem to be an issue amongst bloggers of color in regards to black and hispanic bloggers. It is pretty sad though….

    Reply
  31. jamie

    I think the point that is being missed here is that the girls who share these images, or promote a pro-ana lifestyle usually have a number of other issues, which leads to controlling what they eat because that’s the only thing that they can control. While sharing the images between these girls can further fuel their issues, I don’t think that banning these images will stop these kinds of disorders from happening.

    And I have to say I agree on the comments about real girls. Just because a girl is bigger, doesn’t make her any more real than someone who is naturally thin.

    Reply
  32. Asia Monique

    Yes. I do believe that real women are not represented in the fashion world. As they are now in a sense starting to be showcased, they consider a little “hip action” to be “plus size” and we know that is not the case. Either way, I like the stand that the social media world has begun to take on the negative effects eating disorders have, especially on the younger generation, as they look to what is the latest trend, in fashion and beauty. Great article as well. -Xo

    Reply
  33. Katrina

    As much as I`m not happy about this, I must however agree – the real womans body is underrepresented in the blogging community.

    Blogs like Vintage Virgin, Native Fox and Atlantic Pacific come first to mind when it comes to tipping the scale of most popular fashion blogs. And even though girls like Nadia Aboulhosn have a certain crowd of followers too, I can`t help but wonder where in all this is the real girl? The girl who might not be a size zero, OR have the body of a plus size model? Where is the girl next door?

    This topic is quite personal to me as I`v struggled myself to fit in to one of these frames. Being an average size 14 (UK) I clearly do not fit in to the image of a modern day thinspo beauty queen, however am also somewhat rejected by the plus size industry – as I am not particularly plus sized. I am just a regular woman (statistically speaking in the UK for example). I have been told that I have a pretty face and am photogenic, as well as tall and proportional – yet if I`d wish to make a career for myself in the modelling industry I`d either have to loose half of my body mass (to be a size of a normal model), or gain one fourth of it (to be considered as a plus size model).

    Yet what bothers me the most is not even the fact that I, or women and girls like the average sized me that I am, are underrepresented in the fashion world (because let`s face it, we might as well get used to it already) – it is the fact that we seem to be not so popular in the blogging community. Which is a community mainly consisting (again, statistically speaking) of normal girls, like me and you. The girls next door. We are what make the community. We are the ones who run blogs of our own (filled with images of our normal selves), yet choose to make popular the blogs representing either sides of two extremes of body images: overly thin or overly curvy. It seems we ourselves disqualify OURSELVES from the blogging scene! And that is truly scary (compared to the fashion industry which is mostly driven by money and capitalism when it tries to drill in to us the ‘acceptable’ frame of a womans body, which in comparison with me is either the too skinny one, or the overly curvy one).

    >’.'<

    Reply
  34. Emily Ulrich

    It’s certainly difficult to be so involved in an industry and outlet oneself without having some regard for competing body image. that being said, when I look to other bloggers for inspiration, I don’t necessarily prefer one body type over another. For me, merit goes to creativity and style.

    I think the internet can be a helpful tool for aspiring to better health, but (as with anything) extreme exploitation of it can be harmful.

    While I appreciate and commend these sites for addressing the issue, I can’t help but feel like girls with these distorted perceptions and misguided goals will only continue, just under different means. And you never can tell which is more dangerous.

    Reply
  35. Vintage Pixie in Denim

    I get a bad feeling everytime I see too thin people. I always look for content everywhere, and I think that everyone is effected slightly when we see these too skinny girls. Starving yourself is just not the way to go. I have friends with all different types of physics and to me they all look beautiful. The only question I ask them is “do you feel beautiful” or “do you feel healthy” and if they say no that’s when we have a problem, not if they are stick thin.

    The most important thing, I think, is to be aware of all of the harm that social media sends out there, and as a community I think that we should embrace girls of all body types so that everyone feels good about themselves, and healthy in their lifestyles.

    Reply
  36. CJ

    You know what I would like? To never hear or see “real women/girls” ever again. We are all real. Round, curvy or thin.

    Reply
  37. Amanda

    I think this is a huge issue. There are so many bloggers/famous Instagram girls out there who are WAYYYY too skinny– no doctor would tell them that they are healthy. Yet they have amassed hundreds of thousands of followers who worship their figure and wardrobe and entire lifestyle. Pictures don’t have to be labeled “pro anorexia” to be supporting a super skinny body image and anorexic behaviors. By continuing to follow girls like @somethingnavy, we as an audience are encouraging girls to eat less and less to achieve this kind of body. Girls are still obsessed with idolizing girls who have perfect hair, huge thigh gaps, and 13-year-old bodies. It’s like we live in a society of high school culture that never ends. And everyone seems to think it’s okay, which is the depressing part.

    Reply