When we look around for an ideal beauty standard to match, are we expecting ourselves to fit into unattainable body types or are we looking for a holistic approach to feeling good in our own skin?

Most of us would say they (consciously or unconsciously) tread the first path.

And that is purely due to a lack of visibility of alternatives and the exclusivity of certain body types, especially by social media platforms. Due to the pandemic, people are engaging more on social media, where, as potential viewers, we look at glow-up or body transformation videos, follow various diets and stringent workout regimes, or attract the negatively impactful content that further demotivates us to 'make an effort to look more presentable'.

As an obese person, I have had firsthand experience with well-intentioned yet rude remarks such as "You're so pretty for a plus-size woman!" and "You'd look so pretty if you lost a little weight!" and honestly, there is no apt or comfortable way to respond to those comments on our body.

It's not just a "fat-person-problem" though, this applies to anyone who has been asked to change how they look or behave.

This post is not a rant; it is a reminder to all the viewers to be slightly more considerate when talking about topics that may or may not affect the other person's emotions. It may seem difficult to know what those topics are. For this, here's a little trick.

"If the other person can't fix it in 5 minutes, don't point it out."

Be it the colour of the hair, skin or their weight. If they have something stuck in their hair and you point it out, they'll thank you for saving them any further embarrassment, but if you comment on things they can't control instantaneously, you're basically fueling their insecurities, and that's not exactly very generous.

This was a little reminder, thank you for reading thus far! Cheers!