The Struggle for Females – Weight and Body Image

Body image, or how you feel about the way you look, affects girls and women at all ages and in all aspects of life. I had that struggle many times throughout my life – as a teenager, a young adult, an athlete and a mother.

The first time this struggle crept in was when I was about 13 or 14 years old. Then, I joined my school’s track and field team and represented in the javelin and discus events. Those who knew me would think that I am the ‘smallest’ thrower in Singapore’s history.

In order to fit my status as a thrower, I started changing my diet – I ate a lot. In a typical visit to McDonald’s, I would order an upsized 6-piece nuggets meal with an additional cheeseburger and apple pie. I would intentionally buy clothes in XL when I was an XS. Yes, I was trying to be big and match up with my fellow throwers.

Then, we had a new coach when I was in secondary three. He was a vegan and influenced us to change our diet. Some of us did – eating only raw fruits and vegetables; no cooked food. I lost weight and honestly, looked great. But as a growing teenager, my body was deprived of much needed nutrients. I could feel the craving for fish, rice and even cooked vegetables.

Unconsciously, I developed bulimia. I would binge on my grandma’s yummy home cooked food and induced vomiting later. This episode lasted until I left the coach after going to junior college.

Then, I started eating normally, maintaining a normal weight and I was happy. Even though I wasn’t as lean as when I was on a raw diet, I felt great and confident about my body.

My next struggle came after I tore my anterior cruciate ligament during my first training when I was 20. Due to many months of inactivity, I ballooned again. Once again, I struggled with my weight and body image. That happened a few times in my athlete’s career due to episodic injuries.

In 2012, I was expecting my first child. During my pregnancy, I put on 15kg. Surprisingly, I was not bothered by the amount of weight I had gained and I started to appreciate my body and love it more actually.

After giving birth, I did not rush to lose weight. Instead, I followed a healthy diet and introduced more physical activities into my daily routine to ensure that I lost weight in a safe manner. Of course getting back to my pole vault training helped a lot, even though I was a little depressed by the fact that I could not perform to my pre-pregnancy standards such as doing 10 pull-ups. I still took it very slow and steady, and eventually achieved it again after more than a year.

Now, I am able to maintain a healthy and toned body with regular exercise and a healthy diet. I cut fats and sugar even though I am one with a really sweet tooth. But occasionally, I will still give myself a treat in small portions.

Personally, I think society plays a large role in girls’ and women’s unhealthy obsessions with body image and weight concerns. Being female automatically subjects you to pressures to be thin and beautiful, thin and fit, or thin and successful.

Athletic girls and women are also subject to athletic or performance pressures to be thin, especially those who are involved in activities such as skating, dance, and diving that are judged and require thin physiques. These problems usually start early in life and can be difficult to overcome. Most girls and women have struggled with weight concerns and body image problems at some time in their life.

Weight management can be a very difficult balancing act, because a desire to be as thin as possible combined with poor body image can lead to bizarre eating and exercise habits. Many active and athletic women struggle to achieve healthy yet nutritional lifestyles. Even elite athletes can tend to limit themselves from certain food groups, missing out on healthy fats, carbohydrates, and other essential nutrients.

To have healthy eating habits, girls and women must develop an understanding of what their nutritional needs are and develop a realistic awareness and expectation of body shape.

To have a positive body image you must realise that the women on TV, in magazines and in movies spend their entire life and savings on their looks. Some images are not even real and have been altered by computers or airbrushed to hide natural imperfections.

Many models and actresses have had plastic surgery, are buried beneath tons of makeup, are shot with flattering camera angles, and wear only clothes that look good on them. Some models and actresses admit that they often don’t look like their photos in real life. These women do not represent ideals of fitness or health!