When Adele’s Body Isn’t Her Body
With only a few weeks to go before the New Year celebration, many have probably begun looking into 2021 with anticipation following the coronavirus pandemic that brought the world to a standstill for months. One quickest way to do a retrospection is a revisit to the New Year resolutions.
And we must admit – while some have seen the bright side of the lockdown and reemerged in a better version of themselves, some have found luck wasn’t really on their side. Among those on the “self-improvement” list, losing weight is very likely to incur that familiar – feeling of failure and self-pity.
Let’s be honest. If it wasn’t for the society’s pressure and beauty standard to look a certain way, how many of us really believe big is beautiful and that our motivation to lose weight is purely for health reason?
When British singer Adele made a return to Instagram after her last post on Christmas Eve last year, she sent the Internet into a frenzy. The singer, who had been known as much for her curvy, voluptuous body as her extraordinary, soulful voice, looked noticeably slimmer on the May 6 post wearing a short black dress showing off her slim torso and long, lean legs.
According to the media, the Hello singer has reportedly lost approximately 45 kilograms within months after following a strict diet and exercise regimen. As amazing as her transformation was the public reaction, despite more than 12.2 million Likes, many still think she’s looking too skinny, too old, too hungry, or too tired. The list goes on.
The entertainment industry is probably one of the toughest to maintain a positive self-image. If you work in this business, it’s only a matter of time before your looks become the subject of public discussion. You can look gorgeous and stunning but haters are going to be haters. In the case of Adele, her weight loss has been in the news for almost a year. The Daily Mail even did a long article on why she looks so different and how the change will impact her facial skin and looks.
For decades, social activists have campaigned to raise awareness about the negative impacts of standardized concept of beauty on the mental and physical health of young girls and women. While there was a progress, the trend reversed rapidly following the rise of globalization and technology advances. These two factors play a major role in spreading the idea of an ideal body shape and size to all parts of the world.
And there is a good reason to worry about it, considering the images of “beautiful women” being uploaded everyday on social media. They either have the Kim Kardashian or Barbie looks: big eyes, full lips, tiny waist, and round hips. As much as they make a great inspiration for us to get fit and healthy, the pressure to look that way can lead to tragic deaths of those girls and women.
According to the National Eating Disorder Association, up to 70 million people (men and women) suffer some form of eating disorders worldwide. In a way, the overwhelming praises and congratulations to the 32-year-old singer have mirrored our deep-seated belief that being fat/overweight/big is bad, that there’s something wrong about ourselves and we should do something about it.
Insiders say Adele’s inspiration to make a change stemmed from her desire to set an example for her seven-year-old son, Angelo, whom she shares with her former husband Simon Konecki. The couple announced they split last April.
However, her celebrity status means any change in her body and size will remain under scrutiny. There’s no denying that somewhere in this world, some people will feel like a failure when they read or hear about a similar weight loss celebration. It could worsen the eating disorder problem is because most dieters often lose too much weight and too fast. Very few people make a real effort to understand nutrition and their own body to know how to achieve a healthy weight loss.
Weight loss is good, but weight gain is not evil either. The best diet plan is geared toward a healthy life, not to achieve a certain look. Whatever your New Year resolutions are, the golden rule is happiness. Remember, the journey should be as enjoyable as the destination. And your body is your body. Don’t let anyone tell you who you are and what you can be.
