Latest news with #bodyimage
The Guardian
20 hours ago
- General
- The Guardian
I lost weight and now people treat me better. How do I reconcile this?
I am a woman who has been fat since I was about eight; I am now in my early 50s. I have been on Ozempic for almost two years. I have lost almost 50 kilos and can now do a whole lot of things that I wasn't physically able to do before, which is great. But people treat me differently now. I had my work review and I am doing less but got feedback about how much more I am doing. I have been asked if I am looking to date, and even if I am thinking of having a child, both questions I never was asked when I was bigger. I didn't think people treated me badly before, and still don't, but now I am seeing that there is a difference. It is not comfortable for me. I am not at risk of putting the weight back on but how do I navigate the difference in how people are treating me? Eleanor says: A lot of people notice this after losing lots of weight. You get spoken to in a different key. People turn on a switch you didn't know they had. For some people this feels great. For others it's unnerving: to feel so newly visible and yet somehow so unseen. The trouble is, you know you've been the same you all along. So when people hand over their attraction or attention or approval now that you've lost weight, they simultaneously undermine its value. Oh great, I have more of your esteem – just because of how I look? It's easy to resent being treated better because of what you weigh. We don't want to feel like the deep things in life – being wanted, being respected – are tied to something so superficial. We want to be loved and respected for the deeper 'us'. One of the most moving pieces of radio I ever heard was Elna Baker, a producer at This American Life who also lost 50 kilos, asking her fiance whether he'd have dated her when she was fat. He says he's always thought the real Elna is the 'skinny' Elna. 'That's stupid,' she said. There is no 'fat Elna'. 'It was me,' she said. 'It just, was me.' In navigating this, one place to start might be to notice who has treated you the same all along. You'll know who they are. If the bitter part of this experience is learning how much people react to how you look, the sweeter part is learning who reacts to you for you – who's seen the deeper you all along. Another way to approach this might be to slightly shift what you expect, or hope for, from strangers or colleagues. You mentioned the way work thinks you're more industrious now. Other silly aesthetic signals can produce similar results. If you were a man, a hair transplant might get you seen as more confident, a crisper suit as more effective. At work or with strangers we're interpreted through layers of appearance; people read clues about our merits from our clothes, accent, posture, hair. Maybe 'weight' is part of the costuming we all wear in those spaces and through which we are interpreted. It can be frustrating or bemusing to learn how much these things affect people's judgments. But maybe workplaces and strangers are not where any of us get clear-eyed reactions to our merits unmuddied by appearances. Leaning into the parts of your life that aren't filtered through appearance might make it easier to tolerate the parts that are. Lastly, it might be fun to enjoy your new X-ray vision. Your experience lets you see through the myth that a person's weight is a good guide to their character. Are there other myths you can see through now, too? I think we all do this a bit. We assume old means slow, dishevelled means chaotic, beautiful means virtuous. But lots of people have their version of 'no fat Elna'. What would we see in other people if we looked the way we want to be looked at? It could be fun to experiment.
Bloomberg
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Bloomberg
Body Scan Makers Are Trying to Cash in on Obesity Drug Boom
By Hi, it's Naomi in Berlin. I recently clipped a device to my heel to satisfy my vanity. More on that anon, but first... My ears perked up at the recent European Congress on Obesity in Malaga, Spain when a young newspaper reporter walked into the press room muttering something about 'two kilos too much fat.' Apparently he'd gotten some surprising news from a body scan down in the presenters' hall.
News.com.au
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Sex worker Kayla Jade warns against Turkey surgery trend
A popular OnlyFans creator and influencer has detailed her horrific experience after getting a Brazilian Butt Lift procedure in Turkey. Kayla Jade, who boasts 2.2 million followers on TikTok, said she had 'always struggled with body image issues'. 'I didn't have a lot of money at the time, and I had heard so many people were going to get surgeries in Turkey — and that they were really good at what they did,' the 30-year-old told after speaking about it on her podcast. 'I was hearing so many good things, so I thought it would be perfect.' She did her own research, finding a place with good reviews. But, as soon as she landed in Turkey, alarm bells started to go off. Prior to leaving Australia, the cosmetic clinic had been communicating well, but that soon dropped off after she landed. There was also a language barrier, and not being able to find her doctor. When she eventually located her doctor, he was quick to tell her that she likely wouldn't be able to get the results she wanted. She decided to go through with the procedure as she had flown all that way. 'I was definitely disappointed that he said that I likely wouldn't get the results I wanted, but in my head I was hopeful that maybe he was making it sound worse than it would be,' she said. But the procedure was 'everyone's worst nightmare'. She said she could 'feel everything' when she was on the operating table but she was 'paralysed' from the anaesthetic. 'I could feel tears running down my face. It was hectic,' she said, adding she could laugh about it now but at the time it was traumatising. Following the procedure, she was in 'immense pain', as well as vomiting blood. Even the recovery was 'awful'. As part of the healing process, people who have a Brazilian Butt Lift aren't to put any pressure — including sitting — on the area for six weeks. But, when Kayla Jade woke up following the surgery, she was laying on her back. 'That was disappointing because it was the worst thing you could do with a BBL — I knew the results would be impacted. I tried to tell them but they kept saying it was fine,' she said. Staff also tried to get her up and walking straight away. Even a year later, Kayla wasn't happy with her results and decided to undergo a revision procedure. 'They'd taken literal chunks out of my back, so he went and smoothed everything over,' she said. 'The BBL didn't last because the fat wasn't taken care of when it was taken out of my body.' When the influencer had her revision, her doctor specifically called out the fact that medical staff allowed her to be on her back. The Australian doctor said it was 'crazy'. Kayla Jade has shared her story publicly because she said in the long run, her experience was 'lucky' while some never come home from procedures such as this. 'I am glad that I got out, and raising awareness — especially for young women that are in the mindset that I had and feel like they need something to make them feel happy, going and having these life-altering things happen to them,' she said. 'You hear of a lot of people dying from getting BBLs in Turkey. It's literally the most dangerous surgery you can get — along with the gastric band — due to the main artery's placement.' She also warned about trusting reviews and photos online. She said if you're going to have surgery, it's worth using a legitimate Australian doctor. In 2023, the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons warned that complications of cosmetic tourism rose by 35 per cent the previous year.
CBC
6 days ago
- Health
- CBC
As a 21-year-old woman who stands 6'4", I'm still learning to hold my head high
This First Person column is written by Olivia McGahern, who lives in Caledon, Ont. For more information about First Person stories, see the FAQ. When I see people walking down the street, I imagine they're worrying about arriving at work on time, an upcoming date or what they'll cook that night for dinner. When I walk down the street, whether I'm going to school, work or the gym, I worry what people are thinking about me as I tower over them. My normal teenage anxiety about my looks was made worse by the fact that I stood out, literally. Today, as a 21-year-old woman who is six feet, four inches tall, I am still growing into my confidence. I've always felt self-conscious about my height, though I come from a tall family. My mom stands six feet tall and my dad is six-foot-two. My brothers are tall too, but from adolescence into adulthood, they received nothing but praise from family, friends and strangers about their stature. "You won't have any problems finding a girlfriend," people would say to them, while I was told,"You'll have trouble finding clothes and shoes." Absolutely no mention of finding a prospective partner. I wasn't yet a teenager when I started to buy tall clothes from Old Navy. That's when my insecurity began. Stores like Garage and Lululemon aren't made for girls like me. In high school, I realized how much I stood out — and I didn't want to. wanted to feel pretty, have my first kiss, dress in cute clothes and go on dates. That never happened, and I used my height as a scapegoat. At 16, I saw an endocrinologist. I had started my period when I was 13, but I was still growing, which wasn't normal; according to Healthline, girls typically stop growing about two years after they begin menstruating. The doctor ordered an MRI for my brain and a CT scan for my adrenals, speculating I had a pituitary issue, which could be behind my continued growth. Both the tests came back normal. This was good news in a medical sense, but the results were still crushing. This is just the way I am. My mom told me she went through the same thing at my age, but that didn't really console me. I hated how much taller I am compared to other girls and guys. I'm just like any woman Eventually, I tried to accept that it was pointless to fixate on something I couldn't change, but the comments continued. How tall are you? Are your parents tall? Even at my former job at a McDonald's, perfect strangers would ask if I play basketball as I handed over an order of fries. When I told them that I've never liked sports, I heard their opinions on that, too — everything from "That's weird" to "You're wasting your life." When dabbling with dating apps, I've been bombarded with disgusting remarks: "Can we make NBA babies?" or "I want to climb you," or "Step on me." I deleted the apps, vowing to just let love come to me without effort, but I've come back to them, albeit with more caution. I have no intentions of finding my soul mate or anything like that — but at the very least I want some semblance of a dating life, as other women do. WATCH | Young people seeking authentic connections: Some young people say they're breaking up with dating apps 5 months ago Duration 2:47 Just about everything these days happens through cellphones, including dating, with users just a swipe and a match away from potentially finding a long-term partner. But some young people are breaking up with their dating apps, citing the desire to find more authentic connections and the strain of not getting the desired results. With each interaction, my self-esteem plummets and my anxiety and depression skyrocket. I know there's little that I can do to avoid the constant inquisition. Am I ever going to fall in love and be loved back? The more I ponder it, the more despair I feel. I have so much love to give, but it feels like nobody can look past my height. Despite all this, I have many reasons to hold my head high. I have a family that loves me, friends that do nothing but lift me up, and online communities of tall women who show me that it's possible to find love and be confident in themselves. I'm learning to own my height and enjoy going on dates or to bars without feeling the need to blend in or hide from the world. It gives me hope that, despite how badly I feel on the inside, no matter how intimidating I think I seem, I'm just like every other woman. Being in therapy has also helped. My therapist has emboldened me to wear bright colours or dress in fancy outfits just to go shopping. It means I have no choice but to stand out — and it's helping me get comfortable with it. It will take time. I've been burdened by my height insecurity for so many years, and confidence doesn't kick in overnight. But instead of blaming my height for my lack of achievements in life, I am learning to embrace it — and hoping that will bring me the life and love I've always wanted.
The Independent
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Lottie Moss used Ozempic due to ‘pressure' to look like sister Kate
Lottie Moss, 27, revealed she felt pressured to emulate her sister, Kate Moss, leading to body image struggles and a dangerous attempt to lose weight using Ozempic. Lottie was hospitalised after taking a high dosage of Ozempic which she obtained 'illegally' without proper medical assessment, causing severe illness and dehydration. Growing up, Lottie felt constant comparison to Kate's 'heroin chic' look, popularised in the 90s, and admitted to dabbling in a 'wild party lifestyle' to stay skinny. Lottie experienced dramatic weight loss but suffered severe side effects, including a seizure, leading her to question her decision, though she admits to still considering using Ozempic again.
