We know the Internet can host and help inflame the most unhealthy body image obsessions. But can diet blogs ever help women feel better about their bodies? Eating Journey blogger Michelle Gay has one idea on how to do it.
TrueSlant's Katie Drummond interviewed Gay, 26, about "Exposed," a project in which weight-loss bloggers celebrate what they love about their bodies.
It started when Gay saw the following photo on a friend's diet blog:
"I got annoyed, angry, and disappointed," Gay told Drummond. "Why was this gorgeous, amazing woman, who has given life to a child, hating her body? Why was I hating my body?"
That's how Gay came to post this:
Several other bloggers have followed suit.
Drummond asked Gay if the growth of these types of blogs were healthy for women, or whether they just promoted anxiety. Gay replied,
[B]oth the intensely positive and negative is actualized... I follow people who don't count calories or points – you can find that if you want it. I remember when I was struggling with dieting/binging/body image and I would compare myself to those bloggers who I felt ‘have it all together'. What I came to understand is that was all have our struggles. Bloggers who have shared their lives have helped me see that no one is perfect. That even those women who ‘have it together' still struggle, but they overcome it by coming back to the core values of self-respect and love.
You could argue that exposing your body to more micro-scrutiny, even with a positive twist, doesn't do much to allay anxieties. But it's hard to quibble with a few words of kindness to your body amidst all the self-loathing.
Bloggers In The Buff [TrueSlant]
Exposed [Eating Journey]
Related: Exposed [MizFit]
Why Do You Love Your Body? [Roni's Weigh]
Exposed [Jungle of Life]