Over the past few years, there has been a revolutionary change in the perception of how women want their bodies to be represented throughout the media. No longer is the idea of a waify, unhealthy body Beautiful to the majority of women across the world -- and they are making that opinion known. In the 2016 documentary "Embrace," Taryn Brumfitt, a mother of 4, travels all over the world speaking with different women about their experiences with body image issues as well as health. Many of the women express their frustration with the media representing women in an unrealistic way -- promoting an unattainable, as well as unhealthy image.
Igniting change
The body positive movement is one that is gaining momentum faster than anyone expected and clarifies that not only is healthy beautiful, but that healthy looks different on every body type.
As a ballet dancer, this is a truth I'm learning and understanding more every day both with my own body, as well as others. For many decades, directors of ballet companies wanted dancers who were skinny -- they did not care how it was attained. This blatant disregard of health in the pursuit of aesthetics led to countless eating disorders among dancers -- one of the most extreme cases being with legendary ballerina Gelsey Kirkland. The pressure to be skinny drove Kirkland to resort to drug abuse as well as multiple eating disorders, honestly but tragically retold in her book "Dancing on my Grave." Kirkland is just one of many examples that skinny does not automatically equate to healthy.
The new beauty standard
Thanks to the work of many women, as well as men, the world is ushering in a new age of beauty. An age of beauty where women will not skip a meal in order to feel "beautiful," but will love and rejoice in the body they were given by fueling and nourishing it. An age of beauty where a mother's body will not be shamed for her breasts or her tummy or her stretch marks, but rather, celebrated for giving life to another human.
The world is changing. It is learning now that to be healthy is far more important than to be skinny, and that beauty comes in all different shapes and sizes.
