Discrimination at Every Size

Historically, the ideal body shape has been a constantly changing one. In mainstream media today, the model-thin body type is the ideal, a body type that is unachievable for many yet, because of societal pressures, desirable for most. In the past, thin bodies were viewed as less womanly than more "curvy" women. This discriminatory sentiment was often accompanied with the phrase, "Real Woman Have Curves", an oppressive statement that excludes both trans* women, who may not have the "womanly" curves that many cisgendered women possess, and the thinner women who simply do not have the body shape that someone deemed as ideal in order to sell products and create a culture of fear and consumption. The image to the left is very similar to the ads that are prevalent in today's mass media messages, where diet pills are advertised as a way to lose weight and fit into the current ideal. By creating an ideal body type that many simply cannot achieve due to factors outside of their control, companies can create products that further the oppression of "alternative" body types and profit off of the self loathing that they propagate.