Why we should not tolerate body shaming

A couple of days ago, there was an issue in one of the local newspapers where a woman was seeking advice over an issue where her husband constantly called her ‘fat,’ an issue that didn’t go well with her. As a breastfeeding mother who had just given birth, any mother can feel this pain deeply!

Much as many will find this issue trivial, body shaming is a serious form of abuse that is usually underrated yet it affects mental and physical health in surprising ways. Many people are battling with depression and stress over a number of issues, worsened by the slow recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic. After all this, someone has to deal with emotional abuse from her own partner.

Giving birth usually comes with post-maternal depression and so one needs extremely a lot of emotional and other related support, at worst, not ridicule and body shaming! Such kind of abuse is not selective and doesn’t spare anyone be it celebrities or not. We have seen many musicians coming out to confess how such abuse almost threw them into depression.

A while ago, a female artiste - Vinka, came out and confessed how she got emotionally shattered after being called a man maybe due to her husky voice. Another artiste (Fille Mutoni) later revealed how the weight she gained after her childbirth made her feel horrible after the harsh and unkind comments were being thrown at her. These are just a drop in an ocean.

It is no wonder many have opted for artificial looks in order to live for people, not for themselves yet entirely at their own costs! This is wrong! The people throwing all these harsh comments must realise that it is not funny at all, the damage they create might not be visible easily by naked eyes, but the victims know well how deep and horrible this goes with them.

 Any woman who has given birth knows what it takes to bring a child to life - the nine horrible months, the labour, save for when one goes under a C-section, the sleepless nights, the limited maternal leave, and all the financial and other constraints. After all this, again one has to deal with emotional abuse over her body! Women need a break!

Otherwise, we shall have a totally broken society, not when society builders are being bullied! It is no wonder some women don’t even want to breastfeed and play other motherly roles just because they want to remain in shape as society demands. You can’t eat your cake and have it.
Giving birth comes with hormonal change and being a new mother is itself stressful and stress hormones can promote weight gain and women are more likely to eat when they are stressed.

Therefore, instead, such a mother needs a lot of support and encouragement. If you are a partner to such a mother, sit with her and devise healthy means of exercising and eating healthy.  Yes, we ought to keep a healthy living as well as good looks, but that should not come at a cost of draining and bugging someone over their weight!  
Fat and body shaming involve criticising and harassing over weight people, however, stigma, abuse and discrimination against such people causes major psychological harm and worsens the problem.

According to a health line online research, body shaming people causes other health problems such as eating disorder, depression, reduces self-esteem, weight gain, increased cholesterol levels, and mental problems and puts one at risk of various chronic diseases. The same study reveals that depression is one of the top causes of suicide.  

Both women and men are body shamed, but according to the same 2016 health report, women reported constant levels of body shaming while men start to report feeling more confident as they age. As teachers, care takers and people who have responsibilities over others, especially parents, what words are we telling our children.

Ms Carol Nyangoma Mukisa is the social analyst & CEO
Warm Warm Hearts [email protected]