A Question Asked by Diversity Now...

"WOULD SEEING A MORE DIVERSE RANGE OF BODIES IN THE MEDIA IMPROVE YOUR SELF ESTEEM?"

This is the question that we are asked to answer for the Diversity Now campaign. It's a hard question because it runs a lot deeper than it originally is portrayed. The short answer is yes, it would. But I feel as though there is only so much that can be done to make all bodies equal because our own insecurities play a huge role in the way we see ourselves and others.

For example, the weight issue. This is what comes to the forefront of everyone's mind when they hear "diverse" models. It is undeniably true that if bigger models were to become the norm used in media then the majority of people who were unhappy with their weight would feel more excepted and more confident in their frame, and that can only be a good thing. The same could also be said for age, gender and height.

But I think that there are some things that are a long way off from being accepted so easily in fashion. Its all very well and good having more plus sized models, or older models, or culturally different models, but my recent research for my project has showed me that there are no models pictured with birthmarks or skin conditions of any type. Weight and gender can be changed. Age can be improved with surgery if the individual really felt it was needed. Skin cannot be changed.

I bring this point up because I have had quite bad eczema for 20 years. It has good phases and bad phases, and I've been thought every pill, cream and diet that has been thrown at me but it still remains. I have searched and searched in the media for someone with similar symptoms but to no avail, which was worse because it felt like it wasn't just me thinking it was ugly. If its not being shown on television or movies or on beautiful models then it MUST be ugly, right?

I think that if I had been more exposed to people in the media with eczema when I was growing up then I wouldn't be so self conscious about it now. When I was growing up I never really worried about my weight too much because my eczema took up all of my worry and there wasn't room for any more, so that was never really an issue. I do appreciate that aspect of it though, my mother is a Slimming World consultant and I used to go to work with her and grew up watching women worry about their weight. So from my own experiences, yes, seeing a more diverse range of body's would definitely improve my self esteem. If I saw people that thought nothing of it, that flaunted it and didn't worry about it instead of covering up a lot then I would feel as though I can do exactly the same. But until then I've tried to change my perspective and my way of thinking of things. For example instead of asking what I don't like about my body, I now ask what I LOVE about my body! And really I'm a pretty good catch (wink wink).

If we carry on the way we're going with diversity in models and get a wider range of bodies out there for people to look at and appreciate then I think that future young adults can grow up not feeling so insecure. If we set the example now tht it's okay to be you, then others will follow.