What is it about women? I can’t say that I know a single woman who does not have some kind of body image issue. Something is wrong; too big, too little, too large, too small, too something. Reminds me of Goldilocks and the Three Bears; nothing is quite right! This comes from the messages we get, the advertisements, the merchandising, but it really isn’t about US. We are fine just as we are. We don’t need enhancement, weight loss programs, the newest makeup, longer lashes, cosmetic surgery -if we could just believe it.
This discontent is the norm and often begins young, with 53% of girls expressing dissatisfaction with their bodies at age thirteen. By the time girls reach seventeen, 78% are unhappy with their bodies. This lack of appreciation and critical view of our bodies is driven by cultural ideals, peer pressure, and social media. Drug and cosmetic companies market mercilessly and make huge profits from the insecurity they spread. 46% of nine-to eleven-year-old girls often diet. Because of the portrayal of beauty in social media, teens and many adults are influenced by body perception, and as many as 45% of young women and adults consider cosmetic surgery in search of the “perfect” body. Body dissatisfaction is associated with low self-esteem, depression, and is a major factor in eating disorders, which affect approximately 28% of women. (N.I.H.)
Sometimes we stumble upon such great inspiration it rocks our world. So it is with the story of Elizabeth “Lizzie” Ann Velasquez. She was called the “World’s Ugliest Woman” in a cruel YouTube video. Lizzie spoke out against bullying! Her TED Talk about defining yourself on your own terms went viral.
Lizzie was born on March 13, 1989, in Austin, Texas. Born four weeks prematurely, she weighed two pounds eleven ounces. She has an extremely rare disease, Marfanoid-progeroid-lipodystrophy syndrome. Only two people are known to have this condition. It prevents her from gaining weight; she has 0% body fat and she has never weighed over sixty-four pounds. The disease causes premature aging, and she is blind in her right eye and vision is impaired in her left eye. Lizzie attended public school and faced cruelty and relentless cyberbullying during her teenage years.
When she was seventeen, Lizzie began her campaign against bullying. In 2014 she gave a TedxAustinWomenTalk, “How Do YOU Define Yourself.” Over 54 million people have viewed her videos. Despite severe and humiliating bullying that would have broken many, Lizzie obtained a higher education and achieved her goals of independence and a career in public speaking. She graduated from Texas State University in San Marcos in 2012 with a major in Communication and a minor in English.
Lizzie started her career as a motivational speaker and author in her freshman year of college. She emphasized the importance of self-confidence and turning the negative experiences in our lives into opportunities for growth. Her first book, “Lizzie Beautiful,” co-authored with her mother, Rita, is an autobiographical work that includes the letters her mother wrote to her as a child. Lizzie writes books for children, such as “Be Beautiful, Be You,” which focuses on recognizing our own unique gifts and blessings. Her second children’s book, “Choosing Happiness,” speaks about some obstacles Lizzie faced and how she “learned the importance of choosing to be happy when it’s all too easy to give up.”
The film, A Brave Heart: The Lizzie Velasquez Story premiered in 2015. “Dare to be Kind,” published in 2017, focuses on the importance of being kind, calling on her firsthand experience of being bullied. Lizzie began hosting her own Fullscreen original series, Unzipped, in 2017.
Lizzie is currently focusing on regaining her strength and recovery following severe recent health issues including liver failure, a peptic ulcer, and extensive surgery. This year she is sharing her journey back to independence and self sufficiency while continuing advocacy for positivity and anti-bullying.
Lizzie’s message, dare to be kind, begins with kindness to ourselves. Something to ponder. Maybe write a love note to your body.
a love note to my body:
first of all,
I want to say
thank you
for the heart you kept beating
even when it was broken
for every answer you gave me in my gut
for loving me back
even when
I didn’t know how to love you
for every time you recovered when I pushed you past our limits
for today,
for waking up.
~ Cleo Wade
@cleowade
Art by Mary Feywood
@maryfeywood
For another really inspirational talk about body image visit Hillary McBride’s Ted Talk. She is really insightful.
