Big or small, short or tall, black or white, and everything in between — for the most part, South Africans rank among the most body-positive people in the world.
This is the result of a recently released global survey in which researchers from Anglia Ruskin University in London questioned more than 56,000 subjects from 65 nations about their body image.
Body image, as a mental representation of a person’s own perception of their physical body, may or may not bear any relation to the person’s actual appearance. It’s subject to all kinds of distortions, ranging from mood to culture, which can, in severe cases of dissatisfaction over a slight or undetectable defect, manifest in severe obsession or even a body dysmorphic disorder. But for this study, the general views of ordinary people were captured.
And out of the 65 countries that were polled, South Africans ranked 10th overall. This research looked at how body appreciation varies in different countries, with participants quizzed on how they agree with statements such as “I respect my body” and “I appreciate the different and unique characteristics of my body”.
“Wow! Look at us! That’s absolutely amazing,” said Nathalie Mat, who describes herself as “a health-at-every-size dietitian”.
“I believe that weight is just one part of who we are, but it’s not the most important part. There are so many other things like mental health and a person’s time and resources that factor in,” she said, listing some of the issues that influence body image.
“Body positivity in its truest sense is working with what you’ve got, and appreciating your body,” she said.
Malta, Taiwan, Bangladesh and Kazakhstan ranked as the top four most body-positive nations. And at the other end, Australia, India and the United Kingdom ranked as the least confident about their bodies.
Lead author of the study, Prof Viren Swami, said the research was a collaborative effort involving 250 scientists across the world. He noted that single people and those living in rural areas generally had higher body appreciation.
“We are confident that the present work will help scholars better understand the meaning and manifestation of body appreciation across nations and will be of value to practitioners and policymakers seeking to promote more positive body image outcomes in diverse national, cultural and linguistic groups,” was the consensus of the research team.
Mat said she believed South Africa’s high ranking was because the country is a kinder environment for people than countries like Australia, the UK and US, where attitudes were less accepting of body shapes that don’t conform to a standardised image.
“In fact, our health system tends to be weightist and fat-phobic,” Mat said, adding that South Africa’s diversity is reflected in the fact that two-thirds of women are overweight or obese, prompting “a war on bigger bodies”.
“Given our high inequality, it’s great that it turns out that people are OK with different body types. It’s wonderful and reflects our difference and that thick thighs are great and you don’t need to be blonde with blue eyes and a tiny waist to be happy with yourself.”
Model and body-positive influencer Thickleeyonce, born Lesego Legobane, recently became the first plus-size model from South Africa to pose for international design house Calvin Klein.
She recently came in for criticism after a now-removed comment she made on social media was described as body-shaming thin women. However, she clarified the matter by stating: “Once again, it’s not an attack on anyone’s body type, the same way as BLM isn’t a way of saying that any other life doesn’t matter. I dunno how else to explain it.”
Kendra Dykman, an active medical exercise professional, registered biokineticist, and one-time participant in the Calisthenics and Street Workout World Championships — said she believes body positivity is “less about labels and more about actual wellness”.
“Sometimes people forget that a word like ‘obese’ is not intended as judgment, but rather a classification of a health issue,” she said, referring to changes in the industry that have seen a shift from focusing away from height-to-weight ratios or the number on a scale and more towards looking at lean mass to fat mass to identify risk.
This, she said, is seen in the new and more inclusive or less judgmental terminology, where classifications have changed from terms such as “morbidly obese” to “at risk”.
Dykman said she felt it was great that South Africans were generally positive about their bodies, and not ashamed or negative about size.
South Africans rank high in body positivity stakes
Study suggests South Africa is more accepting of different body types than countries like Australia, the UK and US
Image: Instagram/Thickleeyonce
Big or small, short or tall, black or white, and everything in between — for the most part, South Africans rank among the most body-positive people in the world.
This is the result of a recently released global survey in which researchers from Anglia Ruskin University in London questioned more than 56,000 subjects from 65 nations about their body image.
Body image, as a mental representation of a person’s own perception of their physical body, may or may not bear any relation to the person’s actual appearance. It’s subject to all kinds of distortions, ranging from mood to culture, which can, in severe cases of dissatisfaction over a slight or undetectable defect, manifest in severe obsession or even a body dysmorphic disorder. But for this study, the general views of ordinary people were captured.
And out of the 65 countries that were polled, South Africans ranked 10th overall. This research looked at how body appreciation varies in different countries, with participants quizzed on how they agree with statements such as “I respect my body” and “I appreciate the different and unique characteristics of my body”.
“Wow! Look at us! That’s absolutely amazing,” said Nathalie Mat, who describes herself as “a health-at-every-size dietitian”.
“I believe that weight is just one part of who we are, but it’s not the most important part. There are so many other things like mental health and a person’s time and resources that factor in,” she said, listing some of the issues that influence body image.
“Body positivity in its truest sense is working with what you’ve got, and appreciating your body,” she said.
Malta, Taiwan, Bangladesh and Kazakhstan ranked as the top four most body-positive nations. And at the other end, Australia, India and the United Kingdom ranked as the least confident about their bodies.
Lead author of the study, Prof Viren Swami, said the research was a collaborative effort involving 250 scientists across the world. He noted that single people and those living in rural areas generally had higher body appreciation.
“We are confident that the present work will help scholars better understand the meaning and manifestation of body appreciation across nations and will be of value to practitioners and policymakers seeking to promote more positive body image outcomes in diverse national, cultural and linguistic groups,” was the consensus of the research team.
Mat said she believed South Africa’s high ranking was because the country is a kinder environment for people than countries like Australia, the UK and US, where attitudes were less accepting of body shapes that don’t conform to a standardised image.
“In fact, our health system tends to be weightist and fat-phobic,” Mat said, adding that South Africa’s diversity is reflected in the fact that two-thirds of women are overweight or obese, prompting “a war on bigger bodies”.
“Given our high inequality, it’s great that it turns out that people are OK with different body types. It’s wonderful and reflects our difference and that thick thighs are great and you don’t need to be blonde with blue eyes and a tiny waist to be happy with yourself.”
Model and body-positive influencer Thickleeyonce, born Lesego Legobane, recently became the first plus-size model from South Africa to pose for international design house Calvin Klein.
She recently came in for criticism after a now-removed comment she made on social media was described as body-shaming thin women. However, she clarified the matter by stating: “Once again, it’s not an attack on anyone’s body type, the same way as BLM isn’t a way of saying that any other life doesn’t matter. I dunno how else to explain it.”
Kendra Dykman, an active medical exercise professional, registered biokineticist, and one-time participant in the Calisthenics and Street Workout World Championships — said she believes body positivity is “less about labels and more about actual wellness”.
“Sometimes people forget that a word like ‘obese’ is not intended as judgment, but rather a classification of a health issue,” she said, referring to changes in the industry that have seen a shift from focusing away from height-to-weight ratios or the number on a scale and more towards looking at lean mass to fat mass to identify risk.
This, she said, is seen in the new and more inclusive or less judgmental terminology, where classifications have changed from terms such as “morbidly obese” to “at risk”.
Dykman said she felt it was great that South Africans were generally positive about their bodies, and not ashamed or negative about size.
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