Deborah Olabode 

The world has labelled a specific kind of shape or colour of a woman as the standard of beauty. Dr. Shelly Grabe, a psychologist specialising in body image, noted that “the constant bombardment of idealised beauty standards can lead to a sense of internalised shame, causing individuals to feel like they are not good enough.”

Slim people are seen as beautiful compared to their counterparts. In some cases, the tall is also standardised as beautiful. This idea has been greatly encouraged in beauty pageants such as Miss World, and Miss Nigeria where the criteria for winning is determined by their physical fitness, set weight, and height. Miss World’s official website states that contestants are judged on “beauty, talent, personality, and physical fitness”. In the same vein, Miss Nigeria’s website specifies a height requirement of 5’7” (170 cm) and a weight requirement of 55-65 kg (121-143 lbs).

In today’s world, there is an emphasis on lighter skin tone and an hourglass figure. This criterion leans on the essentials of a flat tummy and wide hips. Many women, even teenage girls are under the pressure to have a flat tummy hence, they go through unimaginable ways to attain that. Some starve themselves, some even suffer from anorexia- the disorder of vomiting food almost immediately after eating. 

However, only a few of them admit they are under societal pressure. They usually find words to prove that they are not oppressed. People lacking in these criteria often go over the brink to conform to societal standards even if it involves them endangering their lives.

Celebrities and social media influencers are not left out of this demeaning culture as they also seek ways to conform. Some celebrities go to the extent of embarking on Brazilian Butt Lift(BBL) just to fit into the standards. One of them is Toke Makinwa, one of the first women in Nigeria to have a butt lift surgery. She admitted to having the surgery during a Q&A session on her Vlog ‘Toke Moments,’  she said, “Yes, I worked on my body, but my breasts are natural. I had a lip filler because I wanted to launch my lipstick brand. Also, I enhanced my body after I got my fibroids removed. I did that because I wanted to feel better in clothes. I do not regret enhancing my body because it’s the best thing I’ve ever done, and I wanted to look curvy, and I love it.” 

A Nollywood actress who also underwent BBL spoke in a 3.25-minute video titled ‘Brazilian Butt Lift: My bum-bum dey give me confidence.’ She said in an interview with BBC Pidgin: “You go just dey like yourself. You just be happy and say na me be dis, see as my shape dey,” She found it pleasing to go through the surgery just to conform to standards.

Another celebrity is Nengi Hampson. In a post-BBNaija interview with Legit, she admitted that she underwent the procedure because she felt uneasy about her body and wanted to gain confidence in herself. In another conversation with Ozo, she said, “I have always wanted to do surgery because I felt like I had a really big stomach. I did liposuction, but I only removed fat from my stomach. I feel if you are not confident about something and you can change it, then do it. I always had to wear a waist trainer, and it was really stressful for me,” she said. Like many celebrities who underwent the process, she expressed no regret for her action. She even clarified that her one regret is that she did not blog about her surgery”.

These celebrities hereby influence their followers to also believe that it is the standard. They go ahead to post their most flattering pictures making their followers believe they are perfect humans.

These behaviours are responsible for the poor self-image of individuals, negative comparisons, lack of self-love, obsession with physical beauty, eating disorders, and mental health issues. A lot needs to be done about these negativities. We need to understand individuality and uniqueness as strengths, rather than trying to conform to a singular old standard.

Dr. Celia Lury, a beauty and culture sociologist believes that “the beauty industry’s emphasis on diversity and inclusivity is a step in the right direction, but more needs to be done to challenge systemic beauty standards”. The media should feature diverse body types, and skin tones instead of always choosing a particular set of people to represent their organisation and brands in videos and pictures. Individuals should embrace self-love, self-acceptance, and high self-esteem rather than focusing on physical appearance alone. It is time to challenge the world’s definition of beauty and embrace diversity, and individuality. We must recognize that beauty comes in all shapes, sizes, and forms.