THE MISINTERPRETATION OF BEAUTY AND ATTRACTIVENESS IN A WOMAN BY TODAY'S NIGERIAN SOCIETY

In a world where virtually all our thoughts, opinions and perceptions are largely influenced by what we see on TV, hear on radio and read on papers and the Internet. It is not surprising how the media have successfully shaped our view on what beauty and attractiveness in a woman should be. We have been indoctrinated by the media to believe that a woman is not beautiful and attractive unless she is slim. This misconception mostly propagated by the Western media is becoming ingrained in most societies, especially the Nigerian society that has now swallowed it hook, line and sinker.

Now our women spend every minute of the day thinking about their weight rather than focusing on things that matter most in life. They go the extra mile, taking all kinds of misguided steps just to be skinny because they erroneously believe that 'it is not sexy and trendy unless it is skinny'. Don't get it twisted, there is nothing wrong in being naturally slim, but forcing yourself to be slim in order to conform and bow to the standard set by a brainwashed society is what I find reprehensible.

I wouldn't want to go into the debate of what a beautiful and sexy woman should look like. Such debate is already diminished by the fact that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. We men have our individual preferences of the kind of woman that appeals to us sexually, some like it slim while some prefer it curvy and meaty. So such debate is completely inconsequential given this divergence of preference. This article is only aimed at countering this widely-held view that a woman is not sexy unless she is slim, or that men only find slim women attractive. It is hard to remain aloof on this issue in the wake of the devastating impact it is having on our society today. Many of our women are now taking extreme measures just to reduce their size, they take pills, many of them are into dieting and some are even starving themselves to something else all in the name of losing weight.

Of course I know that being overweight could have some negative health implications, it makes the person vulnerable to some diseases like diabetes.  But the fact is that most of these women that are taking these misguided steps are not doing so for health reasons and besides, their weight does not in any way near such level that could be a source of health concern. They are doing so just to impress the brainwashed society as I put it earlier. In my opinion, many of them end up being ugly because they have altered their natural form and beauty.

It is sad to observe that some women are now being stigmatized and discriminated upon on the basis of their size. Of course, this is not without some consequences because some of these women now suffer from low self-esteem which prevents them from pursuing their goals.

Bottom line: I know we live in a superficial world where physical appearance matters a great deal, however, don't allow anybody to tell you how you should look or to define beauty for you. Never feel insecure because what you see on TV is only people who are slim. It is just an orchestrated ploy by the Western media, they only want us to believe that a woman is not beautiful unless she is as slim as a typical white woman. Be reminded that men have different opinions on what a woman should look like. There are millions of men out there that are looking for a woman just like you. Don't allow the images you see on beauty pageants or on fashion magazines to shape your perception of yourself or what a woman should look like. Try to be healthy and don't forget to always dress well, never compromise on putting on those clothes that bring out the beauty in you. Finally, try to love yourself and be happy with whom you are because that is where true happiness comes from.