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Body Talk
Your body, your choice? A place to debate and discuss the complexities and controversies surrounding women's' health issues, reproductive rights, and bodily autonomy.
Do You Have the Mom Body?
What exactly is the "mom body"? Well, it’s pretty simple really: it’s the body almost any woman has after pregnancy. It’s the stretch marks. It’s a little or maybe a lot of extra around the middle. It’s the super stretched out skin. Maybe it’s the continuation to look pregnant even though your last child was born years ago. It’s the body that brought the miracle of life into the world, and, for a lot of us, it’s also the body that’s completely different from when we were younger. It’s a body that has possibly caused us to lose our self-confidence.
By Amanda Brock6 years ago in Viva
Don’t Be Beautiful
You are beautiful,” “beauty is from within,” “be your own kind of beautiful.” These are things that women are told every day. But why should women only aspire to beauty? Why not kindness or intelligence or success in their career or physical athleticism? Why is the way a woman looks a reflection of her worth? We live in a world where vanity is seen as the most important thing Women should aspire to achieve. Because if we are not beautiful we are not worthy of love, friendship, respect.
By Emily Tarff6 years ago in Viva
Do You Love Yourself?
Do you ever wonder where body image issues stem from? It's just as common in men as it is in women. Wanting to be muscular, thin, beautiful. Is it from the magazines? MTV? For fuck's sake, the Kardashians? Why do we feel the need to impress everybody else to feel good in our own skin? Why do we think we need the attention? Some people blame being the middle child. Or not being hugged often enough. But I think the human brain is so much more complicated than that. It's about being true to yourself. Or, at least, I think it should be. We shouldn't have to wonder if these jeans make us look fat. Why does anyone care? And the end of the day, can you look in the mirror and honestly answer, "Do you love yourself?" Because if the answer is no, maybe you should start. Start taking the steps to love your body, your personality, your curves, or not? Maybe you’re reading this and wished you looked like me. Is that possible? Grass is always greener on the other side, I suppose.
By Abbey Nims6 years ago in Viva
Fat Shaming—Like Cancer to the Soul
Many women in our society—yes, myself included—have learned to hate our femininity, hate our form, hate our maturity as we grow older, hate our bodies, our minds, deny our wisdom. How many of us women who have a certain amount of extra weight have experienced the following scenario...or similar?
By Kate Quinn6 years ago in Viva
Fat and Skinny Shaming
Society has ways of developing a right and wrong view of what true beauty is, going as far as blaming the makers of the Barbie doll for demonstrating an illusion of what beauty is too young girls. Females are the main target when it comes to beauty, but males suffer too. There are promotions for beauty being on the inside because of how the shapes of bodies are looked down upon. The point to this is to show a side that isn’t shown as often as it should be.
By Brittany Diamond6 years ago in Viva
I'm Not the Pretty Girl. Top Story - May 2018.
Do you ever feel like you're not going to find your soulmate? I definitely know that feeling. I also know the feeling of thinking that you're not enough for someone. I know the feeling when your mom or dad says, "You would be one hell of a catch," but I know that I wouldn't be. I know the feeling of being crazy excited when you're finally talking to a hot guy and then you feel like you're worth something because someone like him wants you. I used to know these feelings. Not anymore.
By Madison Rheam6 years ago in Viva
Am I Beautiful?
Today I can honestly say I feel quite beautiful. It is, of course, due to the fact that my insides feel good and not because I look good on the outside. I ordered a salad instead of pizza and why? Because it is healthy, that's why. I am not thick or thin but somewhere in between 106 and 160. At one point I was 160 because I was full of bad foods and an equally terrible lifestyle.
By Elizabeth Rox6 years ago in Viva
Men and Muscles
I quit sports before I began high school but it was a great experience. My team almost beat every other junior high (the other team cheated), I made several friends, I got a little bit in shape, and I made some amazing memories. But there are also some negatives.
By Maya Conroy6 years ago in Viva
Love Yourself
I wasn't sure about creating this but I know other girls struggle too. I've struggled with my weight most of my life, I've always been the little pudgy kid. I've always had some sort of insecurity about my body and how I look. It's like you don't get bullied but you know people talk behind your back. Frankly, I'd rather have someone call me fat to my face than see them stare. On my bad days, I even tell my closest friends, "I'm fat," and of course they always respond with something like, "no you're not!"
By Alyssa Smith6 years ago in Viva